Granite State Farmers reflect on what they learned this year -- and how they're planning for seasons to come. In response to the pandemic, many made changes they plan to keep, such as taking reservations for pick-your-own visits and making home deliveries. They say demand for locally grown food has been strong. The big worry now: an early spring drought.
Air date: April 7, 2021
GUESTS:
- Andre Cantelmo - Co-Owner of Heron Pond Farm in South Hampton and president of the N.H. Vegetable and Berry Growers Association. He is also one of the owners and founders of the Three River Farmers Alliance.
- Robert Johnson - Policy Director for the N.H. Farm Bureau Federation and owner of Johnson Bros Farm in Pittsfeild, where he raises cattle and offers maple syrup, as well as pick-your-own blueberries.
- Kate Osgood - Owner of Birch Rise Farm in Sanborton, where she sells pasture-raised pork, chicken, and turkey. Her farm is one of the few registered Berkshire pig breeders in New Hampshire. She serves as treasurer on the Belknap County Farm Bureau Board of Directors and as an advisor to UNH Extension Belknap County office.
Agriculture and horticulture researchers with UNH Cooperative Extension work closely with farmers in the state on a wide range of issues, including challenges associated with the pandemic and drought conditions.
Visit here for USDA statistics on N.H. farms, which amount to more than 4,100.
Also discussed during the program: Fresh Start Farms, operated by ORIS, the Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success.
