Food Transportation in Cheshire County
Much of the food traveling to, from, and within Cheshire County travels via conventional transportation routes, primarily in trucks on the highways and bi-ways that traverse the New England countryside.
While still mostly by truck travel, some new and different ways of getting locally grown food to consumers are being introduced in Cheshire County.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is becoming a more familiar practice in Cheshire County. This takes a number of forms, including:
Another food distribution practice that is picking up speed is online ordering from farms. Harvest to Market provides online ordering services to Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The participating farms in Cheshire County are Red Oak Farm Market and Tracie's Community Farm, LLC (1).
While still mostly by truck travel, some new and different ways of getting locally grown food to consumers are being introduced in Cheshire County.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is becoming a more familiar practice in Cheshire County. This takes a number of forms, including:
- The more common personal and family CSA shares, allow families and individuals receive a regular "share" of a farm's harvest in exchange for money and possibly some farm work. In this arrangement, some farms invite consumers out to the farm to pick up their share; other farms have central pick up spots based on where there consumers live.
- Farm-to-Institution is a CSA arrangement that is gaining interest in Cheshire County among local food system advocates. This program can operate either directly between a single farm and an institution or indirectly through a third-party that aggregates products from multiple farms in an arrangement with multiple institutions. Examples of institutions that may participate in such a program would include schools, businesses, colleges/universities, and hospitals. In businesses the program operates similarly to the personal CSA, where interested employees purchase shares. In other institutions, such as schools and hospitals, the program typically works with the institution's food service. Direct farm-to-institution arrangements already exist in small numbers in Cheshire County. In addition, Cheshire County Conservation District/Monadnock Farm and Community Connection recently received funding to further Farm-to-Institution efforts in Cheshire County.
Another food distribution practice that is picking up speed is online ordering from farms. Harvest to Market provides online ordering services to Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The participating farms in Cheshire County are Red Oak Farm Market and Tracie's Community Farm, LLC (1).
CSA's in Cheshire County
Personal & Family CSA's
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Home-delivered Meals in Cheshire County
_Older adults and people with disabilities who are unable to shop,
prepare food for themselves and/or travel to a site where a meal is
being served can choose to sign up for a home-delivered meal program. Regular hot meals are prepared and delivered to participants. Cheshire County programs that provide this service include (3):
- Fall Mountain Friendly Meals - Alstead
- Friendly Meals - Troy
- Home Healthcare, Hospice & Community Services - Keene
_Sources cited
1. Harvest to Market website at http://harvesttomarket.com/.
2. Monadnock Table staff. (2011) Farm Directory.Monadnock Table, Issue 6, Fall 2011. Found at http://www.localtablemonadnock.com/local_farm_directory.
3. New Hampshire Servicelink Community Resource Directory can be found on their website at http://www.referweb.net/nhsl/.
1. Harvest to Market website at http://harvesttomarket.com/.
2. Monadnock Table staff. (2011) Farm Directory.Monadnock Table, Issue 6, Fall 2011. Found at http://www.localtablemonadnock.com/local_farm_directory.
3. New Hampshire Servicelink Community Resource Directory can be found on their website at http://www.referweb.net/nhsl/.