Food Connects was thrilled to onboard Short Creek Farm as a new vendor in 2022. Based out of Northwood, NH, Short Creek Farm crafts unique and delicious sausage, salami, and bacon, as well as fresh cuts of meat from their own pasture-raised meats and heritage-breed pork from other family farms in the U.S. We had a chance to ask Co-Founder Jeff Backer more about the farm and its delicious products.
One of our favorite parts of running the Food Connects Food Hub is distributing local and regional food to local and regional people. Peachblow Farm shares this mission, focusing on crops that thrive in our region and that local customers demand. With Food Connects customers, that’s their hardy and delicious asparagus! We had a chance to ask Heidi Fuller of Peachblow Farm about the family farm and their approach to growing food in New Hampshire.
How was Peachblow Farm started? What was its inspiration?
Peachblow Farm has been in the Frizzell family for almost 100 years, and it spans four generations. Theodore and Martha Frizzell purchased the farm, and for many years it was dairy and poultry breeding. It was passed to Robert (Bob) Frizzell in the late 1960s and was primarily dairy at that time. In 1988, the dairy was sold out to a federal milk surplus program, and the focus shifted to crops. Pick-your-own strawberries were started prior to this and continue to this day. Asparagus, hay, and seedless straw have also been added.
What makes your products unique?
Robert Frizzell was born and raised on Peachblow Farm. He has seen the progression of the farm from animals to crops and has enough experience with all of it to know what works best. Our products come out of his 84 years of experience and expertise.
Can you tell us more about your approach to farming?
Our approach is threefold—we seek out crops that grow well in our area; they must be crops that are in demand, and they must fit into our labor availability.
We have found success with asparagus because our land has the right type of soil and our family has expertise in how to successfully plant it. So in the past 30 years, we have grown to about 10 acres of asparagus, with some of the fields still gaining in production as they mature. This is the product we sell most to Food Connects. We have found that there is a great demand for the asparagus as we seem to be one of few farms in the area growing it. It fits into our labor availability because it is the only crop in the spring.
What is your favorite part of farming?
Robert believes that to be a successful farmer, you have to be an inventor of sorts. In order to make machinery that fits your fields and does all the required tasks, you must be able to create new and unique pieces of equipment. Robert enjoys this part of the farming, and it is what has enabled him to have a farm that fits the Farm of Distinction criteria for the state of New Hampshire.
What is one of your favorite recipes you make with your produce?
Our favorite way to eat asparagus is to steam it and top it with a family aioli recipe.
Why is buying and selling locally and the local food movement important to you?
As we said in our approach to farming, we choose crops that grow well and are in demand in our area. That feeds right into the philosophy of the local food movement.
How does working with Food Connects help your business/what are you excited about in this partnership?
As our production of asparagus has grown, we are not able to sell it ourselves and need to find outlets like Food Connects that have the market for what we are producing. In that way, we can continue to focus on increasing the production and make sure it is satisfying consumer demand.
Any events coming up or fun facts about your business/products?
Our asparagus runs into our Pick-Your-Own strawberry season coming up in late June. This year we may also have pick-your-own sunflowers to add.
Anything else you would like me to feature? Anything that you are doing to respond to the COVID-19 crisis?
One of the by-products of producing strawberries was the production of seedless straw to mulch the strawberries. That has become its own market because, without seeds, the straw can be used in many more applications such as landscaping, straw bale gardens, and even home insulation material. You can read about the harvest process for seedless straw on our website, PeachblowFarm.com.
We found that Pick-your-own strawberries was very popular during COVID-19 because it provided families with a wholesome activity they could do safely outdoors. Our family has had Pick-Your-Own strawberries for over 40 years, and we welcome children. We have people who picked here as a child bringing their own children. It is very gratifying for us to be able to continue this tradition.
What do delicious food and conserved farmland have in common? Pete’s Stand of course! We got to chat with farmer Teresa Janiszyn about the farm and her family’s story.
Pete's Stand was started by John's (Teresa’s husband) grandfather, Peter Janiszyn, in the early 70s after decades of farming in the Connecticut River Valley. Pete grew up in Hadley, Massachusetts, and farmed with his brother "Jake" who had a farm stand called "Poor Papa's" in Westminster, Vermont in the 1950s. John's inspiration to farm came in the early 2000s when, after the death of his grandfather in 1997, the farm was at a crossroads—his father, Michael, already had a full-time career, and John could see how important it was that the farm continue—for his family, for the community, and for the land itself.
“Since that time John, along with his father and I, have grown and improved the farm to provide a livelihood for their family, while providing affordable locally grown produce to the community,” says Teresa. “We now farm around 45 acres in Walpole, NH, and Westminster, VT.”
Pete's is best known for roadside market standbys like sweet corn (especially our sweet corn!), tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers—and in the fall for our pumpkins, gourds, and bushel baskets of winter squash.
One of the things that has cemented their commitment to farming in the Connecticut River valley is their commitment to preserving prime farmland for future generations. “We do this by keeping the land productive (preserving soil health and fertility) and through partnerships with landowners and conservation organizations.”
“It is also very important to us that fresh, locally grown produce be available to all members of our community—we do this through donations to many local food pantries/organizations, accepting SNAP and participating in the Granite State Market Match program, selling to local school districts, and of course by selling directly to consumers at our roadside stand.”
“Food Connects has helped our business by allowing us to take small steps into the wholesale market, and to extend the reach of our produce to new markets. It has also helped us by giving us access to other producers and vendors- we can now stock a truly wide variety of high-quality, locally made products.”
If you haven’t already, we recommend visiting Picadilly Farm in Winchester, NH. Owned and operated by Bruce and Jenny Wooster, Picadilly Farm is nestled among the fields and hills of southwestern New Hampshire, right along the Vermont and Massachusetts borders. For the past 14 years, the farm has grown certified organic produce for the region.
Known for their delicious produce, Picadilly boasts a CSA following of over 1,000 households. The land was a dairy farm for several generations and the farmers who lived here before the Woosters moved next door when they retired. “They come over and get a Picadilly Farm share with us—it's been a rich relationship!” says Jenny. Community connections are important for local farms to thrive and Picadilly is no exception. The Farm Fund through the Monadnock Food Co-op and Cheshire County Conservation District awarded Picadilly Farm a grant to add a 25-foot long storage space that accommodates another 18,000 – 20,000 pounds of root crops due to
“We are a big-little farm—big enough to hire a sizeable seasonal crew and have fleet of trucks and tractors, but too small to supply the grocery chains,” says Jenny. “We rely on a diversity of crops, rather than specializing in a handful. We've tried out a range of agricultural ventures, from laying hens, to turkeys, to winter greens. These days, Bruce is dabbling in growing popcorn commercially—we'll see! "Picadilly Popcorn" has a nice ring to it.”
Staying small allows them to focus on local customers. “Locally is the only way we want to sell. Our work is as much about relationships as it is about the products we offer. Locally oriented customers are at the heart of the success and sustainability of our farm.” Picadilly Farm not only sells produce through Food Connects, but buys it as well. “It's super convenient to work with Food Connects as both a grower, and as a buyer for our small farm stand. Growing for a local market means weaving together lots and lots of relationships, and often it means filling lots and lots of small orders. Consolidation through Food Connects is an obvious win, as we can reach more buyers in our region.”
With so many products it might be hard to choose a favorite. Jenny is a fan of growing, harvesting, selling, and eating the orange crops—cantaloupes, sweet potatoes, and fall carrots top her list. So what are you waiting for? Try out some of this great, local produce today!
Abenaki Springs Farm started in 1997. Focusing on diversity and aerodynamic principles, the farm aims to create healthy, nutrient dense food that can resist disease and pests naturally, stores well, and tastes great. The farm is located in Walpole, NH, just above the old Abenaki Springs, which was once the sacred water supply to the Abenaki Tribe. They grow on high mineral, well drained soil with many natural springs surrounding the farm. They believe this helps attain a more nutrient dense product—in addition to their growing practices which include crop rotation and seasonal diversity.
The farm is currently owned by Bruce Bickford and managed by Kirsten Anderson. Kristen noted that they have different favorite products for different parts of the season. “Our favorite spring crop is bok choy and chinese cabbage. In the summer, we love growing melons, tomatoes, onions, and shallots. In the fall, we love winter squash, potatoes, leeks, and carrots. Each season is fleeting, and we love to savor and appreciate everything we can.”
To them, local food is paramount and they recognize the importance of small scale farms sustaining their local communities. “It is critical for the community, the economy, the land, and the farmers. We are committed to providing a high quality product grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides for our community.”
Abenaki Springs Farm is new to Food Connects. “We have appreciated the opportunity to broaden our customer base. It gives us the chance to sell items we may not otherwise be able to sell. We're very grateful to have a food hub that is committed to distributing locally grown food!”
Want to be more involved with the farm? Volunteers are always welcome to help weed in the field! A recent study showed that volunteering is the key to happiness. Or you can visit them at the Farmers’ Market of Keene. More details regarding their winter CSAs will be available on their website soon. Additionally they have a PYO flower garden, which is new this year, along with a small roadside farm stand.