9-22-08

Walpole Grange Launches “Walpole Homegrown”

By Chuck Bingaman, Contributing Writer

            Believing that “home grown is better”, the Walpole Grange #125 has launched a campaign to encourage—and make more feasible—the buying and eating of locally produced food and agricultural products.

            “Walpole Homegrown” was suggested by Walpole Grange member Joe Dion who single-handedly did the research and prepared the new publication—printed, of course, in green ink—that was made public this week.

            “There’s a long list of reasons why buying and eating ‘homegrown’ is a good idea,” says Kathy Yardley, president of the Walpole Grange. 

            “First, you get the freshest food available, and it’s frequently cleaner and of superior variety than you can get trucked or flown in from far away.  And freshest always tastes best!”

            Second, local food buying supports local farmers and others, supports the local tax base and employs local people.  “And,” adds Yardley, “economically healthy farmers keep the local land open and help maintain the diverse economy of Walpole that we all love.”

            Finally, by buying locally, one eliminates transportation costs of foods that must be trucked or flown long distances before reaching our tables, costs that have risen significantly in 2008 alone.

            Yardley also noted that supporting local agriculture has been one of the founding principles of The Grange since its founding following the Civil War.

            As to the new Walpole Homegrown directory, it lists names, brief descriptions of products available, addresses, phone numbers and even web sites of 45 local producers of food and agricultural products.  “The only criteria for inclusion,” Yardley notes, “were that the producer actually prepare food (or other agricultural products such as Christmas trees) on the site in Walpole and be available for the public to buy.”

            “Within those criteria, we have everything to live on from locally made honey to baked goods and grass fed beef.  We even have,” says Yardley, “dairy products of all kinds including famous Boggy Meadow Farm Cheese, raw milk from Great Brook Farm, one of the oldest farms in America, and apples from Alyson’s, recently named the best agricultural experience in the state by New Hampshire Magazine.”

            “We have some of the best ice cream in New England at Walpole Creamery on Rt. 12, and we have six providers of maple syrup products to put on it!”

            To get a copy of the free guide to homegrown food and to see the entire directory of choices, check at Galloway Real Estate Services on Main Street, the Walpole Town Library, and Town Hall.

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