November Newsletter

Hi All!

After a long and productive summer and fall, I am finally catching up on some SBFNH work. This newsletter may seem long but there is lots of important information here, so please take a moment to read through.

New Members

First, I would like to welcome our new members. We have received several new memberships recently. Typically, our memberships run from January to December. Any membership received after November 1st is rolled over into the next year.

However, due to the number of new members we have received, we are extending the pre-date to October 1st. This applies to first time members only, not on renewals. You will be getting your membership cards in the mail soon. Those cards should have a December 2022 expiration.

Upcoming Meetings

December 1st at 7PM will be the last State Council Meeting of the year. This will be a Zoom meeting. While you may think that council meetings are boring, the information we discuss is important and determines what we do. We have a diverse group of members and we want to make sure everyone gets something out of being a part of our group. To do that, we need your input. Link and agenda will go out to all members prior to the meeting.

December 18th at 5:30PM will be the last Tri-County Group meeting. This will be held at Gilmanton Winery and will include a 3-course meal! Please come and enjoy the company of your fellow members as we discuss how we move forward for 2022. We have some great workshops we are working on and would like more of your ideas. Even if you are not part of the Tri-county group, you are welcome to attend. Our workshops, bulk buys and events are not strictly for the Tri-County members. ANYONE can join and participate. We can also help mentor others on how to set up their own County groups.

PLEASE NOTE THAT AN RSVP IS REQUIRED TO JOIN THE TRI-COUNTY DINNER. PLEASE RSVP TO DREW DYER AT [email protected]. This is for members only.

Workshops

Some of the workshops we are working on include:

• Home butchering your chicken/pig/lamb.

• Soil health workshop with UNH Cooperative Extension.

• Small ruminant pre-purchase exam and how to spot healthy animals in your herd/flock with Elizabeth Kellett from Blackwater Veterinary Services.

...And more.

Have a subject you want to learn more about? Have a skill you would like to share? Let us know. As a group we have the power to bring together innovative speakers to teach us new skills. As a small, hands-on group, we can all learn from each other.

Bulk Buys

Tri-County just finished the garlic bulk buy. If you didn’t get a chance to order your garlic and are still interested in getting some to get in the ground before winter, contact Cindy Shea @ 603-660-9108 or [email protected].

Next up is the Potato and Onion bulk buys. We plan to place our order in January. As with last year, we will offer early potato varieties of Dark Red Norlands and Yukon Gold. Plus yellow and red onion sets. Look for notices to go out in December.

Both Bulk Buys are managed by the Tri-County group and you must be able to pick up your order in the time frame provided. Pick-up location is in Loudon. You do not have to reside within the Tri-county group to participate, but you must be able to pick up at the specified location.

Volunteers Needed

We are an all-volunteer group, which means we all need to do our part to keep this organization running. We are currently looking for volunteers in the following areas:

State Council: Our co-Leader is stepping down to pursue a great opportunity. It is important we have a minimum of five state council members. If you are interested in learning more about the role of co-leader, please email Cindy at [email protected].

County Leaders: All Counties are looking for Leaders. Your roll as a leader includes working with members within your area to organize meetings, workshops, bulk buys, etc. Different counties can work together and coordinate with each other for better options and participation. If you are interested, the Tri-County group (Merrimack, Grafton, Belknap) can help guide and mentor and will work with any other counties who are interested. The Tri-County group is also looking for a couple of leaders to help manage the workload. Contact Cindy at [email protected] or Drew at [email protected] for more information.

Farm and Forrest Expo Volunteers needed: We are happy to report we are planning on having a booth at the Farm & Forrest Expo. We will need volunteers to help man the booth over the two days. This is a great way to help the organization by telling others what you like about our group. Plus, you get free admission. Please contact Cindy at Leader@ SBFNH for more information on volunteering.

Tri-County Hayfield Coordinators: Our hayfield project is important to our group and a great way to earn money for workshops, etc. Our current coordinators are ready to pass on the baton. They will work with the new person/people to show them the ropes and will provide mentorship. Please contact Allan Mistler at [email protected] for more info.

Volunteer Coordinator needed. As you can see, we have a lot of volunteer positions that need to be filled. If you are someone who knows how to recruit and coordinate volunteers, we want to speak with you. Please contact Cindy at [email protected].

Something Fun

I’ve been exploring YouTube channels lately. Here are a few I think are worth checking out:

The Bearded Butchers – Show you how to butcher a lamb or pig. https://www.youtube.com/c/BeardedButchers

The Country Vlog – A Woman from Azerbaijan cooks wonderful meals using ingredients grown on their farm on an open fire with the help of her husband. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIix6MklfJFywa_36iDj8Sw

Sow the Land – A young family move from a west coast city to an east coast homestead and grow a year’s worth of food on just 1.5 acres. https://www.youtube.com/c/SowtheLand/featured

Celtic Roots Farm – A local NH family chronicles life on their homestead. Subscribing to their YouTube channel costs nothing and helps them out. https://www.youtube.com/c/CelticRootsFarm

I truly hope to meet many of our new members over the coming months. If there is anything you are interested in learning about, please feel free to reach out to me.

Sincerely,

Cindy Shea

SBFNH State & Tri-County Leader

Purely Wholesome Farm

Loudon, NH