What We're Reading, Watching, and Doing: December 2021

December is here! Read on for a round up of food system events, news, and other nifty resources from New Hampshire and beyond. Don't see your event or resource listed below? Email us to have it added! Want our round-up delivered to your inbox each month? Sign up to receive our newsletter and more HERE >>

Legal Food Hub Launches in New Hampshire
Legal Food Hub (LFH) is a project by the Conservation Law Foundation dedicated to helping farmers, food entrepreneurs and nonprofits across New England by providing free legal services and educational resources. LFH launched services in New Hampshire this month.  LEARN MORE

Carbon Clinic to be launched by UNH Sustainability Institute Fall 2022
In Fall 2022, the Sustainability Institute at UNH are launching the Carbon Clinic, an all-new program that will pair small organizations, non-profits, and local businesses, with UNH students who will lead their carbon footprint calculations. The students will be mentored by UNH staff, who are experts in carbon footprinting. LEARN MORE

31,000 Pieces of Pizza and $1.8M
On December 9, 2021, New Hampshire state legislators, representatives from the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food, and members of the media outlets joined the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire (NOFA-NH) and its fellow NH Farm to School Network members at Fresh Start Farms in Manchester for a luncheon highlighting forthcoming farm to school projects and legislation in New Hampshire, including Fresh Start Farms's Farm to School pizza pilot project and the Local Food for Local Schools Reimbursement Bill. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BILL

SAVE THE DATE + REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
Save the Date for NH Food Alliance's annual NH Food System Statewide Gathering, happening on May 13, 2022 at The Barn on the Pemi in Plymouth, NH! Time together (in person) has never felt more valuable: help us figure out the best way to spend it. Is there a conversation you'd like to facilitate? A group you'd like to network with? A success story you think others in the state would benefit from? We’re requesting proposals from food system professionals, farmers, and food producers, for breakout sessions connected to the Statewide Gathering’s theme of collaborating across food system sectors and impact areas to foster sustainable change and growth. Submissions are due January 31, 2022. LEARN MORE & SUBMIT A PROPOSAL

DEC 1, 8, 16
Cooking Matters NH's Holidays with Cooking Matters at Home REGISTER HERE

DEC 1-31
Kearsarge Food Hub's Holiday Pop Up Shop LEARN MORE

DEC 8, JAN 12, FEB 9
The National Center for Appropriate Technology's Latino Farmer Conference REGISTER HERE

DEC 9, 12PM
Change for Good's The Future of School Food REGISTER HERE

DEC 13-17
New England Vegetable & Fruit Conference REGISTER HERE

DEC 16-APR 21
The Native American Agriculture Fund's Webinar Series: Building Native Agriculture, Sowing the Seeds of Growth Through Capacity Building REGISTER HERE

DEC 17, 4-7PM
Monadnock Food Co-op's Nifty Gifty Party LEARN MORE

SAVE THE DATE

JAN 4
Cheshire County Conservation District's Conservation Opportunity Fund grant program Virtual Information Session REGISTER HERE

JAN 7, 12-1PM
NH Farm and Food Policy Roundup, part of the NH Food Alliance's 2022 Network Cafe Series REGISTER HERE

JAN 6-MAR 17
Join NOFA-NH and Seacoast Permaculture on Thursdays for a 6-part Zoom book discussion of A Small Farm Future: Making the Case for a Society Built Around Local Economies, Self-Provisioning, Agricultural Diversity and a Shared Earth by Chris Smaje. REGISTER HERE

JAN 11, 10-11:30AM
UNH Extensions's Agritourism Essentials: Strategies to Avoid Community Conflicts REGISTER HERE

JAN 19
UNH Blue Economy Sandpit REGISTER HERE

FEB 4-5
University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, the NH Division of Forests & Lands and the NH Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food to host the New Hampshire Farm, Forest, & Garden Expo REGISTER HERE

FEB 6-MAR 13
Black Heritage Trail NH's Elinor Williams Hooker Tea Talks 2022 "Courageous Conversations: Leaning in for Change" REGISTER HERE

FEB 6-12
NOFA-NH's 20th Annual Winter Conference, Collaboration & Self-Reliance: Building a Stronger NH Food System REGISTER HERE

ALL MONTH LONG
UNH Extension's Agriculture & Horticulture events and workshops  Learn more and register

UNH Extension's Home, Yard, & Garden events and workshops Learn more and register

Monadnock Food Co-op's events and workshops LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

Co-op Food Store's events and workshops LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

National Center for Appropriate Technology's ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture Program events calendar LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

Farm to Institution New England's Fall Webinar Series LEARN MORE & REGISTER

 

READ, WATCH, DO

Organized by the NH Food Alliance's six focus areas, discover articles, reports, workshop records, and more from across the food system. AND! Catch up on all of the most recent NH Food Alliance Action Team meetings and work under the corresponding focus area.

Respond and Adapt to Climate Change

Climate Action Team November & December Meeting Summaries

View the November agenda HERE
View the December agenda HERE

NCAT Launches Nation’s First AgriSolar Clearinghouse
The National Center for Appropriate Technology, a nonprofit focused on sustainable energy and agriculture solutions, has launched the nation’s first AgriSolar Clearinghouse to connect farmers, ranchers, land managers, solar developers, and researchers with trusted, practical information to increase the co-location of solar and agriculture. LEARN MORE

"How to Reduce Food Waste: Make soup, organize your refrigerator, and follow these five steps to zero waste" via Sierra Club Magazine READ MORE

"Climate Anxiety Takes a Growing Toll on Farmers" via Civil Eats READ MORE

Soil Health Policy: Developing Community-Driven State Soil Health Policy and Programs: a New Guidebook Supports Healthy Soil Policy-making
Two Yale Master of Environmental Management students worked with dozens of practitioners and other experts in farming, climate adaptation, policymaking, sustainable investment, coalition-building, and related fields to provide practical advice for people interested in developing community-driven, state-level soil health policy and programs. READ MORE

"For Solar Energy to Succeed, it Needs to Co-Exist with Agriculture" via American Farmland Trust READ MORE

RECORDING! Vital Communities's Planning for a Just, Prosperous, and Resilient Future with Climate Change Migration
On November 9, 2021, over 100 leaders and supporters of climate resilient communities joined the Upper Valley Adaptation Workgroup (UVAW) for a virtual Climate Migration Forum. The event featured presentations from a variety of organizations and valuable input from community members working together to plan for a just, prosperous, and resilient future with climate change migration. UVAW co-chair Erich Osterberg, Associate Professor of Earth Sciences at Dartmouth College, facilitated the forum and expertly guided the discussion to illustrate the challenges and opportunities presented by this growing reality. WATCH HERE

"BEEutiful Partnership for Pollinators and Our Ecosystems"
Sustainability Institute Ecosystem Interns and COLSA students, Brooke Healy '23 (Wildlife and Conservation Biology major) and Julie Bobyock ‘23 (Environmental Science major), have been working with James Malo from UNH Facilities’ Grounds & Events and Lee Alexander, the chairman of the Bee City subcommittee for the Town of Durham to understand how to encourage native vegetation growth throughout campus to benefit the pollinators. READ MORE

Increase Farmland Conservation and Access 
 

Applications for the NH Farm Future Fund are OPEN!
DUE FEB 15
The mission of the NH Farm Future Fund is to provide funding for farm viability planning in concert with the conservation of important agricultural soils. Funding available to NH Land Trusts for: (1) Financial assistance to offset costs associated with farmland conservation projects (2) Technical assistance to support farm business viability and succession planning. This program will leverage the singular opportunity of putting a conservation easement on farmland to also invest in the future viability of the farm business. The goal of this fund is to ensure that farmland is conserved, productive, and available for future generations.​ The NH Association of Conservation Districts, in partnership with the Cheshire County Conservation District, requests proposals from land trusts who seek funding to work with NH farms to conserve their land and improve the viability of their farm business. LEARN MORE AND APPLY

Monadnock Food Co-op Farm Fund
DUE FEB 1
This year, the Farm Fund will award up to $30,000 to help farms in Cheshire County and abutting New Hampshire towns develop or expand their production for wholesale markets, including selling to the Monadnock Food Co-op and Food Connects. Farmers may apply for grants ranging from $500 to $10,000. Funds can be used to support a range of projects, including the purchase of equipment and infrastructure, packaging and labeling design needs, and technical assistance. LEARN MORE AND APPLY

The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests aims to Conserve 124-acres of Morrill Dairy Farm
The Forest Society is working to purchase a conservation easement on 124 acres of high-quality agricultural land on Long and Water Streets in Boscawen from the Morrill family. The Morrill Dairy Farm has been in operation for nearly a century, today owned by Rob and Sherri Morrill, who work together on the farm with their sons, Andy, Kevin, and Ryan, and daughter Kim. LEARN MORE AND DONATE

Land For Good Receives a $750,000 Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program grant to fund their Land for Farmers Project
The Land for Farmers project builds from Land for Good's previous collaborations and endeavors to develop new training, expand advising, and improve resources and tools for farmers and landowners. It will also be an opportunity to learn further with partners about how best to support the variety of beginning farmer communities in the New England region. This initiative will work with beginning farm enterprises of all sizes, enterprises and growing practices within the six states of New England. The project’s guiding purpose is for more beginning farmers in New England to start or expand their farm business through successful access to land by purchase or secure tenure agreements. LEARN MORE

"A dairy farm finds hope in a successful transfer to a new farmer" via Land for Good
The transfer of Haynes Dairy Farm in Claremont that began in 2013 is completed. READ MORE

Support Local Farm, Fish, and Food Businesses

Farm and Food Businesses Eligible for Team of Coaches Tailored to Their Needs Through Vital Communities 
Organizations from around the state are partnering to offer teams of coaches to New Hampshire farms and food businesses to help them meet their business and management goals. Thanks to a grant from the Northern Border Regional Commission, administered by the Agricultural Viability Alliance, these organizations will be offering teams of specialists, catered to farm and food businesses individual needs in Belknap, Cheshire, Coos, Grafton, and Sullivan counties. LEARN MORE AND APPLY

Agriculture Directories Registration
SUBMIT BY JAN 10
New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food is in the process of redesigning and updating their online agriculture directories. They are also planning a new Ornamental Horticulture Directory. In order for your farm to be listed, or continue to be listed, in the directories of your choice, please complete the farm directory registration form and submit it by January 10, 2022. They must have a completed registration form from you to include your farm in any of their publications. To view the current directories, click here COMPLETE THE FORM HERE

National Center for Appropriate Technology's Women, Livestock, and the Land Course
APPLY BY JAN 30
Thanks to funding from SARE, NCAT is pleased to offer a six-month course for beginning livestock farmers who are women. This course will be offered in convenient virtual classes where students will interact with each other and with women mentors, including NCAT specialists. APPLY HERE

"The Michigan Farm to Institution Network Past, Present, and Future"
What role has the Michigan Farm to Institution Network (MFIN) played in linking Michigan institutions with local food and food suppliers? Through 27 interviews, document review and secondary data analysis, this report documents the evolution and long-term impact of MFIN since its launch in 2014. It examines how the network’s strategies, structure, and participants have changed over time and offers suggestions for MFIN looking forward. READ MORE

American Farm Bureau Federation's Farm State of Mind Resource Directory and "Farm State of Mind: Mental Health in Rural America" Video
The American Farm Bureau Federation's (AFBF) Farm State of Mind campaign encourages conversations about stress and mental health in farming and ranching communities. As part of the campaign, the AFBF created the Farm State of Mind Resource Directory that aggregates mental health resources in every state, as well as a corresponding video about the project. View the directory and video at the links below!
ACCESS THE DIRECTORY HERE   WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

Farm to Institution New England's 2020-2021 Impact Report READ MORE

Farmer to Farmer Exchange ECommerce Platforms Report via the CSA Innovation Network
The CSA Innovation Network has put together a robust report that breaks down how popular eCommerce platforms perform in comparison to one another based on 2020 national farmer-survey findings. This report contains farm profiles and video tours of real online farm stores to help make informed decisions about the best eCommerce platforms available. READ MORE

"NH Small Business Development Center Phase 3 Business Resiliency Survey" via UNH
The University of New Hampshire Survey Center conducted a survey for the NH Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to assess the impact of COVID-19 on small businesses throughout New Hampshire. By better understanding the challenges and needs of NH business owners, economic development partners can more effectively help businesses recover and become more resilient. READ MORE

SC Digital's Rapid Fire: Google My Business Webinar hosted by the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce
Want to increase web traffic and dominate the Google Map listings? Learn 5 easy ways to optimize Google My Business profiles and stand apart from other search results and gain maximum exposure and visibility. WATCH HERE

Promote Racial Equity in Our Food System

Racial Equity Action Team November & December Meeting Summaries

View the November agenda HERE
View the December agenda HERE

"Indigenous knowledge is central to making the global food system sustainable" via Quartz READ MORE

"Centering Equity in Sustainable Food Systems Education" via Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
Twelve food system scholars share their vision for centering equity in Sustainable Food Systems Education (SFSE) pedagogy and how it can be fully integrated into curricula at the undergraduate and graduate level, instead of being discussed in one-off or certain class sessions. The article describes two multi-institutional collaborations and efforts by faculty at three different institutions to develop curricula that frame food systems in ways that center equity while fostering essential process skills. READ MORE

"USDA Launches Indigenous Food Sovereignty Initiative"
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the formation of the USDA Indigenous Food Sovereignty Initiative to promote traditional food ways, Indian Country food and agriculture markets, and Indigenous health through foods tailored to American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) dietary needs. The initiative is the latest in a series of bold, historic USDA actions to build equitable systems and programming. READ MORE

Granite State News Collaborative's Race and Equity Projects
The Granite State News Collaborative is embarking on a new, multi-year reporting project examining race and equity in New Hampshire to tell the story of how the diverse communities that make up New Hampshire are vital to the economic and cultural health of our state. The members of the Collaborative will join together to tell a multitude of important stories as part of this project,  highlighting the stories of people of color in New Hampshire and working with them to amplify their voices. Other related projects include The Flavors of Our Neighbors. LEARN MORE & GET INVOLVED

Improve Food Security and Local Food Access

NH Food Access Coalition December Meeting Summary

View the December agenda note HERE

Join the NH Food Access & Policy Research Network Listserv! LEARN MORE and JOIN

REMINDER!!  Summer SNAP benefits are available now! 2021 Summer Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) are available. These benefits are provided as an extension of New Hampshire’s approved State Plan from School Year 2020-2021 for school children and for children in child care receiving SNAP during Summer 2021. LEARN MORE

Grow the Movement of Local Eaters

December Harvest of the Month: Winter Squash
Squashes are a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, also known as the gourd family, along with cucumbers, summer squash (pattypan, zucchini), and watermelon. Originally, squashes were cultivated for the consumption of their seeds only, as they had minimal, bitter-tasting flesh; over time, fleshier, fruitier varieties were developed. LEARN MORE & GET RECIPES
Pick some up and tag us @nheatslocal to share how you're enjoying the harvest. Find places to shop local through UNH Extension's Farm Product map or any of the NH Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food's CSA, Farm stands and Farmers' Market directories. 

Shop Local with Vital Communities's Local First Guide SHOP HERE