Heirloom Harvest Project Presents 3rd Annual Barn Dinner

STRATHAM—
The Heirloom Harvest Project, in collaboration with Seacoast Eat Local and Slow Food Seacoast, proudly announces its third annual Heirloom Harvest Barn Dinner. This year, the five-course meal will highlight not only local heirloom vegetables, but also heritage breed animals, all raised by local farmers and growers. The grand historic barn at Berry Hill and Meadow’s Mirth Farms in Stratham, NH, will again host this unique event whose goal is to raise funds for local food-based community organizations while generating awareness of sustainable food and farming, agricultural biodiversity, and the community’s extraordinary collaboration of farmers and chefs. Ten of the area’s most celebrated chefs will collaborate on a spectacular menu that will be served by a volunteer crew of impassioned community members.
The 2011 Heirloom Harvest Barn Dinner will be held (rain or shine) on Sunday, September 18, 2011 at Meadow’s Mirth / Berry Hill Farm in Stratham, NH, with beverages and passed hors d’oeuvres served from 4–5 p.m. and white tablecloth dinner in the barn beginning promptly at 5 p.m.
Led by Chef Evan Mallett of the Black Trumpet Bistro, ten chefs will prepare elegant dishes highlighting heirloom vegetables grown by local farmers. Complete with locally produced beverages and live music from Mary Dellea emanating from the hayloft, the Heirloom Harvest Barn Dinner is always a night to remember. Farmers, chefs and community volunteers will be in attendance and honored at the event.
In addition, Slow Food Seacoast will be distributing free heirloom seeds of the produce featured at the dinner, as well as teaching about how to save your own seeds in the future. Knowing that genetic diversity begins with open pollinated heirloom plants and rare breeds livestock, this dinner highlights the Slow Food philosophy which suggests that if you value the preservation of these historically significant varieties, “...the best thing you can do is eat them!”
Chef Mallett says that, in 2009, he was “not alone in being a chef who had a vision to host a dinner in a barn, but my desire to do something like this didn’t have a cause linked to it.” That was until Evan participated in Slow Food’s Ark of Taste–a celebration of heritage and heirloom varieties that are considered to be at risk or endangered. Now inspired by the plight of heirloom vegetables, Mallett has become engaged with organizations that are striving to preserve and protect this tradition.
Josh and Jean Jennings of Meadow’s Mirth were extremely receptive to having the event held at their barn. The final piece of finding chefs who also supported the cause easily fell into place. “The deep-rooted collaboration of chefs and farmers will sustain this idea well into the future,” says Mallett. In recent months, this event has led to the development of the Heirloom Harvest Project, a network that will continue to build these connections between farmers, chefs and community year-round.
The event would not be possible without the support of many businesses from the community, including Dole & Bailey, Exeter Events and Tents, Farnum Hill Cider, General Linens, Maine Shellfish Co., M.S. Walker, Salmon Falls Winery, Smuttynose Brewery, Salmon Falls Winery, Throwback Brewery, and Vermont Butter & Cheese.
Tickets for this event have sold out in record time this year, and participating organizations are grateful for the community’s overwhelming response. If interested in supporting the Heirloom Harvest Barn Dinner as a volunteer, please contact Briana Cribeyer, Event Coordinator, at briana.cribeyer@gmail.com.
For more information: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Heirloom-Harvest-Project/150781324991804.
Photo caption: The Heirloom Harvest Project will present their 3rd Annual Barn Dinner on Sunday, Sept. 18. (Courtesy photo)

Prescott Park Arts Festival Helps More Than 300 Families

PORTSMOUTH—
This summer, local families in need have been able to enjoy Prescott Park Arts Festival’s events. As part of the festival’s Families-In-Need program, more than 300 season memberships subscriptions were distributed to families through organizations such as Families First, Cross Roads House, New Hampshire Child Advocacy Center, Seacoast Cancer Center and Amy’s Treat.
While all Prescott Park Arts Festival events are offered to the public at no fixed admission, the Families-In-Need program offers challenged families complimentary membership buttons to allow entry and enjoyment of events without being asked for the suggested donation, including the musical production “The Wizard of Oz” and the River House Restaurant Concert Series with performances by acts like Shawn Colvin and Taj Mahal.
“Our gatekeepers welcome everyone, but many people simply don’t feel comfortable entering the park without making a donation, especially in front of their children,” says Prescott Park Arts Festival’s executive director, Ben Anderson. “With a challenging economy, this program has become more important than ever. The letters and thank you cards alone that we receive each year from parents or children are worth this effort.”
Last season, Piscataqua Savings Bank launched a special program, matching every Family-In-Need donation made by individuals on a one-to-one basis. This year, through ongoing generosity of donors, Prescott Park Arts Festival has succeeded in nearly tripling the number of complimentary memberships distributed through this program.
“The beauty of the program,” Anderson adds, “is these memberships are identical to those purchased by our patrons, and they are awarded at the discretion of the selected organizations, keeping everything anonymous to both us and the general public.”
To donate to a family-in-need, simply go to the Festival website www.prescottpark.org, or call (603) 436-2848.
All events offered at the Prescott Park Arts Festival are presented free of charge with a suggested donation of $5 - $8.
For more information on the festival, or to see a full schedule of events, visit www.prescottpark.org, or call 603-436-2848.

Seacoast Irish Festival Tickets on Sale Now

DOVER—
Tickets to the September 10th return of the Seacoast Irish Festival, underwritten by Centrix Bank, are now available online at www.seacoastirishfestival.org and can also be purchased in person at the Dover Chamber Visitor Center, located at 550 Central Avenue in Dover.
The tickets are $15 in advance, and will be $20 at the gate on September 10th. The Festival will feature over a dozen performers over the course of the afternoon during a rain or shine celebration of Dover’s Irish Heritage.
For those individuals and families looking to further support the Festival, the committee is offering a $100 “Friends of the Festival” ticket package that includes 2 tickets to the Festival, 2 commemorative Festival T-shirts, 2 Festival Pint Glasses, and a listing in the Festival Program. “Friends of the Festival” packages are available online or through the Chamber Visitor Center.
The Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce has teamed up with Dover Main Street to produce the event again this year, after working together to resurrect it in 2010 following a 5–year hiatus. The event was formerly put on by the Dover Police Charities from 2001 to 2005 before being shelved for a variety of logistical reasons.
“Many people have expressed how pleased they are to have the Festival back,” said Chamber Executive Director Molly Hodgson Smith. “There’s been a great outpouring of support from businesses and individuals alike, and Centrix Bank has led the way in assuming the role of event underwriter for the second consecutive year. Their generosity and level of community involvement cannot be overstated.”
The 2011 edition of the Seacoast Irish Festival will once again be held in the highly visible, downtown location at the Rotary Arts Pavilion in Henry Law Park. Confirmed performers include Bradigan, Sundays Well, Patsy Whelan, the McTeggarts, Schooner Fare, Kevin Byrne and many other special guests.
The event will culminate with a rousing musical tribute to the late Eugene Byrne, performed by many of the Festival performers and some very special guests. Byrne, a long-time Dover resident, was one of the Festival’s original “Founding Fathers,” and was instrumental in bringing the Festival back in 2010, assembling the entertainment lineup and also performing on stage himself throughout the day.
“We’ve really missed working with Eugene this year,” noted Dover Main Street Executive Director Carrie Eisner, adding, “He was loved so much, and by so many people. This tribute is special to everyone on the Festival Committee, and really to everyone who knew Eugene. He was such a visible and enthusiastic contributor to Dover’s rich Irish heritage, and he loved nothing more than to perform and make people happy. This is a celebration of that giving spirit.”
Kelley’s Row headlines a host of food and beverage providers that will be on site at the Festival, which begins at noon and runs until 9:00 p.m. In addition, crafters and artisans will be selling Irish art and jewelry, along with a full slate of music, dancing and other traditional Irish entertainment. The family-friendly event will also feature a variety of children’s activities.
Major corporate sponsors of the Festival include Centrix Bank as the event’s exclusive underwriter; Burns Bryant Cox Rockefeller & Durkin as stage sponsor; and Shaheen and Gordon as a presenting sponsor, along with Eastern Propane, Dermatology & Skin Health and Dover Honda/Dover Chevrolet. Additional sponsors include Dennis Munson Plumbing and Heating; One Washington Center; McEneaney Survey Associates; Mr. Electric; D.F. Richard Energy; Langdon Place; CB Gitty Crafter Supply; Robert Chaplick, CPA; and Bob Sherwood Landscaping.
For more information on ticket sales and entertainment schedules, please visit www.seacoastirishfestival.org. Proceeds from the event support the Chamber’s and Main Street’s economic and business development programs, which are critical to keeping Dover’s economy strong and preserving its quality of life.
Photo caption: The 2011 Seacoast Irish Festival is scheduled for Saturday, September 10 in downtown Dover. The musical entertainment includes Sunday’s Well, pictured here performing at the Festival in 2010. (Courtesy photo)