Alison
McNair, NH Outlook: This is harvest season in New Hampshire.
Farm stands and farmers markets are brimming with produce and products
all locally grown and produced. This program takes a look at some of
the new traditions now growing in New Hampshire. We begin with Ben French.
Ben
French, NH Outlook: Fresh food, sunshine, neighbors, and
a great time. This is the Sanbornton Farmers' Market.
Jack
Potter, Sanbornton Farmers' Market:
There's many things that draw people to a farmers' market one is the
fresh produce- people are getting produce that was picked this morning.
Ben
French: What do you look for in tomatoes?
Shopper:
I don't
know. I like 'em a little 'hahd'!
Jack
Potter:
The other thing is what we try to do was to give a nice little setting
here We're out in this nice little field its it a nice wonderful day
people are able to get out and enjoy themselves show the ladies sitting
under the tent.
Sylvia
Hobby, Sanbornton:
It's a social occasion. We get wonderful food and we have a great town
and we love it!
Ben
French: Some markets aren't so lucky when it comes to weather
though. [Footage of wind/ rain/ tents blowing over.] This was the scene
at the grand opening of the Bedford Farmers' Market. Most of the vendors
were able to weather out the storm and draw some customers after a soggy
but festive ribbon cutting.
Steve
Taylor, Commissioner of Agriculture:
Farmers' markets are a lot like all of agriculture- it's very weather
dependant.
Ben
French: Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Taylor says weather
won't discourage a Granite State farmer. The Bedford Farmers' market
is number 34 for New Hampshire- it's part of a growing trend in state
agriculture. Our conventional agriculture that we think of cows, silos
large orchards- those operations are shrinking in number the smaller
operations are getting bigger…and that area of agriculture; in
NH is growing and accounts for us having more farms now than we had
ten years ago but it's a different type of agriculture. And, according
to Taylor- it's the type of agriculture that thrives at a farmers' market.
One reason says Goffstown farmer Sara Shirley- people like the convenience
of having everything in one place.
Sara
Shirley:
A lot of farms are in remote locations and getting traffic to come out
to the farm itself is difficult.
Jack
Potter:
And the real boon is for farmers.
Gail
McWilliams-Jellie, NH Department of Agriculture:
Well small farm numbers are increasing in NH vs. historically the larger
farms and the product line on those small farms is a little more non-traditional.
Ben
French: In addition to those fruits vegetables and fresh
cut flowers - items like goat milk soap and handcrafted soda have started
making their way to the tables.
Vendor:
You're gonna like this stuff. [Footage of people drinking]
Shopper:.
It is good.
Gail
McWilliams-Jellie:
The value-added end of the industry - taking the raw product and turning
it into something else on the farm and selling that product has certainly
gained interest.
Ben
French: And it's added to the value of New Hampshire's agriculture
industry by an estimated $125 million. These value-added products like
ice cream, jellies, salsa and baked goods have become some of the state's
top food and agriculture seller. The farmers' market also has an added
value for seniors and recipients of the woman, infants and children
- or WIC program. McWilliams-Jellie says the farmers' market nutrition
program has benefited both consumers and farmers.
Gail
McWilliams-Jellie:
In a nutshell, the program offers coupons to WIC recipients who can
then take them to farmers' markets around the state and spend them for
fruits and vegetables. So it benefits the WIC recipients, obviously,
and it benefits the farmers because the farmers collect the coupons
and they are reimbursed for the dollar value of the coupon.
Jack Potter. Somebody can come in here and they can take some of those
WIC coupons and they can buy some fresh vegetables and they can perhaps
buy some fresh chicken and now they're getting a really wholesome meal
instead of going and spending some of that money at a fast food restaurant.
Ben
French: So while the days of silos and 1000 acre farms are
fading. Taylor says the popularity of community-supported agriculture,
'pick your own' and farmers' markets will carry the tradition of the
Granite State farm.
Steve
Taylor:
Family farms in NH will; be around in ten years they'll be around in
30 years i'm confident of that and its because of these kinds of marketing
opportunities that i have that confidence-- that the consumer is more
and more aware of the need to support local agriculture; the producers
are there taking advantage of the demand-the consumer demand and so
i think there will always be a place.
Ben
French: In Sanbornton, I'm Ben French for New Hampshire Outlook.
This
story ran on New Hampsire Outlook, 9/19/2002
©
Copyright 2002 NH Public Television.
