PORTSMOUTH/EXETER—
Mark your calendars! The outdoor farmers’ markets in Exeter and Portsmouth will get off to an active start this year.
While the Exeter market opened on Thursday, May 5, the Portsmouth market will open on Saturday, May 7, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Additional outdoor markets in Dover, Durham and Hampton will follow in June.
After much ado about moving the Exeter Farmers’ Market to a new location to accommodate road construction in town, the Exeter Board of Selectmen voted Monday night to keep the Exeter Farmers’ Market at Swasey Parkway, after all. The Portsmouth Farmers’ Market returns to its perch on the hill overlooking South Mill Pond, in the City Hall lot at 1 Junkins Avenue.
The markets, coordinated since 1977 by the local nonprofit Seacoast Growers’ Association, are known for their focus on local agricultural products and what they call the “SGA Guarantee” that participating vendors grow, raise, catch and make 100 percent of the products offered at SGA markets.
How local is local? Real local, organizers say. SGA farmers, food producers and artisans all hail from the immediate Seacoast region of Rockingham and Strafford counties in New Hampshire and York County, Maine.
The array of local offerings is vast, including everything from staple produce to heirloom variety fruits and vegetables to heritage breed meats, locally caught fish and raw, organic dairy products. Homemade baked goods, gourmet food items and take-home meals round out the grocery shopping potential at local farmers’ markets. A bounty of annual and perennial bedding plants, veggie starts, and hanging flower baskets are also available for gardeners. Fine crafts by juried artisans sweeten the list with pottery, jewelry, photography, furniture and more.
This year, in addition to the weekly music series at Portsmouth Farmers’ Market, sponsored by Portsmouth Community Radio, Seacoast Growers’ Association is offering up special activities and educational programs. The weekly events will rotate through all five market towns, starting in May with bountiful opportunities for planting:
Saturday, May 7: music by Mike & Mike from 9:00 a.m. to noon, plus “Marigolds for Mom” at Portsmouth Farmers’ Market, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Not just for kids! Join us at the market activity booth for Marigolds for Mom, a chance to seed your own marigolds, just in time for Mother’s Day on May 8! We’ll provide the seeds, pots, soil mix, and popsicle sticks for labeling. SGA’s own John Wakefield of Shagbark Farm will be on-hand for planting guidance and growing advice. If you’re inspired to do more planting at home, stop by our guest vendor booth to pick up some locally produced compost from EcoMovement.
Thursday, May 12: “May Marigolds” at Exeter Farmers’ Market, 2:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Join us at the market activity booth for May Marigolds, a chance to plant your own marigolds from seed. We’ll provide the seeds, pots, soil mix, and popsicle sticks for labeling. And SGA’s own Sofie Larsen of Applegard Farm will be on-hand for planting guidance and growing advice.
Saturday, May 21: music by Bob Halperin from 9:00 a.m. to noon, plus “Start Your Garden Day” at Portsmouth Farmers’ Market, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Start your garden at the farmers’ market! Join us at the market activity booth for a compost give-away and free transplanting demonstration offered by SGA’s own Sofie Larsen of Applegard Farm. Sofie will also bring her personal library of beautiful gardening reference books for you to peruse, and of course you can tap into her expertise, too! A bounty of seeds from High Mowing Organic Seeds will be available for purchase.
Thursday, May 26: “Start Your Garden Day” at Exeter Farmers’ Market, 2:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Start your garden at the farmers’ market! Join us at the market activity booth for a compost give-away and free transplanting demonstration offered by SGA’s own Sofie Larsen of Applegard Farm. Sofie will also bring her personal library of beautiful gardening reference books for you to peruse, and of course you can tap into her expertise, too! A bounty of seeds from High Mowing Organic Seeds will be available for purchase.
Area nonprofits, businesses, municipal representatives and individuals interested in participating in SGA’s Community Partners program to bring educational activities for all ages to market are invited to contact Public Relations Director Hilary Niles at newsletter@seacoastgrowers.org or (603) 969-8004.
All markets are held rain or shine every week. The outdoor farmers’ market season extends to mid-October and early November.
For more information about Seacoast Growers’ Association’s five weekly outdoor farmers’ markets or to sign up for their weekly e-newsletter with tips on what’s in season, new recipes and “Know Your Farmer” profiles, visit www.seacoastgrowers.org.
Photo caption: A cornucopia of veggies are in season and available direct from the farmers at Portsmouth Farmers’ Market. (Photo by Hilary Niles)
Mark your calendars! The outdoor farmers’ markets in Exeter and Portsmouth will get off to an active start this year.
While the Exeter market opened on Thursday, May 5, the Portsmouth market will open on Saturday, May 7, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Additional outdoor markets in Dover, Durham and Hampton will follow in June.
After much ado about moving the Exeter Farmers’ Market to a new location to accommodate road construction in town, the Exeter Board of Selectmen voted Monday night to keep the Exeter Farmers’ Market at Swasey Parkway, after all. The Portsmouth Farmers’ Market returns to its perch on the hill overlooking South Mill Pond, in the City Hall lot at 1 Junkins Avenue.
The markets, coordinated since 1977 by the local nonprofit Seacoast Growers’ Association, are known for their focus on local agricultural products and what they call the “SGA Guarantee” that participating vendors grow, raise, catch and make 100 percent of the products offered at SGA markets.
How local is local? Real local, organizers say. SGA farmers, food producers and artisans all hail from the immediate Seacoast region of Rockingham and Strafford counties in New Hampshire and York County, Maine.
The array of local offerings is vast, including everything from staple produce to heirloom variety fruits and vegetables to heritage breed meats, locally caught fish and raw, organic dairy products. Homemade baked goods, gourmet food items and take-home meals round out the grocery shopping potential at local farmers’ markets. A bounty of annual and perennial bedding plants, veggie starts, and hanging flower baskets are also available for gardeners. Fine crafts by juried artisans sweeten the list with pottery, jewelry, photography, furniture and more.
This year, in addition to the weekly music series at Portsmouth Farmers’ Market, sponsored by Portsmouth Community Radio, Seacoast Growers’ Association is offering up special activities and educational programs. The weekly events will rotate through all five market towns, starting in May with bountiful opportunities for planting:
Saturday, May 7: music by Mike & Mike from 9:00 a.m. to noon, plus “Marigolds for Mom” at Portsmouth Farmers’ Market, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Not just for kids! Join us at the market activity booth for Marigolds for Mom, a chance to seed your own marigolds, just in time for Mother’s Day on May 8! We’ll provide the seeds, pots, soil mix, and popsicle sticks for labeling. SGA’s own John Wakefield of Shagbark Farm will be on-hand for planting guidance and growing advice. If you’re inspired to do more planting at home, stop by our guest vendor booth to pick up some locally produced compost from EcoMovement.
Thursday, May 12: “May Marigolds” at Exeter Farmers’ Market, 2:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Join us at the market activity booth for May Marigolds, a chance to plant your own marigolds from seed. We’ll provide the seeds, pots, soil mix, and popsicle sticks for labeling. And SGA’s own Sofie Larsen of Applegard Farm will be on-hand for planting guidance and growing advice.
Saturday, May 21: music by Bob Halperin from 9:00 a.m. to noon, plus “Start Your Garden Day” at Portsmouth Farmers’ Market, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Start your garden at the farmers’ market! Join us at the market activity booth for a compost give-away and free transplanting demonstration offered by SGA’s own Sofie Larsen of Applegard Farm. Sofie will also bring her personal library of beautiful gardening reference books for you to peruse, and of course you can tap into her expertise, too! A bounty of seeds from High Mowing Organic Seeds will be available for purchase.
Thursday, May 26: “Start Your Garden Day” at Exeter Farmers’ Market, 2:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Start your garden at the farmers’ market! Join us at the market activity booth for a compost give-away and free transplanting demonstration offered by SGA’s own Sofie Larsen of Applegard Farm. Sofie will also bring her personal library of beautiful gardening reference books for you to peruse, and of course you can tap into her expertise, too! A bounty of seeds from High Mowing Organic Seeds will be available for purchase.
Area nonprofits, businesses, municipal representatives and individuals interested in participating in SGA’s Community Partners program to bring educational activities for all ages to market are invited to contact Public Relations Director Hilary Niles at newsletter@seacoastgrowers.org or (603) 969-8004.
All markets are held rain or shine every week. The outdoor farmers’ market season extends to mid-October and early November.
For more information about Seacoast Growers’ Association’s five weekly outdoor farmers’ markets or to sign up for their weekly e-newsletter with tips on what’s in season, new recipes and “Know Your Farmer” profiles, visit www.seacoastgrowers.org.
Photo caption: A cornucopia of veggies are in season and available direct from the farmers at Portsmouth Farmers’ Market. (Photo by Hilary Niles)
