Tag: 260305

Organic farming in NH

Winter conference returns

Of the many events and conferences taking place at this time of year, one that probably escaped your notice is the Winter Conference of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire, taking place at Colby Sawyer College this weekend. This year’s conference is actually happening a month later than usual, said Kyle Jacoby, a program manager for the Association.

“It’s not our first ever conference in March, but it’s been a little while, so we’re excited to see what March brings us,” Jacoby said. “We always get a lot of people in our evaluations and through comments that say community is a big part of the event and the organization, so we really leaned into that with our theme this year, ‘Taking Root and Nourishing Community.’ We really like the word ‘nourishing,’ sort of an action of taking root, really feeding into all these connections between land and people and our practices.”

A core concept of organic farming is being aware and mindful of where our food comes from, Jacoby said, and this year’s conference will address the concerns of many different groups who are interested in that. He said this year’s conference will have “over 20 workshops for everyone from farmers to home growers, permaculturists, and educators. So we really have a full gamut of different workshops for all types of learners, farmers, home growers, home livestock [keepers], herbalists, hobbyists, educators, nonprofits and professionals. So we’re really excited about all those workshops.”

This conference’s workshops will span a wide range of interests from the technical (Soil Carbon Dynamics and Farm-Scale Management) to the academic (Carrying Seeds Forward: African Diasporic & Indigenous Traditions in New England Agriculture) to the narrative (Starting From Scratch: What We Learned Starting Our Farm). The concept of inclusivity extends to this year’s keynote speakers, Jacoby said. “We’re really excited. We decided this year it was going to be really valuable and important to uplift some local voices and some local initiatives, and so we connected with Dave Trumbull of Good Earth Farm and Sarah Hansen of Kearsarge Gore Farm, two farmers who’ve been really involved in a farmer collaborative CSA [Community Supported Agriculture] called Local Harvest CSA. They’re going to share some of their lessons and stories from this farmer collaborative and from their perspective as farmers in the state about how we come together as a community and connect with one another.”

“We also have things like our Green Market Fair, and a lot of exhibitors, raffles, different activities for people to engage in,” Jacoby said. The Green Market, he explained, is an ongoing activity throughout the conference where organizations can exchange information, and attendees can make connections and build support networks. “We have a number of nonprofits or small businesses [and] some of our local co-ops or organizations that work to support farmers, like Northeast SARE, which is Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, the MOSCA, the certifying agency that a lot of our farmers now have turned to to get certified. And we’ll have Rimmel Greenhouse, the Hampshire Herbal Network, the Granite State Grazers, Kearsarge Food Hub, High Mowing Organic Seeds, Witching Hour Provisions, the UNH Extension. So it goes on and on.”

Jacoby said more people have started to pay attention to food production in recent years, and this conference — like NOFANH itself — provides a way for those people to turn their interest into action.

“A lot of the things we see — both anecdotally and through data that we’ve seen – that there’s just increasing demand nationally for organic food and we have a lot of farmers in the state, and home growers too, who believe a lot in the philosophy and the principles of organic and want to ensure that they’re doing that … for themselves but also for the their communities.”

NOFANH
The 2026 Winter Conference of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire will take place Saturday, March 7, at Colby Sawyer College in New London. For more information about the conference, or to register for it, visit nofanh.org/winterconference.

Featured photo: Photo courtesy of Tamworth Distillery

The comfort of an egg sandwich

Breakfast eats to get you going at The Cure Cafe

Rachel Ormond is the owner and operator of The Cure Cafe in New Boston.

“About three years ago we went up to Loon Mountain,” she said, “and there’s a little cafe on the top of the mountain. That was the first time Colin ever ate an English muffin, egg and cheese sandwich and he loved it.” At the time, Ormond’s 3-year-old son Colin was being treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a form of blood cancer.

“He’s really picky at the best of times,” Ormond continued, “and when you’ve been on cancer treatment, and you take all sorts of steroids, your taste buds change and your cravings are very distinct. He ate exclusively mac and cheese and chips for quite a while, so for him to eat an egg and cheese sandwich was really exciting. And then, he ate egg and cheese sandwiches every single day from that day on for two years. … So when we opened the Cafe, the first sandwich on the menu was The Colin, and it’s our egg and cheese on an English muffin because that’s what he loved. And then [my daughter] Charlotte always got a sausage egg and cheese, so now we have The Charlotte. And then that was it until their dad, Robert, was a little jealous. He was like, ‘Oh, what about me? I want a menu item.’ So, there was born ‘The Robert.’ My husband’s a big, jacked bodybuilder, so he’s got two eggs, double meat on an everything bagel, because that’s what he loves. And actually The Robert is super popular.”

The Cure Cafe is the local coffee-and-muffin joint in New Boston.

“I’m an avid coffee drinker myself,” Ormond said, “and I would frequently drive to Bedford, to Manchester for coffee, to Milford for coffee. So when this space opened up and the opportunity arose, my reaction was, ‘First of all, we need espresso within driving distance.’” As a result, the cafe offers a full menu of coffee options, from lattes and espressos to a range of iced coffee drinks.

“We serve any of our drinks hot or iced,” Ormond said. “We make cold brew and iced coffee and just regular drip as well. We sell cold brew and iced coffee and iced lattes all day long. We probably sell more iced drinks than hot drinks, truthfully. And in the summertime we will almost exclusively sell cold [drinks].”

In addition to coffees, teas and breakfast sandwiches, all of which feature an over-hard egg (“We’re more than happy to do an over-easy egg if you ask,” Ormond said), the breakfast menu includes a range of muffins and goods baked in house.

“We make all of our pastries every day,” Ormond said. “We’ve got cinnamon rolls, which are humongous, and our most popular muffin flavor is the lemon-blueberry. Every time I don’t make lemon-blueberries, people are like, ‘Where’s the lemon blueberry muffin? I’ll come back tomorrow.’ So I make them all the time because it keeps the people happy. And then we always have croissants or spinach and feta pastries. We switch up our scone flavors — usually blueberry, white chocolate-raspberry, and an apple-cinnamon.”

The lunch menu features salads and a range of sandwiches.

“We call all of our sandwiches here ‘sammies’ though, for fun,” Ormond said. “Our smoked turkey BLT is super popular now. … it was on the seasonal menu, but it’s transitioning into the permanent menu because it’s been so popular. We only use sourdough bread for sandwiches here, usually toasted. The smoked turkey BLT, the BLT, and the chicken salad all get it toasted. The club’s the only one that doesn’t get served on toast. But a lot of people request that we don’t toast it, so I really think it’s up to personal preference.”

The Cure Cafe
8 Mill St., New Boston, 741-5016, curellc.toast.site
Hours: Wednesday through Monday, 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Closed on Tuesdays and during weather emergencies.

Featured photo: The Cure Cafe. Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 26/03/05

• Slice of Pi: The Canterbury Shaker Village, 288 Shaker Road in Canterbury, will celebrate Shaker Pie Pi Day on Saturday, March 14, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. “Join us at Canterbury Shaker Village for a slice of pie and an informal talk (which may include pie charts) about pie in both Shaker and American history,” according to shakers.org, where you can register for the event. Register by Saturday, March 7.

• Pizza fundamentals: There will be a family-involved pizza-making class with Ohana Sourdough at Barrel and Baskit (377 Main St., Hopkinton, 746-1375, barrelandbaskit.com) Friday, March 6, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The cost will be $18 per pizza, but all ingredients and equipment are included. Register online at barrelandbaskit.com.

• Brunch with heels and sparkle: The Vanderbilt Room & Banquet Facility (48 Lowell Road, Hudson, 810-7337, vanderbiltroom.com) will be the venue for Hudson Honeys Drag Brunch, Sunday, March 8, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For $60.54 through eventbrite.com, guests will get a brunch buffet and then Sticky Honey will host a drag show while guests sip mimosa specials.

• Patriotic tea: The Nashua Historical Society (5 Abbott St., Nashua, 883-0015, nashuahistoricalsociety.org) will host Steeped in ’76, a tea party to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution and the Boston Tea Party, Sunday, March 8, beginning at 12:30 p.m. Guests will enjoy an elegant tea service featuring teas, scones, petite sandwiches and sweet treats, all served amid red, white and blue décor. Designed for ages 6 and up, the afternoon offers engaging activities for history lovers of all generations. The cost for Historical Society members and children under 18 is $18. The price for non-members is $25. Reservations are required; seating is limited. Visit nashuahistoricalsociety.org/events.

• Burgerama: The Bedford Village Inn in Bedford has kicked off its nearly month of special burger recipes known as Burgerama, available in the Tavern. Through Saturday, March 7, it’s “BVI Favorites” week with a BVI Big Double, a BVI Black and Blue Burger and Sausage Pizza Sliders served with herbed parmesan fries, according to the menu at bedfordvillageinn.com. Starting Sunday, March 8, it’s a new week of burgers — Smokehouse Week, where a BBQ Pork Burger, Wicked Smoked Brisket Burger and Smoked Andouille Sliders are served with smoked paprika fries. See the website for the full menu for all of March and a description of all the burgers.

• Get your tickets: The Nashua Center’s annual Taste of the Towns event will take place Thursday, May 7, 6 to 9 p.m. at the Sheraton Nashua, 11 Tara Blvd. in Nashua, according to nashuacenter.org/taste-of-the-towns, where you can purchase tickets and sponsorships. The lineup of participants includes Bellavance Beverage Co., The Imported Grape, In the Mix Bartending, K’sone’s Thai Restaurant & Lounge, Le Gris Charcuterie, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Shorty’s Mexican Roadhouse, Soel Sistas, Tara House Grill and Woodman’s Artisan Bakery, according to the website.

Kiddie Pool 26/03/05

Family fun for whenever

Video game history

• On Sunday, March 8, SEE Science Center, 200 Bedford St. in Manchester, will celebrate Ralph Baer, the German-born engineer who lived in Manchester and is known as “the father of video games,” according to see-sciencecenter.org. According to SEE’s Facebook page, the day will feature activities celebrating his legacy, which will be included with regular admission — $15 per person ages 3 and up, according to the website. The Center is open Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the last admission of the day at 4 p.m., the website said.

Maple season

• New Hampshire’s Maple Weekend is Saturday, March 21, and Sunday, March 22, this year but Ben’s Sugar Shack, 8 Webster Highway in Temple, offers free tours on weekends throughout March, according to bensmaplesyrup.com. This weekend, visit Saturday, March 7, or Sunday, March 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a tour that demonstrates the maple syrup making process from tree to pancake. And, of course, the tour will include samples of maple products such as maple soft-serve ice cream, maple roasted nuts, maple cotton candy, maple soda, maple fudge, maple barbecue sauce, maple syrup and more, the website said.

• Charmingfare Farm, 774 High St. in Candia, kicks off its Maple Express event celebrating maple season with times for the public Saturdays and Sundays, March 6-22 (as well as some school group days). Visit the sugarhouse, see boiling sap, learn about tree tapping and taste the syrup during the event, which also features visits with the animals and a horse-drawn or tractor ride, according to the website, where you can purchase tickets for specific times during the event.

Big screen fun

• Chunky’s Cinema Pub, 707 Huse Road in Manchester, chunkys.com, will feature new Disney Pixar release Hoppers in its “Little Lunch Date” screening on Tuesday, March 10, at 11:30 a.m. The lights will be slightly dimmed and admission costs $5, according to the website. Let this also serve as a reminder that Tuesday, March 10, is town voting day in some communities, which can mean no school for students.

Treasure Hunt 26/03/05

Dear Donna,

I found this box of assorted watch pieces and metal. Can you give me an idea of a value for it? I took what I wanted and now would like to see someone else enjoy it.

Thank you, Donna.

Terri

Dear Terri,

OK I’m in line for that! Just kidding, but who doesn’t like playing with watch pieces?

I think what I would do first is check for any watch faces, movements etc. Some may be valuable on their own. This I think could be done by a watch repair person and possibly a jeweler.

If you know they are just an assortment of pieces, next I would price it as a lot to someone. People enjoy decorating and doing crafts, jewelry with a lot of it! Sometimes just displaying the bunch in a glass jar makes for interesting conversations.

Terri, from what I can see you have an assortment of pieces from the early 1900s through to the mid to late century. I say the value for the lot if no exceptions is $75.

I hope you find a new home for the box of fun!

Flower power

‘Bloom’ pairs art and floral arrangements

A four-day event at Manchester’s Currier Museum of Art pairs paintings and sculptures with floral arrangements done by members of the New Hampshire Federation of Garden Clubs. “Bloom – A Floral Palette” also offers hands-on artmaking and tours led by floral designers. It culminates with a catered party and awards ceremony.

“Bloom” is something that NHFGC has long wanted to do, Winnie Schmidt, the organization’s President, noted recently.

“Many of us have attended this type of an event in places like the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and right now there’s one going on in Worcester, Mass., at their art gallery,” she said in a phone interview. “We’ve seen them all over, and for years we’ve wanted to bring it here.”

Arrangers include winners of past events like the Philadelphia Art Show and the Rhode Island Flower Show, along with some who are in the milieu for the first time but just as passionate. “These are ladies who absolutely love to do floral design,” Schmidt said. “From Salem up to Littleton and Ashland.”

Floral designers are tasked with addressing the question of how art and arrangements work together, Schmidt continued. They should, she said, “complement, harmonize, showcase or unite with a piece of art or in the theme [and] demonstrate creativity, originality, use of bold color choices, textures and unexpected materials.”

Museums are a brave new world for NHFGC, which is part of a national group of garden clubs. “Most of us are digging-in-the-dirt garden clubs, but a good number of us are also interested in floral design,” she said. “It’s a mixture of both outdoor gardeners and floral designers, so it’s a very eclectic group.”

Floral designers picked works from the Currier collection on a first-come basis, a process that worked well, Schmidt said. “You have to remember this, we’re inventing this as it goes — none of us have done this before. So our mantra is, ‘We don’t know what we’re doing, but we’re having a good time doing it.’”

Attendees at the Bloom Bash on the evening of Saturday, March 14, are encouraged to dress in their favorite floral fashions in an early celebration of spring. The event will offer light hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar, capped by an awards ceremony in the Currier’s Winter Garden to celebrate the designers.

Currier Director and CEO Jordana Pomeroy will choose the arrangement that she feels best represents the intersection of design and art. A Committee Award will be chosen by Currier Board of Trustees member Bill Stelling; Sally Shea, who organized a similar effort called “Petals to Paint” for many years, and a dozen NHFGC presidents, including Schmidt.

Finally, there’s a People’s Choice Award.

“Everyone who attends will be able to vote for the arrangement that they feel best exemplifies the show,” Schmidt said. “All those things will be given out at the Bloom Bash on Saturday night, so it’ll be like a culmination — ‘We did it, let’s celebrate and party and have a good time.’”

That said, it will be a party that’s more about marking an achievement for everyone involved, rather than to pick winners.

“It’s not a floral design contest,” Schmidt said. “The National Garden Club has a handbook on floral design arrangement that is probably 1,000 pages thick. This is not what this is.”

More than anything, the hope is that the long weekend of commingling flowers and arts inspires another one, and another after that, she stressed.

“It’s our inaugural one, but the one that we were at in Connecticut last weekend was celebrating their 44th, and I hope someday we will be celebrating our 44th annual here in Manchester.”

Bloom – A Floral Palette
When: Thursday, March 12, through Sunday, March 15
Where: Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester
Tickets: Weekend pass $50 adults, $20 members (does not include Bloom Bash on Saturday, March 14, 6 p.m., $50)

Daily admission $30 adults, $15 members, includes museum access, arrangement viewing, artmaking and tours.

Featured photo: “Cross By the Sea, Canada” by Georgia O’Keeffe one of the pieces floral designers will take inspiration from for “Bloom.” Images courtesy the Currier.

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