APPRECIATE LOCAL AGRICULTURE IN APRIL
Did you know that we carry local products from more than 30 farmers and makers at the farm store? For the last few years, we’ve been highlighting the amazing New England farms that fill our shelves and this year is no different.
Our farm store would not be a one-stop-shop without these fantastic local vendors. It seriously takes a village to make our farm store as accessible and offer the myriad of variety it has. If you’ve never shopped with us, we recommend checking out an earlier blog where we give the 411 on shopping local at VFF for the first time.
Our goal is to make it as convenient as possible for our community to support local farms, local food, and to have a positive and transparent shopping experience.
We want you to cultivate a sense of connection and community through local food. As farmers and community event hosts, we live by these connections. Side note: our summer events lineup is about to drop—get ready for fried chicken, rotisserie chicken, live music, and more. Subscribe to our email list to be the first to hear the details and reserve your table.
Where did Appreciate Local Agriculture in April come from?
Three years ago, I remember going to a Seacoast Eat Local farmers market at Exeter High School and being pleasantly surprised that CSA week existed—yes, there’s a nationally recognized week to celebrate CSAs but I found myself thinking that a week of this sort of push was just not enough. I remember thinking there has got to be more opportunities to spread awareness and energy around supporting farms during the slower months, the more challenging months, and so came about our idea for a social campaign, one that continues to grow.
February, March, and April can be pretty challenging months for VFF and many other farms. During these months, it inevitably feels harder to remain positive, peppy, and full of eagerness for the next season. Don’t get me wrong—they are months filled with excitement and growing vibes but there is also a lot of anticipation, planning, scheming, anxiety, spreadsheets, increased bills, inconsistent sales, and lots of trips to Lowes.
Formally deciding that April would be the month where we’d make it all about highlighting other farms, giving stage to the vendors we work with to bring more awareness, understanding, and education around different local foods and local farms in our area was exactly the structure we needed at the time for the month of April.
We try to always tag and give our vendors kudos online but April is when we work extra hard to flex these farmers a little more than usual. Social media has been a fantastic tool for our farm. While it doesn’t outright pay us, building our presence has helped us reach a larger audience and helped our customers learn more about what it really means to buy local.
How Can You Appreciate Local Agriculture in April
There are many ways to show appreciation of local farms and food local throughout the month of April (and beyond). First off, remember that these farms profit when you buy their products. You can purchase their products from our farm store (in-person or online) or from them directly at local Seacoast farmers markets.
This is the biggest impact you can have to your local agriculture industry—shopping local and shopping regularly, incorporating local food as a staple in your home—no matter how much or how little you do it—it helps.
Another huge way to help is by following and engaging with the content we share about ourselves and the farmers we highlight. Resharing content is incredibly powerful. When you do this, your local bubbles learn about Vernon Family Farm and then they take the next step to shop with us. Your sharing has a direct impact on our farm. Thank you, we don’t take this for granted. It’s a tremendous help.
A Few Small Changes Make a Big Impact
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by yet another thing to advocate for or put energy into. Here’s a list of small ways to adjust your behaviors or habits to try and reframe your shopping toward locally-sourced goods.
Meal plan and choose specific items to buy locally before hitting up the grocery store.
Visit the store weekly/biweekly and buy an item that you saw highlighted because it caught your eye and it’s something new to try...like chicken liver, maple milk, summer sausage, pot pie, kiwi berries, you’ll probably find something you’ve never tried on a weekly basis.
Reshare social content onto your social media, this is the technology version of word of mouth. So many people have found out about what we do from you, we are super grateful.
Get a t-shirt and sport it! Many farms have some swag you can buy and then wear, while you’re gardening, going out for a beer, and wherever you go, someone will see the farm and they might even take the next step.
Attend an upcoming event at the farm—local food, local musicians, BYOB. What more do you need?
We Love Our Local Farmers
Here’s a glimpse of the farms that stock our shelves.
MADBURY, NH
A small-scale, mixed production farm that produces over 100 varieties of fruits, vegetables, herbs and cut flowers using organic production methods.
Available at the Farm Store: microgreens
NEW HAMPTON, NH
A micro dairy farm on pasture that specializes in raw, A2 certified dairy products.
Available at the Farm Store: milk, cream, yogurt, kefir, yocheese, feta, ricotta, curds
BERWICK, ME
A grass-fed bison farm.
Available at the Farm Store: bison meat and broth
STRATHAM, NH
A mixed production farm that grows a wide variety of produce.
Available at the Farm Store: corn
BRENTWOOD, NH
A gourmet mushroom farm.
Available at the Farm Store: mushroom jerky, mushroom powders, lion’s mane, chestnut, shiitake and oyster mushrooms, plus seasonal foraged foods
LEE, NH
A family farm specializing in no spray vegetables and honey.
Available at the Farm Store: variety of greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, honey
NORTH HAVERHILL, NH
A family-owned and operated beef and hog farm.
Available at the Farm Store: fresh beef and lamb
WARNER, NH
A pasture-raised, diversified livestock farm.
Available at the Farm Store: venison, elk, bison sausages
MONT VERNON, NH
A pasture-raised poultry farm specializing in chicken eggs.
Available at the Farm Store: eggs
LEE, NH
A multigenerational family farm growing organic blueberries, variety of vegetables, eggs.
Available at the Farm Store: eggs, veggies
HAMPTON, NH
A pastured beef, hog, and turkey farm.
Available at the Farm Store: pastured turkey
GREENLAND, NH
A family farm specializing in pork, turkey, and prepared meals.
Available at the Farm Store: bacon, pork butts/pork shoulder
HOLLIS, NH
A small farm growing ingredients for prepared foods using organic practices.
Available at the Farm Store: ravioli, sauces, lasagna, fresh pastas
GILFORD, NH
A diversified vegetable and livestock farm.
Available at the Farm Store: greens, frozen vegetables
MILTON, NH
A pasture-raised sheep farm specializing in rare heritage breeds.
Available at the Farm Store: lamb
NORTHWOOD, NH
A diversified, family farm.
Available at the Farm Store: maple syrup
NORTHWOOD, NH
A farrow to finish pastured beef and pork farm.
Available at the Farm Store: charcuterie, pork cuts, ferments
HOLLIS, NH
A 7 generation, family-owned and operated fruit and vegetable farm, pick-your-own available.
Available at the Farm Store: apples, cider, variety of fruits and vegetables
PORTSMOUTH, NH
A small farm specializing in several varieties of garlic.
Available at the Farm Store: dehydrated garlic
CANTERBURY, NH
A sunflower farm dedicated to sustainable and environmentally responsible agricultural practices.
Available at the Farm Store: sunflower oil
LOUDEN, NH
A hydroponic farm specializing in growing a variety of salad greens year-round.
Available at the Farm Store: variety of greens
LOUDON, NH
A family fruit and vegetable farm, pick-your-own available.
Available at the Farm Store: apples
Throughout the month of April, we’ll be highlighting these wonderful farms on our social media, sharing a bit more about each farm, the fantastic farmers, and delicious locally grown or raised products that we love from them. Be sure to follow along on Instagram or Facebook this month to hear all the news. And perhaps, next time you’re in the farm store, try a product from a farm you haven’t tried yet. Like we said before, no matter how much or how little you do it—it helps.
