Tag Archives: New Hampshire

NH Farm Bureau Members Featured on New HISTORY Series

(Left to Right) Si, Bram, Heather, Jamie, and Nate Robertson. The Robertsons own and operate Bohanan Farm & Contoocook Creamery in Hopkinton, NH. The family are featured in the new HISTORY series ‘The American Farm’ which debuts Thursday, April 4 at 10 PM. Photo courtesy of HISTORY/The American Farm

To be a successful farmer you have to be a jack of all trades. Some days you are an electrician, other days you may be a plumber, and sometimes –on a good day- you get to farm too! The Robertson family from Hopkinton, NH spent the last year adding yet another job title to that list: Television stars.

Jaime and Heather Robertson and their three sons Si, Nate, and Bram, who operate Bohanan Farm & Contoocook Creamery in Hopkinton, are one of five farms from across the country being featured on a new HISTORY series called ‘The American Farm’. HISTORY bills the show as, “an authentic portrait of the fight to go from seed to stalk, and from farm to fork. The series presents an up-close look at one full year of family farming.” A film crew spent most of last year documenting the lives of the Robertsons from the fields to the dinner table.

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NH Eat Local Month 2018

Throughout the month of August, New Hampshire Farm Bureau (NHFB) joins with 70+ partners throughout the state to highlight New Hampshire Eat Local Month — a month-long celebration of local food and New Hampshire farmers and producers.

“New Hampshire residents, and visitors alike, are showing unprecedented interest in local food, and this month-long celebration offers a great opportunity to feature New Hampshire grown foods and farms,” said Gail McWilliam Jellie from the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food.

With 70+ partners working together to bring you great NH Eat Local Month festivities, it won’t be hard for you to find a way to get involved!

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Dairy Farm Tour Workshop Prepares Farmers to Connect with Consumers

Sharing your story, connecting with the public, and educating new generations on the benefits of agriculture along with the quality of farmers' products and practices are key ways to strengthen the connection between producers and consumers. Why not accomplish all three and never leave your property?

In late March, Jessica Ziehm of the New York Animal Agriculture Coalition (NYAAC), Laura Hardie of New England Dairy Promotion Board (NEDPB), and Emily Getty of Stonyfield led a farm tour workshop for dairy farmers and stakeholders at Stonewall Farm in Keene. The goal of the workshop was to prepare farmers with the tools and resources they need to host their own farm tours.

Farm Bureau members and staff were there to participate and document the event. You can read more about the workshop here, watch the recap video produced by NHFB below, and download useful resources for hosting your own farm tours at the bottom of this page.

Christina Murdock, DVM, owns and operates LAVender Mobile Veterinary Services based out of central New Hampshire. As a special service to Farm Bureau Members, she offers Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) and Rabies Vaccinations at the Merrimack County Farm Bureau Vet Clinic each year prior to show season (pictured above). Christina is also the Vice-Chair of the NHFB Young Farmers Committee.

By Christina Murdock, DVM

The FDA policy known as the Veterinary Feed Directive came into effect on January 1, 2017. It was passed to promote the judicious use of antimicrobials that affect both human and animal health, but I understand there will be frustration among the agricultural community. I just want everyone to understand why it came about and what this new policy entails.

Back in 2015 the White House issued its National Action Plan For Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria. It may seem like common sense, but what the public health officials want people to understand is that Antimicrobial Resistance is a scary concept: “The Right Antibiotic at the Right Time at the Right Dose for the Right Duration.” The FDA is responsible for regulating animal drugs, feeds, devices, and most animal health products. They want veterinarians to oversee the use of medicines that may have an effect on the human population who consume animals that may have undergone treatment. Under the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FD and C), the FDA has the broad mandate to assure safety and effectiveness of drugs, devices, and the safety of the food supply.
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Achievement Award Prize Arrives for Young Farmer

Adam Crete sits with his Young Farmer Achievement Award prize, a Kubota M110GX tractor, thanks to Pinnacleview Equipment of Walpole and Kubota.

Boscawen, NH – Last November Adam and Patricia Crete of Highway View Farm in Boscawen received the Young Farmer Achievement Award at the New Hampshire Farm Bureau Federation 99th annual meeting. In early April, Adam received a big reminder of just how much that honor means when a Kubota M110GX tractor arrived at the farm. Along with a prize from Poulin Grain and the opportunity to represent New Hampshire at the American Farm Bureau Convention in San Diego this past January, the Cretes received the use of the Kubota tractor for six months or 250 hours.

Since 1992, through a partnership with Kubota Tractor Corporation and Pinnacleview Equipment of Walpole, the Young Farmer Achievement Award recipient has been given the use of a tractor through the Kubota Young Farmer Program. Kubota has a proud history of supporting Farm Bureau, at the state and federal level, and it’s Young Farmer Award.

Adam has been busy at the farm and is certainly getting use out of the tractor. He says this time of year calls for spreading manure, tilling under cover crops, and planting corn and that the use of the new tractor is helping on all accounts. He has been very pleased with the tractor’s versatility as he moves from the field to the yard saying, “The bucket is coming in handy”.

To be eligible for the Achievement Award, contestants must be between the ages of 18-35 and members in good standing with their county Farm Bureaus. They must be actively engaged in farming with a majority of their income coming from production agriculture.

Farmers Represent NH at National Convention

New Hampshire farmers can be assured they will be represented at the 96^th American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Annual Convention. Twelve members of the New Hampshire Farm Bureau Federation (NHFBF) will be traveling to San Diego, California to take part in the nation’s largest farm organization’s conference this weekend, January 10 – 12. Continue reading →

Concord Votes to Approve USDA Poultry Processor

Concord, N.H. – December 18, 2014 – The saga of the Fournier Foods major site plan application came to a conclusion last night as the Concord Planning Board moved to approve the proposal. Fournier Foods is planning on building a 5,500-square-foot USDA inspected facility that would enable New Hampshire’s poultry meat industry to grow. Continue reading →

E&A Committee Deliberates – Four Bills Considered in Executive Session

There was much to be discussed during the New Hampshire House of Representatives Environment and Agriculture Committee executive session. The meeting was held for the legislative committee to make recommendations on whether the proposed legislation should proceed. On Tuesday, October 21, the Environment and Agriculture Committee reported on their research and findings on the following proposed legislation: Continue reading →

More Permits and Paperwork for Farmers?

The EPA broadens jurisdiction with its proposed rule, “Waters of the U.S.” impacting farmers across the country and New Hampshire.

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) has carefully analyzed the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer’s proposed rule, “Waters of the U.S.” and is concerned with the intention of the proposal. Simply put, the rule attempts to regulate virtually all water, including puddles, ponds and ditches, making farming more difficult. Continue reading →

NH Women Break Statistical Records

Tracie Smith of Fitzwilliam is one of the 1,358 principal women operators in the Granite State.

Tracie Smith of Fitzwilliam is one of the 1,358 principal women farm operators in the Granite State.

A male dominated industry is typically how agriculture is perceived. Men continue to be the main operators however, the newly released results of the USDA – National Agricultural Statistics Service indicate some interesting findings when it comes to women. Continue reading →

Young Farmer Receives Kubota as Prize

Kubota Regional Sales Manager for New England Larry Curran (right) hands the tractor keys to the 2013 Young Farmer Achievement Award winner Trevor Hardy (center) with Mike Snide (left) of Pinnacleview Equipment in Walpole. Special thanks to Pinnacleview Equipment and Kubota for their continued support to the New Hampshire Young Farmer program.

HOLLIS, N.H. – It’s a good day when a shiny new tractor shows up in your field, especially when you’re a farmer. Recipient of the 2013 New Hampshire Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmer Achievement Award, Trevor Hardy took possession of the final portion of his winnings today. Continue reading →

NH Young Farmers Advocate for Agriculture

Legislative Assistant Emily Lynch (center) listens to the N.H. Young Farmers during their visit to Senator Ayotte’s office.

Washington, DC – The Farmer Identity Protection Act, European Union geographic indicators, the Clean Water Act and broadband deployment were the main topics discussed by the N.H. Farm Bureau Young Farmers while advocating for agriculture in DC. Eight Young Farmers travelled to Washington last Friday (April 4) to speak to legislators about issues impacting farmers in the Granite State and across the country. Continue reading →

National Ag Day – March 25

We are very fortunate to live in a country where food is abundant and affordable. In recognition of our agriculture industry, March 25 has been set aside as the date to celebrate National Ag Day.

The day is a time when farmers, agricultural associations, corporations, universities, government agencies and countless others across America gather to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by American agriculture. Continue reading →

Profile Recipients Announced

New Hampshire Farm Bureau Federation (NHFBF) honored Chuck and Diane Souther of Concord with the Profile Award for outstanding service to New Hampshire agriculture and rural life. The 72nd consecutive Profile Award was presented at the NHFBF annual meeting banquet on November 8 at Huddleston Hall, University of New Hampshire, Durham.

New Hampshire Farm Bureau Federation

The Voice of Agriculture