VITAL COMMUNITIES
Upper Valley Farmers' Markets
Fresh, Fun & Truly Local!
Upper Valley farmers markets are open for business! Shop local, shop safe, and shop fresh.
Get details on market dates, times, and locations in our Vital Communities Online Guide.
Learn what to expect at farmers markets during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Your shopping choices make a difference for local businesses. Thank you.
Farmers' Markets are Unique
A truly local shopping experience. The vendors are truly local businesses. Most market rules require that vendor booths are staffed by the producer/grower/maker of the products. Meet the person behind the product, hear their story, and learn why their product is unique.
You knew them when…. Farmers’ markets are a perfect venue for new enterprises to meet the public, test their products, build relationships, and grow their dream business. From lettuce to gelato to acupuncture to cupcakes, successful businesses around the Upper Valley have gotten their feet wet at the farmers’ market. Market shoppers get to dive right in with them as they learn, experiment, and grow.
Everything but the kitchen sink. Luckily we have many places to buy from local business owners, and many ways to buy fresh local foods. What sets markets apart is the direct relationship you can have with many vendors in one place whether they sell candles or cabbage or cake.
SNAP at Markets
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) offers nutrition assistance to millions of eligible, low-income individuals and families and provides economic benefits to communities. In Vermont, SNAP is also called 3SquaresVT, and many also use the former name ‘food stamps’ as well.
Farmers’ markets around Vermont and New Hampshire accept SNAP benefits via EBT cards. Many of these markets accept debit and credit cards too.
Using a SNAP EBT card at a participating market is fairly easy and may double your shopping dollars. Many Vermont and New Hampshire markets are part of ‘double value coupon’ programs. When SNAP recipients use EBT at these markets, they receive an additional $10 to spend! Our downloadable market schedule indicates which markets accept SNAP EBT and which double benefits.
To use your EBT (or regular debit) card at a market, you will need to visit the booth with the debit card machine. Usually there is a large sign indicating this booth, you can visit NOFA VT’s instructions to see a picture. Swipe your EBT card and enter your PIN, just like you would at any other store. You will receive wooden tokens in $1 increments and a matching amount of Crop Cash (VT) or Granite State Market Match (NH) up to $10 per market day at participating markets.
Use SNAP and double your money at Newport, Claremont, Lebanon, and Wilmot farmers’ markets on the New Hampshire side of the Upper Valley. On the Vermont side, Chelsea, Greater Falls, Hartland, Norwich, Royalton, and Woodstock all accept and double SNAP benefits.
Interested in learning more about SNAP and whether your family might qualify for SNAP benefits? Learn about New Hampshire SNAP here, and Vermont SNAP here.
This project is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture Farmers’ Market Promotion Program, agreement AM170100XXXXG127.
What's Happening
Spring Salad Made From Anything
I made this colorful crunchy salad on the fly on Memorial Day when the grocery stores were closed for the holiday and my parents, siblings, and out-of [...]
Kale Pesto
I diligently planted several basil plants a few weeks ago. A few days later a crazy hail storm arrived. Afterwards, my poor basil plants were dimin [...]
Mastering Perfect Spinach
When my friend Justin opened a restaurant in Maine, I fixated on his strategy to train kitchen staff: cooks would learn the best one or two ways to pr [...]
Slow Cooker Pork Ribs
This recipe is courtesy of The Beeroness. Cook up some Stout & Sriracha Barbecue Sauce to go with these for your next dinner.
Ingredients
2 [...]
Quick Kimchi
Photo Julia A Reed.
Cabbage, cabbage, everywhere - this is the time of year for the versatile Brassica. Napa cabbage (also called celery cabbage a [...]
Zucchini Chard Cakes
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve shared this zucchini chard cake recipe with folks this summer. I was sure that as soon as I mentioned [...]
Local Cooking at the End of Winter
Braised Pork & Cabbage: A One-Pot Late Winter Farmers Market Meal
Magazines and radio shows are already gushing about springy greens recipe [...]
Tomato Basil Chutney
Have you ever noticed that the right condiment or sauce can transform an average dish into a great dish? That’s the case with this tomato chutney [...]
Take Stock
Stock - essentially a long-cooked infusion of bones, meat scraps, or vegetables - embodies several of my favorite qualities: thrifty, healthy, old-fas [...]
Braised Pork Chops and Turnips
It seems the sun is having a difficult time finding its way to Vermont this spring. And while I’d rather be cooking out on a grill, the perpetual dr [...]
Photo credits: Julia A Reed and Molly Drummond
Vital Communities Program News
Vermont Everyone Eats Serves Its One-Millionth Meal!
On Thursday, April 29, Vermont Everyone Eats, an innovative COVID-19 response program, is celebrating 1 million restaurant meals served to Vermonters experiencing food insecurity. The program was launched in August 2020 with an allocation of ...more
Flavors of the Valley 2021: The Fun Goes Digital!
Flavors of the Valley, the Upper Valley's favorite local food tasting expo, will not be stopped this year! We're moving it to May, with a month-long digital celebration of spring, our local farms, local food, ...more
"Light River Junction" Kicks Off May 7 with "Toons and Tones"
https://youtu.be/1CHhlNDazVI The celebratory summer series Light River Junction First Fridays with WRIF kicks off May 7 with a fantastic line-up called "Toons and Tones." Throughout downtown White River, there will FREE outdoor arts to inspire and ...more
WAY TO GO! SPRING CHALLENGE
JOIN THE CHALLENGE MAY 1-16 AND BE ENTERED TO WIN PRIZES! Spring is here, so it’s a great time to Get Up and Go! Take the challenge to walk, bike, roll, bus, or carpool May 1 ...more
Launching Year 2 of the Upper Valley E-Bike Library!
Do you wish biking was part of your life? E-bikes can greatly increase that possibility. E-bikes (electric bikes) are like regular bikes but with an electric motor in addition to human-powered pedals, a battery to ...more
April 8: "Investing in Home Creation"
Investing for Home Creation Thursday, April 8, 5:30 pm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUwM8Z2FD3Q The Upper Valley faces a shortage of housing, particularly in the lower-cost sector, that's affecting our ability to be a vibrant, equitable community. This session discussed how even ...more
April 15, 2021: “Putting Your Money to Work Locally: Investing Clubs 101”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnLZ7akjtGw Interested in investing locally but don’t want to do it alone? Investment clubs pool money to collectively invest in local businesses and bring a social aspect to the process – they make investment fun! In this ...more
Valley Quests Open May 1—including a Guided Event to a Vernal Pool!
Mark your calendar for Saturday, May 1: It's a big one for Valley Quests! Not only is May 1 Opening Day for Quests—"treasure hunts" that share the natural and cultural history of 160+ special areas in ...more
Have an Idea That Could Use a Lift?
New Hampshire Businesses, Farmers, Entrepreneurs, Nonprofits, Community Initiatives: Do you have an incredible project just waiting to happen? Want to grow your organization, our community, and the local economy, but don’t have access to capital? The Local Crowd ...more
Free Webinar on Writing Waterway Quests, April 8
Valley Quests are treasure hunts set in special locations around the Upper Valley. Each Quest follows a unique set of clues that teach you about a place’s ecology, wildlife, and history while leading to a ...more
NH Route 120 Improvements Near Exit 18
The New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) has recently begun a project to study multi-modal improvements to NH Route 120 from Hanover Street to Etna Road in Lebanon, NH. This project (NHDOT reference #29612) seeks ...more
Quest to the Star!
Have you seen the star alight upon Mt. Tom in Woodstock? Wouldn't it be fun to see it up close? You can if you follow the clues of the Mt. Tom Quest. The star traditionally ...more
Neighbors Helping Neighbors Save Energy
This week marks the close of Vital Communities and volunteers’ 2020 Vermont Energy Savings project in seven towns in the Vermont side of the Upper Valley. Vital Communities partnered with Sustainable Woodstock (serving Woodstock, Hartland, ...more
Weatherize Webinar, August 17
Weatherize Webinar with NHSaves Monday, August 17 at Noon Did Covid-19 stop your 2020 weatherization plans in their tracks? NOW is the right time to jump back on the weatherize band wagon. Lower energy bills and cozy ...more
Welcome 31 New Upper Valley Change-makers
Vital Communities celebrated the graduation of the Leadership Upper Valley Class of 2020 on Wednesday, June 10. This event marked the program’s 14th graduating class, as 31 local leaders completed the 10-month program with a ...more
Five Inspiring Stories
On March 18, Vital Communities held a webinar featuring five inspiring stories from energy committees across the Upper Valley. Stories included: Electric charging stations in Bethel An Upper Valley eBike lending library Energy saving window ...more
Stand in Your Circle of Strength and Lead
Ed. Note: On May 30, Vital Communities honored 12 community leaders who’ve added immeasurably to the vitality of the Upper Valley at its annual Heroes & Leaders Celebration. The following are the event’s keynote remarks ...more
Heroes & Leaders: Creating a Vital Upper Valley
Every spring, Leadership Upper Valley, a program of Vital Communities, hosts the annual Heroes & Leaders Celebration to recognize individuals who make significant contributions to the Upper Valley. In 2019, we are pleased to honor ...more
