Not only is June the official start of summer, it’s also the real start to the local produce season. Strawberries are about the first crop harvested, usually around June 10. There are a few types of greens, asparagus and radishes that start a little earlier, but there is nothing as sweet and juicy as a nice ripe New Hampshire strawberry. Right on the heels of those little red gems, broccoli, lettuce and, of course, sweet peas start turning up at various farms across the state. Before you know it, beans, cucumbers, summer squash, zucchini, garlic scapes and eggplant begin their appearance into our New Hampshire summer landscape. All of a sudden, it’s mid-July and some of our notorious sweet corn and tomatoes start showing up. Let’s not forget about those delicious blueberries, raspberries and peaches, too. Almost forgot about peppers! Finally in late August and early September, the apple season kicks in along with the winter squash and the pumpkin crop. Did you know that plums, nectarines and pears grow in our state, as well?
Most farms specialize in growing several of these wonderful crops, but none are able to grow everything, as that would be next to impossible. For instance, most apple orchards don’t grow sweet corn or carrots, however many of the local orchards do grow berries and pears. For that matter, many farms that grow tomatoes don’t grow apples. That’s one reason why farmers markets have become so popular, as they tend to offer a wide variety of farms. The other reason is that our culture is starting to realize the health benefits of eating local.
Merrimack County farmers markets include: Canterbury Farmers Market, Contoocook Farmers Market, Contoocook Winter Market, Concord Downtown Market, Concord Heights Market, Franklin Farmers Market, Henniker Community Market and Hooksett Farmers Market.
Another alternative to shopping at inpidual farms or farmers markets with limited hours is to find a local year-round farm market. These markets have popped up here and there around the state over the last couple of years. One such market is Johnson Golden Harvest, located at 412 W. River Road in Hooksett. Johnson Golden Harvest offers a wide variety of produce and pasture-raised meats supplied daily by multiple local farms. They also reach out to local businesses by bringing the farm market to them. The employers love this model because it keeps their health insurance costs down and benefits their employees by giving them the convenience of shopping at work and becoming healthier at the same time. The Johnson family truly understands the health benefits of knowing and having a relationship with the New Hampshire farms that produce your food. Johnson Golden Harvest is open seven days a week all year long. Stop by or give them a call at 210-2031 or on line at johnsongoldenharvest.com.
The Capital Area Wellness Coalition has been an integral part of the success of businesses like Johnson Golden Harvest. The coalition prides itself on partnering with businesses and inpiduals to make our community a healthier and happier place to live.
The Capital Area Wellness Coalition meets in the Smile Building on the second Wednesday of each month at 8 a.m. For more information, call 867-8194 or visit capwellness.org.
