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Year-Round
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Weekly Pay
In-Town Pickup
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Certified Organic
2026 Sold Out
Certified Organic
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SEACOAST AREA COMMAND
Eat Local or Starve Global
Food Sourcing for the End Times
APPROVED
Situation Assessment — Eyes Only
With the Strait of Hormuz supply corridor at risk, global food chains exhibiting single-point-of-failure fragility, and cable news providing a steady IV drip of existential dread, Seacoast Area Command has determined that the NH/Southern Maine corridor possesses the agricultural assets, fisheries, and sheer Yankee stubbornness required for near-total food sovereignty within a 30-minute radius.
This directive maps every farm, butcher, fisherman, mill, and bean grower you need to eat extraordinarily well while the rest of the country argues about supply chain disruptions on Twitter. This isn't prepping. This is strategic eating with geopolitical urgency.
The thesis is simple: you do not need a bunker. You need a CSA share, a butcher relationship, a fisherman's co-op, 20 pounds of heirloom beans, and a functioning fermentation practice. Welcome to New New England.
And before you ask: this costs roughly what you're already spending at the grocery store — about $65–90/week for one person. We'll prove it in the budget section.
★
Start Here — Your First Month
CODENAME: BOOTS ON GROUNDThis section gives you a month-one action plan based on when you're starting. You don't need to read the entire guide before taking action — pick your season, work the checklist, and use the category sections below as ongoing reference when you're ready to go deeper.
Weekly Budget
$65–$90
Single person, near-total local sourcing. About what you already spend on groceries. Full breakdown →
Weekly Commitment
3 Touchpoints
Saturday market, Wednesday CSA pickup, one batch-cook session. Full tempo →
Starting in Spring
March – May
Once you've handled the seasonal priorities above, work through the category sections below at your own pace — they're designed as ongoing reference.
Starting in Summer / Fall
June – November
Once you've handled the seasonal priorities above, work through the category sections below at your own pace — they're designed as ongoing reference.
Starting in Winter
December – February
Once you've handled the seasonal priorities above, work through the category sections below at your own pace — they're designed as ongoing reference.
★
Regional Alliance Assessment
CODENAME: YANKEE PACTTheater of operations extends from the Massachusetts DMZ to the southern border of the Portland Autonomous Zone. The following assessment reflects the current posture of neighboring territories as of this writing.
Southern Maine / Portland
Allied — Autonomous Zone
Fully self-sufficient food economy. Harbor Fish, Standard Baking, Rosemont Market. Shares several supply chain assets with Seacoast Command (Maine Grains, Baer's, seaweed ops). Separate field guide forthcoming.
Vermont
Allied — Non-Responsive
Declared food sovereignty unilaterally. Not accepting calls. Presumed alive and well-fed. Sends occasional maple syrup dispatches as proof of life.
Massachusetts (North of 128)
Demilitarized Zone
Contested buffer region. Several Seacoast-allied farms maintain market outposts in Somerville and Newburyport. South of 128 is considered foreign territory and always has been.
Rhode Island
Rebel Outpost
Technically an ally, but functionally ungovernable. Operating under its own quahog-based currency and a foreign policy consisting entirely of Del's Lemonade stands. Treat as neutral-chaotic.
Connecticut
Non-Aligned
A holding company, not a state. Maintains strategic pizza reserves of unknown provenance. No agricultural intelligence available. Reports suggest residents commute to New York for groceries.
Interior New Hampshire
Allied — Supply Corridor
Canterbury (Brookford), Lee (Tuckaway), and the I-93 corridor provide critical dairy, grain, and fermentation assets. The White Mountains beyond Concord are presumed self-reliant and best left alone.
I
Vegetable Forward Operating Base
CODENAME: GREEN THUNDERLast verified: September 2026
Seven CSA models reach Portsmouth. None is the right answer for everyone: they differ on choice versus pre-packed boxes, paying up front versus weekly, certification, season length, and how far you drive. Every card below lists what the farm does well and where it costs you. They are in alphabetical order, not ranked. Pick the trade-offs you can live with.
CSA Options — Compared, Not Ranked
Brasen Hill Farm
Monthly Membership + Home Delivery — Barrington, NH (~30 min)
Not a box CSA. A monthly membership billed to your card that discounts everything you buy: Bronze $80/mo (15% off vegetables), Silver $160/mo (adds 10% off meat), Gold $300/mo (25% off vegetables, 15% off meat). Credits never expire, cancel any time, year-round. Three acres of vegetables plus thirty of pasture, farming since 2013; no synthetic sprays, not certified. Friday home delivery 11–6 to Barrington, Northwood, Nottingham, Lee, Dover, Durham, Brentwood, Newfields, Newmarket, Exeter and Madbury; farm pickup Wed–Sat 11:30–6 at 71 Warren Rd, off Route 4.
Works for you if
- You want no up-front season payment and the freedom to pause
- You live in one of the eleven delivery towns and like the cooler-on-the-porch model
- You want meat, eggs and partner goods in the same order
Trade-offs
- Portsmouth is outside the delivery zone
- It is a discount membership, so you still shop each week
- Not certified organic
- Farm pickup is about 30 minutes from Portsmouth
Brookford Farm
Whole-Diet CSA — Canterbury, NH (~1 hr; Exeter pickup and Seacoast delivery)
One farm for everything: certified organic vegetables, 100% grass-fed raw dairy and beef, pastured eggs and chicken, ferments, bone broth, bakery. Weekly-pay vegetable shares Small $22, Medium $31, Large $42; discounted 12- or 26-week summer shares paid up front; pay-per-order and pause any time. Home delivery has a $75 minimum and a $9 fee, waived over $150. Self-serve Seacoast pickup in Exeter (9 Newfields Rd) on Tuesdays 4–6pm for a $5 flat fee.
Works for you if
- You want vegetables, raw milk, meat and eggs from a single certified-organic source
- You travel and need pay-per-order with no season commitment
- You are near Exeter or clear the delivery minimum
Trade-offs
- The farm is an hour away; the only Seacoast pickup is Exeter
- $75 delivery minimum and a fee under $150
- Portsmouth home-delivery coverage is behind account signup and was not confirmed
- Shares are pre-packed, not market-style
(See Section III for Brookford's dairy and egg profile and Section II for its meat boxes.)
Certified Organic
Weekly Pay
Year-Round
Heron Pond Farm
Market-Style CSA — South Hampton, NH (~20 min; Portsmouth and Dover pickups)
The largest CSA in the corridor: roughly 650 shares, 250+ varieties across vegetables, herbs and fruit, fifteen years running the program. Market-style: you choose from the weekly harvest board instead of taking a fixed box. Organic practices on about 90% of crops with a targeted herbicide on sweet corn (they say so themselves); not certified.
Summer 2026: June 8 – October 25 (20 weeks). Winter 2026–27: November 2 – March 21. Shares, cash/card: Little Blue Heron $450/$460 (feeds 1–3), Great Blue Heron $675/$690 (4–6), Heron Plus $1,125/$1,150, Double Heron $1,350/$1,380. Off-site pickup adds $50. Four monthly installments available; signups run year-round with prorated mid-season joins.
Pickups: Portsmouth, 2456 Lafayette Rd (Route 1), Wednesdays 2–6:30pm summer, 2–6pm winter. Dover, 7 Briarwood Ln, Tuesdays 2–6:30pm. Farm stand at 290 Main Ave daily 9–6 May–December, Wed–Sun 10–6 January–April.
Add-ons: Mousam Valley mushrooms $83 bi-weekly / $165 weekly / $330 double; dairy Half Calf $396 (3 items/week) or Full Bull $584 (5), with local cheese as a choice; Hidden Hollow Farm eggs $75 bi-weekly / $150 weekly; $350 meat-and-seafood card with a 10% bonus (seafood from The Daily Haul); flower share $200. Make up missed weeks, send a friend, or donate the share; cancel any time for a prorated refund minus $20.
Works for you if
- You want to choose your own vegetables from the widest selection in the region
- You need an in-town pickup on a fixed weekday, plus a daily farm stand
- You want a winter share and a deep add-on menu from one signup
Trade-offs
- The full season is paid up front ($450–$1,380), plus $50 for Portsmouth or Dover pickup
- Not certified organic; herbicide used on sweet corn
- Card payments cost about 2% more than cash or check
- Popular sizes fill; the largest CSA in the area is also the busiest
Meadow's Mirth Farm
Pay-Weekly Veggie Box — Brentwood, NH (Portsmouth pickup on Marcy St)
A weekly box you pay for as you go: Veggie Box $39, Goldibox $29, single boxes available, skip or stop any week with no season commitment. Produce is grown on the farm and aggregated from neighbouring farms; each box comes with a recipe and spice pack, and part of every box is matched to local food banks. Wednesday pickups include Portsmouth (South Street & Vine, 359 Marcy St, 2–6pm), three sites in Dover, Exeter YMCA, Kittery (Tributary), Stratham, Hampton, Newmarket, Madbury, Epping and Kingston, plus workplace drops. Founded by Josh Jennings, a co-founder of Three River Farmers Alliance. Growing practices and certification are not published.
Works for you if
- You want the lowest commitment possible: pay weekly, skip freely
- You want a pickup inside Portsmouth, or one of a dozen Seacoast towns
- You like recipe guidance in the box
Trade-offs
- Pre-packed box, no choice of contents
- Aggregated from several farms, so less of a single-farm relationship
- Certification and growing practices not published
- Wednesday-only in most towns
Orange Circle Farm
Certified Organic CSA — Berwick, ME (~25 min; Portsmouth pickup at Loaded Question)
MOFGA and Real Organic Project certified. A CSA-only farm at 184 Blackberry Hill Rd with no market stall or store: 19 summer weeks, Full and Small shares, optional June flower share. Pickups Tuesdays in Berwick 2–7, Durham 2:45–7, Stratham 3–7 and Portsmouth 4–8 at Loaded Question Brewery; Thursdays in Berwick, Dover 3–7 at Garrison City Provisions, and Kittery 3–6 at Art on the Hill. The 2026 season sold out. Prices are not published; a subsidised listing implies roughly $440 for a small share and $640 for a full one.
Works for you if
- Certified organic is non-negotiable for you
- You want one of six Seacoast pickup sites, including Portsmouth, Dover and Kittery
- You prefer a small farm that does only the CSA
Trade-offs
- Sold out for 2026; join the list for 2027
- Prices are not published
- Summer only, 19 weeks, no winter option
- Pre-packed share with a fixed weekly window
Stout Oak Farm
Certified Organic CSA + Farm Store — Brentwood, NH (~30 min)
About four acres at 83 Middle Rd, farming since 2011, MOFGA and Real Organic Project certified. Forty-plus crops with a specialty in greens, microgreens and spring seedlings. Three share seasons: spring from April, summer mid-June to early October, fall October to November, sold through Local Line (prices visible once you open the signup). Farm Store Credit memberships at $100, $250 and $500 are the no-box alternative. Store open Tue–Fri 9–6, Sat 9–4. Also sells through Three River Farmers Alliance and to restaurants.
Works for you if
- You want certified organic with a choice of three seasons
- You would rather hold store credit than commit to a box
- You are already ordering through Three River
Trade-offs
- Pickup is at the farm in Brentwood only
- Prices sit inside the signup form
- Not at the Portsmouth market in 2026
Wild Fern Farm
Certified Organic CSA — Kingston, NH (Portsmouth pickup at Liar's Bench)
USDA, MOFGA and Real Organic Project certified on about three-quarters of an acre plus high tunnels, farming since 2021. Summer 2026 runs June 1 – October 20 (20 weeks): Full share $700 at the farm or $720 off-farm, Small $500/$520, payment plans available. Pickups: Liar's Bench Beer Co, Portsmouth, Wednesdays 3–7pm (pre-packed); Plaistow Library Wednesdays; Bakie Farm, Kingston, Thursdays (market-style). Also a Portsmouth Farmers Market vendor. This is the brewery-pickup CSA; Phil's Farm of Bowdoinham, ME, which used this drop in earlier editions, appears to have lapsed (domain gone, not on the 2026 market roster).
Works for you if
- You want certified organic with a Portsmouth pickup
- You like the market-style option at the farm on Thursdays
- You want two share sizes and a payment plan
Trade-offs
- Full season paid up front, plus $20 for off-farm sites
- A very small farm, so variety is narrower than the big operations
- Portsmouth pickup is pre-packed
- Summer only, 20 weeks
Three River Farmers Alliance
Not a CSA — Online Local-Food Market with Home Delivery — Seacoast NH
A farmer-owned aggregator: order à la carte each week from 50+ producers (Heron Pond, Stout Oak, Kellie Brook, Dunk's, Vida Tortilla, Bell & Goose and more) with year-round home delivery across the Seacoast and North Shore. $25 minimum, $10 fee under $200; meat subscriptions since late 2024. Their website blocked our automated checks, so confirm the Portsmouth delivery day on the site or by phone.
Works for you if
- You want to assemble your own share from many farms without a season commitment
- You want delivery to your door year-round
Trade-offs
- $10 fee under $200
- You do the choosing every week
- Less connection to a single farm
Farm Stands & Store Credit — No Box, No Season
Applecrest, Emery, Barker's, Riverside
Farm Stands with Credit Programs — Hampton Falls / Durham / Stratham / North Berwick
Applecrest Farm Orchards (Hampton Falls, since 1913): farm market daily 8–6; MarketShare house account from $200 with a 5–20% bonus. Emery Farm (Durham, in the same family since 1660): Locavore membership $300 / $500 / $1,000 with a 10% bonus, valid May 1 – December 24, signup deadline April 15; LocaBerry fruit-and-vegetable boxes in season. Barker's Farm (Stratham, 218 Portsmouth Ave): stand Mon–Sat 9–6, sweet corn, tomatoes, strawberries, no CSA. Riverside Farm Stand (North Berwick, since 1743): CSA-dollars model spendable any day at the stand; call for current terms.
Store Credit
Portsmouth Farmers Market
Forward Reconnaissance & Supplemental Supply — 1 Junkins Ave, Portsmouth
Saturdays 8 AM – Noon, May 2 – October 31, 2026, City Hall upper lot. Operated by Seacoast Eat Local. Vendors must be local to Rockingham, Strafford or York counties. Accepts SNAP/EBT with Granite State Market Match.
This is the primary discovery channel for producers not listed in this document. The 2026 roster includes Heron Pond, Wild Fern, Coppal House, Riverside, Kellie Brook, Hurd, Brandmoore, Hickory Nut and Abbot Hill Creamery (alternate Saturdays), plus heirloom garlic, honey, seasonal fruit and hot sauce makers. Arrive early for the best tomatoes.
2026 SEASON RUNS MAY 2 – OCT 31 // SNAP/EBT + GRANITE STATE MARKET MATCH
Vendor List & Schedule →
Weekly Recon
Mushroom Intelligence Assets
Local Fungal Supply Network — Seacoast Region
Two dedicated mushroom operations serve this theater directly, both year-round. Mushrooms are the closest thing the Seacoast has to a locally-grown umami source that isn't from the ocean.
Dunk's Mushrooms — Brentwood, NH (~25 min). Mushroom farm and FDA-registered processing facility at 313 Route 125, Unit F, growing 8–12 species year-round: shiitake, oysters, lion's mane and more. Retail store Mon–Fri 10–3, Sat 9–12. Delivery to southeastern NH and southern Maine arranged by email, and Dunk's also sells through Brookford; free shipping on orders over $90. Makes mushroom products including two Loon Chocolate collaborations (lion's mane dark chocolate, chaga chai dark chocolate). Teaches winter identification classes (see Section VII).
Mousam Valley Mushrooms — Springvale, ME (~35 min). Family farm in a renovated dairy barn, climate-controlled, grown on Maine hardwood and straw substrate; oysters and shiitake are USDA and MOFGA certified organic. Italian, pink, Katahdin (native Maine strain) and butter oysters, shiitake, lion's mane, king oyster, maitake, pioppino. Easiest access is the Heron Pond CSA add-on ($83 bi-weekly / $165 weekly); also stocked at regional grocers.
Oyster Creek Mushroom Farm — Damariscotta, ME (about two hours; ships). Operating since 1989. Shiitake grown on oak logs, the slow method that produces the most flavorful product. Sells fresh, dried, and growing kits. Worth knowing for dried shiitake stock and the growing-kit rabbit hole.
PICK YOUR ENTRY POINT: DUNK'S FOR LOCAL DELIVERY + RETAIL STORE // MOUSAM VALLEY FOR CSA ADD-ON OR GROCERY // OYSTER CREEK FOR DRIED + GROWING KITS
Fungal Command
Tuckaway Food Commons
Multi-Asset Community Hub — Lee, NH (15 miles from Portsmouth)
Certified organic family farm at 4 Captain Smith Emerson Rd that mills its own and partner grain on a 26-inch New American Stone Mill (installed 2022), runs a collaborative farm store, and broke ground on a shared commercial kitchen in spring 2026. Granite Grains Farm (Tyler Murray, Amherst, NH) is a separate MOFGA-certified grain farm that grows for the mill, not a Tuckaway location.
Farm store: members daily 8am–7pm; public Fridays 10am–6pm. Stocks the farm's own eggs, lamb, grains and cornmeal plus partner-farm products: dairy, ferments, honey, maple, bread and Vida Tortilla corn tortillas. Vida Tortilla is an established tortillería with its own storefront at 45 Market St, Somersworth; its nixtamalized tortillas are also stocked at Emery Farm, Heron Pond, Golden Harvest (Kittery) and Riverside Farm.
PUBLIC HOURS ARE FRIDAYS ONLY — MEMBERSHIP OPENS THE STORE DAILY
Strategic Hub
II
Protein Acquisition Division
CODENAME: IRON SKILLETLast verified: September 2026
Organised by what you are actually buying. One butcher, one primary farm per animal with the evidence for why, then the alternates, then the sea.
The Butcher
Maine Meat
Whole-Animal Butcher — Kittery, ME
Southern Maine's first whole-animal butcher shop, founded 2014. Breaks down whole animals weekly: pasture-raised Angus beef and Dorset-cross lamb via New England Meat Company (a USDA-inspected, Halal processor sourcing across New England), heritage pork from Winter Hill Farm (Freeport) and Breezy Hill Farm (South Berwick), lamb from Straw's Farm (Newcastle), and poultry from a certified-regenerative farm in New York's Hudson Valley. More than 20 house-made sausages; in-house pastrami, corned beef, smoked bacon and ham, mortadella, prosciutto cotto, bologna, kielbasa. Nose-to-tail means not every cut is always in the case; special orders are encouraged.
Hours: Wed–Sat 11–5, Sun 11–3, closed Mon–Tue. 7 Wallingford Square #104, (207) 703-0219. Moving: the owners bought 5 Whipple Rd to relocate the shop and add a restaurant and bar; construction was under way in summer 2026. Check their Instagram before a first visit.
Why this matters: A real butcher with craft. Cuts to order. The relationship you build here elevates everything you cook. No meat share is offered; this is a counter, not a subscription.
WHEN THE SUPPLY CHAINS COLLAPSE, THE PERSON WITH THE BUTCHER RELATIONSHIP EATS LIKE ROYALTY
memeat.com →
Critical Asset
Chicken
Vernon Family Farm
Pasture-Raised Chicken + Farm Store — Newfields, NH (~20 min)
The strongest primary chicken source in the corridor on scale, year-round availability and cut range: 15,000–20,000 pasture-raised birds a year, raised April through October with small winter batches, sold frozen with every cut plus sausages and broth. USDA-inspected processing (at Goffle Poultry in New Jersey, which is a supply-chain dependency worth knowing). Not certified organic; see Clyde Farm below for that. Also grass-fed and grass-finished beef (part of the herd is raised at Normanton's Farm, Litchfield), pastured non-GMO pork, lamb, and bison from Hackmatack Farm. The farm store also carries Huckins Farm raw A2A2 milk (see Section III).
Store: 301 Piscassic Rd, Wed–Sun 9am–6pm, closed Mon–Tue, 603-340-4321. Boxes: monthly meat box $170 (10–12 lb) or $320 (18–22 lb), rotating chicken/beef/pork, pickup in Newfields or at Garrison City Provisions in Dover, cancel any time. Whole Chicken Box $360 for 38–40 lb (about $9/lb). Bulk: half beef $9.40/lb hanging weight ($1,500 deposit), whole pig $8.50/lb HW ($800 deposit), whole lamb $12/lb HW ($250 deposit). Debit-style farm CSA $300–$900 with a 3–9% bonus.
BEST-IN-CLASS FOR PASTURED CHICKEN AT SCALE, YEAR-ROUND // NOT ORGANIC-CERTIFIED // BIRDS PROCESSED OUT OF STATE
Primary: Chicken
Clyde Farm
Certified Organic Chicken, Beef & Pork — Farmington, NH
The only certified-organic poultry within the radius, processed on the farm. Whole chicken $7.75/lb, halves $8.75/lb, fresh June through October across seven processing dates, frozen in the farm store the rest of the year; a 15-week fresh whole-chicken share is $275. Also certified organic 100% grass-fed beef (sold out until December 2026) and forest-raised pork with a published cut list (chops $17/lb, ground $12/lb, shoulder $13/lb, lard $20/qt) and a 15-week pork share at $500. Farm store at 63 Meetinghouse Hill Rd, Farmington: Saturdays 12–4 year-round, plus Wednesdays 3–6 during the summer CSA season; SNAP accepted. The Brentwood address on their site is Stout Oak Farm (83 Middle Rd), a pickup point, not their store.
clydefarm.com →
Certified Organic
Beef
Hurd Farm
100% Grass-Fed Beef — Hampton, NH (~15 min)
Family-owned since 1923 on 160 acres at 11 Old Stage Rd. 100% grass-fed with no grain finishing, the closest fully grass-finished beef to Portsmouth with the most ways to buy it: farm store Wednesdays and Fridays 4–7pm (Wednesday closed in summer), Portsmouth Saturday and Exeter Thursday markets, Exeter and Rollinsford winter markets, and quarters, halves and wholes by special order. Also pork, chicken, turkey (they supply Vernon's Thanksgiving birds) and pasture-raised eggs. Prices are not published; ask at the stall.
THE SEACOAST'S BEST-CREDENTIALED BEEF — A CONSPICUOUS OMISSION FROM EARLIER EDITIONS
hurdfarm.com →
Primary: Beef
Winnicut River Farm
100% Grass-Fed Beef & Lamb — Stratham, NH (~15 min)
Regenerative grazing with daily pasture moves. Retail cuts plus 2026 whole and side deposits, with a published price sheet: ground beef $13.50/lb, most cuts around $14.50/lb. Also pork, poultry and eggs. The transparent-pricing alternative to Hurd.
winnicutriverfarm.com →
Published Prices
Lamb & Pork
Coppal House Farm
Pasture-Raised Lamb, Pork & Eggs — Lee, NH (~25 min)
The best lamb source with published prices: whole lamb $11/lb and half $11.50/lb processed weight, cuts $13.99–$25.99/lb including sausages and kebab meat. Heritage-breed free-range eggs $7/dozen (L/XL) and a 13-week egg CSA at $84. Cold-pressed sunflower oil from their own fields. Farm stand at 118 North River Rd (Route 155) daily 10–5 with seasonal changes posted; every Saturday at the Portsmouth market; online preorder.
Coppal House — Where to Buy →
Primary: Lamb
Kellie Brook Farm
Pork, Chicken & Turkey — Greenland, NH (~10 min, the closest meat farm to Portsmouth)
1024 Portsmouth Ave. A pork specialist that also raises chicken and turkey and sells prepared meals. Pigs are fed grain, bread and yogurt with access to outdoor range, so call it outdoor-raised rather than pastured. Order online for farm pickup, or find them at the Portsmouth Saturday and Exeter Thursday markets and through Three River Farmers Alliance delivery.
kelliebrookfarm.com →
Closest to Portsmouth
Hackmatack Farm
Grass-Fed Bison & Mangalitsa Pork — Berwick, ME (~25 min)
538 School St (Route 9). 100% grass-fed bison and pastured Mangalitsa pork by the whole or half (deposits from $250). The farm store, Sundays 11–3 and by appointment, also resells Vernon chicken and Coppal House lamb, which makes it a one-stop Sunday run.
hackmatackfarm.com →
Bison
Also on the Map
Alternates and Aggregators
Brookford Farm (Canterbury): 100% grass-fed beef and lamb, pastured pork and chicken; mixed meat CSA boxes $160/10 lb, $310/20 lb, $460/30 lb with Seacoast delivery ($9 fee, waived over $150) and Exeter pickup. Gravel Pit Farm (Nottingham): Simmental beef (ground $12/lb) and Berkshire pork; farm store open daily 7am–7pm, the best hours of any farm store on this list. Brasen Hill Farm (Barrington): grass-fed beef, lamb and goat; pastured chicken, turkey, rabbit and pork; online via GrazeCart. Wolf Pine Farm (Alfred, ME): MOFGA-certified organic quarterly meat boxes at $225/25 lb, $300/35 lb, $575/75 lb, with a Kittery pickup at Tributary Brewing, the only organic meat share with a drop in the radius. New Roots Farm (Newmarket): certified organic heritage pork at the Portsmouth and Exeter markets; the farm has no working website, so buy at the stall. Riverslea Farm (Epping): lamb and goat favoured by Portsmouth chefs; the website is dead, so phone (603) 679-2629 first.
Seafood — Fin Fish
Yankee Fishermen's Cooperative
Fishermen-Owned Retail Market — Seabrook, NH (~25 min)
Founded 1990. Dozens of member day boats (lobster, groundfish, tuna) land at the co-op's own dock at 725 Ocean Blvd, Seabrook Harbor, where the co-op provides fuel, ice and handling and runs the retail counter. Open year-round: Mon–Sat 10–6, Sun 10–5:45, with summer hours posted in late April. Lobster, haddock, steamers, tuna and the seasonal catch. With no operating community-supported fishery on the Seacoast in 2026 (see below), this is the shortest verified supply chain from boat to counter.
THE SHORTEST POSSIBLE SEAFOOD SUPPLY CHAIN — BOAT TO COUNTER TO YOUR KITCHEN // OPEN SEVEN DAYS
yankee-coop.com →
Critical Asset
Sanders Fish Market & Sanders Lobster Co.
Year-Round Fish Market + Lobster Pound — Portsmouth, NH
The only year-round fish market inside Portsmouth: 367 Marcy St, established 1987, open seven days (Mon–Sat 9–6, Sun 9–5). The family's lobster pound at 54 Pray St, established 1952, holds live lobster in seawater tanks, Tue–Sat 9–5. An earlier edition of this guide said Sanders had been replaced; that was wrong. It never closed.
In Town, Year-Round
The Daily Haul
Boat-Owned, Pre-Order Pickups — Portsmouth, NH
A family operation around the F/V Heidi & Elisabeth, headquartered at the rebuilt Commercial Fish Pier on Peirce Island (1 Peirce Island Rd). There is no walk-up shop at the pier; you pre-order online and collect at partner farms and stores: Emery Farm, Durham (Thu 3–6), Heron Pond Farm, South Hampton (Fri 10–2), Kittery (Fri 3–6, pre-order only), Newfields Country Store (Sat), plus Barrington, Dover, Derry, Londonderry, Hollis and Dracut, MA. Fish is sourced from Maine, NH and Massachusetts boats; note that the Atlantic salmon on the list is farmed, not Gulf of Maine catch.
Pickup Locations →
Boat-Owned
NH Community Seafood
Community Supported Fishery — Portsmouth, NH — Status Unverified
The CSA model applied to the ocean: a harvest co-op formed in 2010 by boats out of Seabrook, Hampton, Rye Harbor and Portsmouth Harbor, paying fishermen a $0.50/lb premium and delivering weekly shares to pickup sites around the state. It paused in 2022 and relaunched in 2023. As of September 2026 its website redirects to an unrelated domain, the ordering portal is offline, and its last public post is from 2023. If it returns, it belongs at the top of this section. Call 603-263-4741 before counting on a share.
Verify First
Seaport Fish
Wholesale & Retail Seafood — Rye, NH (13 Sagamore Rd)
Operating since 1978. Receives daily from the local docks and the Boston Fish Pier, seven days a week. Higher volume, good for bulk or a crowd. Also carries produce and prepared items (chowders, crab cakes, smoked salmon). Mon–Sat 9–6, Sun 9–4. Also stocks SeaBee Honey from Rye.
seaportfish.com →
Backup Source
Lobster Off the Boat
Dockside Lobster Pounds
Boat-Direct Lobster — Hampton / Rye / Seabrook / Kittery / York
Smitty's State Pier Lobster Pound (1 Ocean Blvd, Hampton): the owner runs two boats out of Hampton Harbor and restocks the tank from them; Sat–Sun 9–5, 603-926-1488, no website. Rye Harbor Lobster Pound (1870 Ocean Blvd, Rye): family-run, seasonal, Fri–Sun 10–6, the closest dockside lobster to Portsmouth. Capt. Don's Lobster Pound at Eastman's Docks (Seabrook): lobster, steamers and Jonah crab straight from the boat, 603-760-2285. Taylor Lobster Company (Kittery): four generations of wholesale plus a retail market Tue–Sun 9–5 with lobster meat, oysters and fin fish; ten minutes from Portsmouth. Off the Boat Lobsters (Sewall's Bridge, York): the family's own catch, Wed–Mon 10–7 in season, cash.
The NH Sea Grant NH Seafood Finder map is the authoritative list of who sells off the boat and when; use it before a first trip.
Dock Direct
Oysters
Great Bay & Hampton Harbor Oyster Farms
Local Shellfish — Little Bay / Great Bay / Hampton-Seabrook Estuary, NH
New Hampshire's fastest-growing seafood sector: 12 farms actively harvesting market-size oysters (NH Sea Grant, 2025), eleven in Little Bay and one in the Hampton-Seabrook estuary. Cold, nutrient-rich tidal water with some of the strongest currents on the East Coast produces a briny, sweet oyster. Several farms sell direct.
Direct sales: Fox Point Oysters (Durham): owner-operated; buy from the oyster fridge at Emery Farm's café and market (Durham) or Garrison City Provisions (Dover), June through December; tours and shucking events. Virgin Oyster Company (Dover): harvested to order. NH Great Bay Oysters / Superior (Dover): 50- and 100-count online with overnight shipping, plus raw-bar farm tours. Hidden Coast Shellfish / Gundalow Oysters (Little Bay): direct orders and tours. Swell Oyster Co. (1 Ocean Blvd K, Hampton Harbor): the estuary's one Hampton farm and NH's only grower-owned raw-bar shack, selling its own and Little Bay oysters online. Bayside Oysters delivers weekly but with a 100-oyster minimum, which is a restaurant order.
Strategic note: Oysters are a zero-input protein: no feed, no freshwater, no farmland, and each one filters up to 50 gallons of water a day. The most self-sustaining food asset in this document.
Shellfish Command
Smoked & Preserved Fish
Gap Report — Nearest Option Is Scarborough, ME (~50 min)
No smokehouse operates within the radius. Dunstan Smokehouse (Scarborough) hot-smokes Gulf of Maine pollock, Bangs Island mussels and lox and ships online; Rosemont Market in Portland stocks it. Seaport Fish carries smoked salmon of unstated origin. If you want smoked fish from local boats, this is a skill to acquire, not a product to buy.
Dunstan Smokehouse →
Gap
III
Dairy & Egg Intelligence Corps
CODENAME: BUTTERFAT LIGHTNINGLast verified: September 2026
Raw milk is legal at the farm and at retail in New Hampshire; it cannot cross into Maine. The question is not whether you can get it but how far you drive and whether you want one farm for everything or the closest walk-in.
Milk
Brookford Farm
Raw A2A2 Dairy, Eggs & Everything Else — Canterbury, NH (~1 hr; Exeter pickup and delivery)
A 600-acre farm with a 100% grass-fed Jersey and Guernsey herd producing raw A2/A2 milk, chosen for butterfat: superior yogurt, labneh, anything you culture. NH Magazine named it Best Milk (2010) and Best Microdairy (2014). On-site creamery makes raw aged gouda, cheddar and Bergkäse ($24–26/lb), raw cultured butter ($19/half pint, the only local cultured butter found), whole-milk A2 yogurt ($10.50/qt) and Greek yogurt ($16/qt). Raw milk $13.50/half gallon in glass (includes a $2.50 deposit) or $11 in plastic, $9.50/quart; raw cream $19.50/pint when available.
Eggs: pasture-raised on the farm with non-GMO grain, $10/dozen; duck eggs $6/half dozen.
Also carries: Kraut Kitchen ferments, bone broth, 100% grass-fed beef and lamb, pastured pork and chicken, bakery, certified organic vegetables.
Logistics: Pay-per-order, pause or cancel any time. Home delivery across NH and eastern MA with a $75 minimum and a $9 fee, waived over $150; order deadlines Sun/Tue/Thu by zone; Portsmouth coverage is behind account signup, so create one to see your zip. Self-serve Seacoast pickup at 9 Newfields Rd, Exeter, Tuesdays 4–6pm, $5 flat fee. Farmers markets in Salem, Canterbury and Concord (winter). Farm store hours differ between their pages (daily 9–6 versus Tue–Sun 10–7); call 603-742-4084.
THE BROADEST SINGLE ORDER IN THE STATE: RAW MILK, CULTURED BUTTER, CHEESE, EGGS, MEAT AND VEGETABLES FROM ONE FARM
Critical Asset
Vernon Family Farm (Huckins Farm Dairy)
Raw A2A2 Milk, Walk-In — Newfields, NH (~20 min)
The closest raw A2A2 milk to Portsmouth that you can walk in and buy. Vernon's farm store stocks Huckins Farm (New Hampton), a Grade A certified micro-dairy with a Guernsey and Jersey herd: raw milk, raw cream, raw yogurt, kefir and fresh and aged cheeses. Store Wed–Sun 9–6; a monthly dairy CSA starts at $37/month with Tuesday delivery. Huckins is also at On the Vine (Exeter) and Brookvale Mercantile (Brentwood). On milk alone this is Brookford's equal at a third of the distance; Brookford wins on breadth.
Dairy CSA →
Closest Raw A2A2
Brandmoore Farm
Certified Organic Raw Milk & Yogurt — Rollinsford, NH (~20 min)
The only certified-organic raw milk in the radius (Real Organic Project, renewed 2025): a six-cow Jersey herd on 200 grazing acres. Raw milk, plain and Greek yogurt, labneh and cheese from the on-farm cheesery, plus eggs, beef and organic vegetables. Farm store open daily 7am–7pm; at the Portsmouth Farmers Market every Saturday, May through October, the only raw-milk farm on that roster. Also stocks Baer's Best beans.
brandmoorefarm.com →
Certified Organic
Harris Farm / The Maine Milkman
Glass-Bottle Milk Home Delivery — Dayton, ME (delivers to Portsmouth Wednesdays)
Maine's Dairy Farm of the Year 2021, a 35-cow herd bottling pasteurized milk in returnable glass. The Maine Milkman route delivers to Portsmouth, Kittery, Eliot and South Berwick on Wednesdays, the one verified milk-to-your-door programme serving Portsmouth. Also butter and eggs; farm store 11–5.
Delivery Area →
Home Delivery
More Raw Milk, By Town
Kensington / Kittery / York / Raymond
Crows' Feat Farm (Kensington): raw A2 cow milk; farm store Fri 4–7 and Sat 9–3 in season, Exeter Thursday market. Misty Brook Farm (Albion, ME) raw cow, A2 and sheep milk at Maine Meat and Rising Tide in Kittery and Stoney Brook Farm Store in York. Patterson Farm (Raymond): raw Jersey milk with drop points in Hampton, Brentwood and Epping. Portsmouth retail carrying raw milk of unstated origin: Philbrick's, McKinnon's, Portsmouth Health Food, The Herbal Path. Benedikt Dairy (Goffstown, about an hour west, Mon–Sat 9–6, Sun 9–4) runs a 20-week raw dairy CSA in quart bottles with farm pickup only; included for completeness, it is farther than Brookford.
Raw Milk Finder →
Eggs
Coppal House Farm
Heritage-Breed Free-Range Eggs — Lee, NH (~25 min)
The strongest farm-direct egg source: heritage-breed hens, $7/dozen for large and extra-large, a 13-week egg CSA at $84, farm stand daily 10–5 and every Saturday at the Portsmouth market. Nobody in the radius publishes a third-party welfare certification, so "free-range" and "pasture-raised" are the farms' own words. Alternates: Hurd Farm (Hampton), pasture-raised, at the farm store and markets; Kellie Brook Farm (Greenland), the closest to Portsmouth, June–October at the stand and at Barker's, Heron Pond and Eastman's Corner; Brookford by delivery at $10/dozen.
Coppal House →
Primary: Eggs
Cheese & Butter
Seacoast Cheesemakers
Farmstead Goat, Artisan Cow & Sheep, Market-Day Organic — Lee / South Hampton / Wilton
Hickory Nut Farm (Lee): farmstead goat cheese from their own herd, cave-aged raw-milk wheels aged 60+ days, Rigoata, goat yogurt; a self-serve stall store that is always open, plus the Portsmouth (summer) and Exeter markets. Bell & Goose Cheese Co. (South Hampton): thirteen cow and sheep cheeses, from the Flora Hayward alpine to Bulgarian feta; artisan rather than farmstead, with milk from Breezy Hill Creamery (Greenland) and a Mont Vernon sheep dairy; at the Heron Pond farm stand, the Portsmouth and Exeter markets and Three River. Abbot Hill Creamery (Wilton): farmstead cheese from a 15-cow organic, biodynamic herd, at the Portsmouth market on alternate Saturdays August through October. Brookford and Brandmoore make farmstead cow cheese from their own raw milk. Bell & Goose and Hickory Nut websites returned errors during our checks; find them at the market.
Butter: Brookford's raw cultured butter is the local cultured option. Kate's Butter (Arundel, ME, family-owned since 1981) is a sweet-cream butter churned from New England cream, sold at every grocery in the region, and the right upgrade from commodity butter for compound butters; it is not cultured, whatever earlier editions said.
Cheese Command
IV
Bean & Grain Strategic Reserve
CODENAME: LEGUME FORTRESSLast verified: September 2026
In the event of prolonged supply chain disruption, the citizen with 20 lbs of heirloom beans, a Dutch oven, and a working knowledge of dashi is not a prepper — they are a strategist.
Baer's Best Beans
Primary Legume Arsenal — South Berwick, ME (20 min from Portsmouth)
Four decades of heirloom beans at 39 Pond Rd. About 30 varieties in the store; the "Our Own" heirlooms are grown on the farm and several are grown nowhere else commercially, while roughly a third of the shelf is sourced from Idaho, New York or Nova Scotia, so read the label. Fresh fall harvest means no pre-soaking, one-to-two-hour cook times, actual flavor. Own-grown $7–8/lb, sourced $5–6, Bumblebee $9. A 100-year-old hand grading machine does the final check. Self-described as "the Rancho Gordo of the East."
Where to start:
• Cannellini — Tuscan white bean soup, ribollita, beans on toast with olive oil and sage.
• Flageolet — Small green French bean. Insanely creamy. Elegant in broth.
• Black Coco — Heirloom black bean, smoky, cooks up huge. Refried beans, frijoles de olla.
• Marfax — Rare golden NE heirloom. Nutty. Great in soups. You won't find this anywhere else.
• Jacob's Cattle — Pre-colonial Passamaquoddy heritage bean. The heirloom of your region.
• Bumblebee — Unusually large, rich, creamy. Beautiful to look at.
Ordering: online minimum five 1-lb bags, maximum 25; code "20 pounds" takes 10% off orders of 20 lb or more; shipping $20 (5–6 lb), $24 (7–12 lb), $30 (13–25 lb); farm pickup by appointment, 207-704-0269. In September 2026 the own-grown Cannellini, Jacob's Cattle and Bumblebee lots were sold out with Idaho-grown Cannellini and Jacob's Cattle available.
Also carries: French green, black, red, and yellow split lentils ($5–7/lb, sourced not grown — lentils don't thrive in NE).
Shelf life: Best within 12 months of fall harvest. Store cool, dry, dark. Each 1 lb bag = ~3–4 generous meals cooked. Freeze leftover cooked beans in their broth — the broth is liquid gold for soups, braising greens, or deglazing a pan.
ANNUAL FALL HARVEST — STOCK UP EARLY, POPULAR VARIETIES SELL OUT // ALSO STOCKED AT CALEF'S (BARRINGTON), BRANDMOORE (ROLLINSFORD), STOUT OAK (BRENTWOOD), BROOKFORD, GOLDEN HARVEST (KITTERY)
Shop Beans Online →
Critical Asset
Maine Grains
Primary Flour & Grain Mill — Skowhegan, ME (Ships Nationwide)
Stone mill housed in the 1897 Somerset County jailhouse, bought for $65,000. Austrian-built mills, ten million pounds of grain in its first decade, Northeast-grown, USDA and MOFGA certified organic. Featured in the New York Times. The only local-grain user we could confirm in Portsmouth is Flatbread Company, which blends Maine Grains whole-grain flour into its dough.
The essential four (2 lb bags, September 2026):
• Organic Sifted All-Purpose (from $10.50; also 4 lb) — Daily workhorse. Pasta, bread, flatbread, roux.
• Organic Buckwheat Flour ($13.50) — Galettes (savory Breton crepes), blinis, pancakes. Stone-milled buckwheat is a completely different ingredient than the grocery store stuff.
• Organic Whole Spelt ($9.95) — Fresh pasta, flatbread. Nuttier and sweeter than standard wheat. An Ottolenghi pantry staple.
• Organic Rye ($8.95) — Sourdough starter feed. Dark bread. Crackers with caraway and flaky salt.
Level-up options: Heritage Red Fife (complex heritage wheat, $12.50), Einkorn (oldest cultivated wheat, buttery, $16.95), Corn Flour ($12.50 — finer than cornmeal, for crepes and arepas). A $3 sourdough starter gets you going. Bulk: 25 lb bags of All-Purpose $62, Rye $60, Whole Spelt $83, Corn Flour $122.
STARTER ORDER ~$43 FOR THE ESSENTIAL FOUR // STORE IN FRIDGE OR FREEZER TO EXTEND SHELF LIFE
mainegrains.com →
Order Online
Tuckaway Mill + Granite Grains Farm
NH-Grown, NH-Milled Corn & Grain — Lee / Amherst, NH
Two operations, one supply chain. Tuckaway (Lee) mills on a 26-inch New American Stone Mill: its own grain plus corn from Granite Grains Farm, Tyler Murray's MOFGA-certified grain farm in Amherst (farming since 2020) growing Wapsie Valley dent corn, oats, Redeemer wheat and dry beans. Floriani red flint corn has been trialled in the NH grain collaborative but is not a product you can count on buying. Roasted Wapsie Valley cornmeal from Tuckaway is the product where this beats Maine Grains: hyper-local corn, milled fifteen miles from Portsmouth.
How to buy: Tuckaway farm store, public Fridays 10–6 (members daily 8–7). Granite Grains sells oats, wheat, corn and beans through Three River Farmers Alliance and Forsyth Family Farm's online store. Maine Grains organic corn flour ($12.50) is the shippable fallback.
The split: Tuckaway and Granite Grains for cornmeal, polenta and oats. Maine Grains for flour. They're not competitors — the farmers present together at grain-economy conferences.
(See Section I for Tuckaway's full community hub profile.)
THE SUPPLY CHAIN FOR THIS POLENTA IS 15 MILES LONG // PUBLIC STORE HOURS ARE FRIDAYS
Local Grain
V
Pantry Intelligence & Specialty Provisions
CODENAME: UMAMI SHADOWLast verified: September 2026
These are the force multipliers. A good bean is a good bean. A good bean with local miso, Maine sea salt, and house-fermented labneh is a civilizational achievement.
Maine Coast Sea Vegetables
Wild-Harvested Seaweed — Hancock, ME (Ships)
Operating since 1971, founded in Franklin and now thirteen miles away in Hancock. 100% employee-owned. Certified organic facility and harvest grounds. Primarily wild-harvested from the North Atlantic. This is the bridge between Japanese cooking techniques and truly local ingredients. Free shipping over $65.
• Kelp (North Atlantic Kombu) — Make dashi. The foundation of Japanese cuisine, from Maine.
• Dulse — Finishing, snacking, grilled cheese. Seriously.
• Alaria (North Atlantic Wakame) — Salads, soups.
• Laver (North Atlantic Nori) — Wraps, crumbled as garnish.
JAPANESE-ADJACENT COOKING FROM LOCAL WATERS — A CUISINE THAT DOESN'T FULLY EXIST YET BUT SHOULD
Shop Seaweed Online →
Strategic Umami
Go-en Fermented Foods
Miso — Whitefield, ME (Ships)
The only commercial miso maker in Maine, founded 2015. Signature rice miso, 12 oz for $12: organic rice koji, organic soybeans, sea salt, water. Living and unpasteurized. Glazes, dressings, soups, marinades, compound butters. No NH stockists; order online, and expect it to sell out some winters. If miso is a regular part of your cooking, a local living source is a meaningful upgrade over the cold case at Whole Foods.
goenfermentedfoods.com →
Priority Acquisition
Micro Mama's
Certified Organic Raw Ferments — Weare, NH
New Hampshire's stand-alone vegetable fermentary: certified-organic raw krauts, kimchi and fermented condiments, never fermented in plastic. Stocked at Whole Foods Portsmouth and the Heron Pond farm stand, and sold online. Brookford's Kraut Kitchen is the farm-made alternative by delivery.
micromamas.com →
Ferment
Ocean's Balance
Seaweed Seasonings — Biddeford, ME
Spicy Furikake ($7.70/1.7 oz) from regeneratively farmed Maine kelp grown with Maine lobstermen. Goes on rice, fish, avocado toast, eggs, broth, popcorn. Maine's 2026 Exporter of the Year. The Mariner's Arrabbiata sauce listed in earlier editions is no longer on their site.
oceansbalance.com →
Condiment
Atlantic Sea Farms
Fermented Kelp — Biddeford, ME
The first commercial kelp farm in the country (2009), now working with 24+ partner fishermen. Sea-Chi (15 oz) is a fermented kelp, napa cabbage and daikon product, a local kimchi/kraut hybrid. Kimchi fried rice, sandwiches, dumplings. Sold at Rosemont Market, Good Eggs and Amazon. Their website threw certificate warnings during our checks; if it does for you, buy through Rosemont.
Atlantic Sea Farms at Rosemont →
Ferment
Finishing Salt
Slack Tide
Maine flake sea salt, made in York. From $12. slacktidemaine.com
Apple Cider Vinegar
Quincannon
Eden Acres Farm, East Waterboro ME. MOFGA organic, raw, with the mother. For dressings & quick pickles.
Cooking Oil
Black Bear
Cold-pressed sunflower oil. Yost Farms, Blaine (Aroostook County) ME. Easiest to buy through Maine Grains. Coppal House presses its own in Lee.
Maple Syrup
Miles of Maple / Happy Sapling
Both in Stratham, 15 minutes out. Miles of Maple: organic, 2,400 taps, stand 9am–dusk at 9A Winnicutt Rd, 375 mL $18. Happy Sapling: barrel-aged syrups, stand year-round, cash. Folsom's (Chester) for maple cream.
Honey
SeaBee / Nina's
SeaBee Honey (Rye) keeps hives in Seacoast orchards; at Applecrest, Seaport Fish, Salt Box Farm, Alchemy & Herbs. Nina's (Northern Honey Bees, Dover) at Tuckaway. Pickpocket Honey closed in 2026.
Butter
Kate's / Brookford
Kate's sweet-cream (Arundel ME) at any grocery. Brookford raw cultured butter by delivery for the real thing.
Bronze-Cut Pasta
Amolitta
Scarborough, ME. Four-packs $39, about $10 a bag. For when you don't feel like making your own.
Tortillas
Vida Tortilla
Nixtamalized heirloom corn. Storefront at 45 Market St, Somersworth; stocked at Tuckaway, Emery Farm, Heron Pond, Golden Harvest (Kittery).
VI
Seasonal Preserving Operations
CODENAME: WINTER STOCKPILELast verified: September 2026
PYO (Pick Your Own) farms provide bulk fruit at a fraction of farm stand prices. One Saturday of canning in August secures your tomato supply through winter. This is not hoarding. This is time-shifting the harvest.
↓ Jump to current monthJUNE
Strawberries — Applecrest Farm, Hampton Falls. Four rolling acres of PYO berries on a 4th-generation farm. Pick a flat for jam and freezer stock. Note for 2026: Applecrest sells pick-your-own by prepaid container, not by the pound.
JULY – AUGUST
Blueberries — Blueberry Bay Farm, Stratham (12 chemical-free acres, cash or check). Emery Farm in Durham (in the same family since 1660 — yes, really), PYO July–August. Applecrest lets you pick blueberries free in 2026 if you bring your own container. Heron Pond posts PYO days at the farm stand. Freeze on sheet pans, bag. Zero prep required. 10–15 lbs in one session = freezer fruit all winter for under $50.
LATE JULY – SEPTEMBER
Peaches — Butternut Farm, Farmington, sold by the pound ($3.49/lb, $2.99 over 15 lb), the best bulk value found. DeMeritt Hill Farm, Lee (PYO peaches, nectarines, apples and pumpkins, Tue–Sun 9–5). McKenzie's Farm, Milton, by the pound. A bushel for preserving, chutney, or the peach + labneh + pistachios situation.
AUGUST
Tomatoes (THE BIG ONE) — Go heavy from your CSA share or farmers market. Passata, whole peeled, confit, slow-roasted. One weekend of canning = winter secured. Heron Pond's mid-August Tomato Festival (August 16 in 2026) for reconnaissance and heirloom variety scouting; McKenzie's Farm in Milton offers pick-your-own tomatoes late August through October.
LATE AUGUST
Heirloom Garlic — Saturday farmers market. Hardneck varieties: Music, German Extra Hardy, Purple Stripe. Buy several pounds. Braid, hang in kitchen. Stores for months. Wildly more flavorful than supermarket softneck.
LATE AUGUST – SEPTEMBER
Sweet Corn — Your CSA will bury you in corn. Blanch ears for 3 minutes, cut kernels off, bag flat, freeze. Ten minutes of work = local corn through February for chowders, risotto, and succotash. This is the lowest-effort highest-reward preservation move you can make.
LATE AUGUST – SEPTEMBER
Fermentation Window — When the CSA is dumping more cabbage, cucumbers, and peppers on you than any human can eat fresh, the answer is fermentation. Sauerkraut, dilly beans, half-sour pickles, kimchi, hot sauce. One afternoon of kraut yields months of supply. Fermentation is the cheapest, oldest, most shelf-stable preservation method you have — and it ties directly into the miso-seaweed-dashi thread in Section V.
SEPTEMBER
Herbs — Basil pesto frozen in ice cube trays. Dried oregano and thyme bundles hung in the kitchen. Sage butter frozen in logs. These are the zero-cost, zero-skill moves that turn a $450–$720 CSA share into a year-round pantry investment instead of a 20-week vegetable subscription.
SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER
Apples — Applecrest (40+ varieties; 2026 prepaid containers at $35/peck, $45/half bushel), DeMeritt Hill, Butternut Farm ($2.19/lb) or McKenzie's (25 varieties, by the pound) for bulk. Apple Annie in Brentwood is the small, low-spray orchard with confirmed unpasteurized cider, opening September 12, 2026. Applesauce, apple butter, or just bulk storage. Good apples keep for months in a cool space.
SEPTEMBER – NOVEMBER
Winter Squash — Butternut, delicata, kabocha, honeynut from your CSA or Saturday market. The original strategic food reserve: no canning, no freezing, no processing. Cure in a warm spot for a week, then store cool and dark. Keeps through February with zero effort. A single CSA share dumps more squash on you than you know what to do with, and that's the point.
OCTOBER – NOVEMBER
Bean Harvest — Baer's Best annual fall harvest hits shelves. Stock up on 5+ varieties before popular ones sell out. This is your annual legume rearmament window.
Pro tip: Weck jars (742 for portions, 743 for quarts) for freezing cooked beans and broth. Leave headspace. Don't clamp lid until frozen. The person with the Weck jar collection and the chest freezer inherits the earth.
VII
Field Reconnaissance — Foraging Intel
CODENAME: WILDCRAFTLast verified: September 2026
Advanced operations. The Seacoast corridor and southern Maine forest cover provide wild food assets that fill the exact gap in the calendar when nothing else is happening — the dead zone between the winter CSA ending in March and the summer CSA starting in June. This section is a pointer, not a field guide. Do not forage mushrooms without formal training.
↓ Jump to current monthAPRIL – MAY
Ramps (wild leeks) — Wooded areas, stream banks. A two-to-three week window. The most coveted wild spring vegetable in the Northeast. Compound butter, pesto, pickled, or fermented. Harvest sustainably: take one leaf per plant, never pull the bulb unless the patch is enormous. Overharvesting is a real problem.
MAY
Fiddleheads (ostrich fern) — River and stream edges. A brief two-week window in early spring. The most beginner-friendly forage in New England: nearly impossible to misidentify once you learn the ostrich fern's distinctive brown papery sheath. Must be cooked thoroughly — sauté, steam, or blanch. Classic New England spring tradition. Check riverbanks in Lee, Durham, and the Lamprey River corridor.
JUNE
Elderflower — Roadsides, field edges, wet areas. Forage the flowers for cordials, syrups, and St-Germain-adjacent liqueurs. Return in September for elderberries — syrups, shrubs, and the immune-support rabbit hole.
JULY – AUGUST
Wild Blueberries — Smaller, more intense than cultivated PYO berries. Common in open fields and burned-over areas throughout Maine. If you're already picking at Heron Pond, this is an adjacent skill with a higher flavor ceiling.
AUGUST – SEPTEMBER
Beach Plums — Coastal dunes, sandy areas along the NH and southern Maine shore. Small, tart, purple fruit. Primarily used for jelly, shrubs, and preserves. A genuinely hyperlocal ingredient that grows where the ocean meets the land.
SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER
Wild Mushrooms — Chanterelles, black trumpets, hen of the woods (maitake) at the base of oak trees. This is the one category where training is non-negotiable. Dunk's Mushrooms in Brentwood teaches mushroom identification classes during winter months — take one before your first season. Start with hen of the woods, which is large, distinctive, and grows in the same spot year after year. Once you find a maitake tree, you have a maitake tree for life.
The person who can identify six wild plants and three wild mushrooms with confidence has a food supply that doesn't require a farm, a market, or a supply chain. That's the endgame.
VIII
External Dependency Assessment
CODENAME: HONEST AUDITLast verified: September 2026
Total food sovereignty is a fantasy. The following critical items cannot be sourced within the Seacoast theater and represent ongoing supply chain vulnerabilities:
Olive Oil
Mediterranean
No local substitute at quality. Black Bear sunflower oil for cooking backup.
Stock: 3L tin. Rotate every 2–3 months.
Citrus
Southern US / Import
Lemons, limes. No local equivalent. Quincannon ACV covers some acid applications.
Soy Sauce
Japan / Asia
Essential. Shelf-stable.
Stock: 2 bottles (1L each). Rotate every 3–4 months.
Sesame Oil
Import
No local source. Shelf-stable.
Stock: 1 bottle (350ml). Rotate every 3 months.
Rice
Partial Local
Heritage Grain CSA in VT grows New England rice. Otherwise imported.
Rice Vinegar
Import
Can pivot to Quincannon ACV for some applications.
Stock: 1 bottle (500ml). Rotate every 4–6 months.
Coffee
Tropical Import
Probably your most consumed import. Beans are global but roasting is local: Flight Coffee (Dover café; roasted in Bedford), Breaking New Grounds (roasts on site in Durham; its Market Square café in Portsmouth has closed). Buy whole bean from local roasters — freshly roasted stores longer than pre-ground.
Stock: 2–3 bags ahead. Rotate monthly.
Mirin
Japan
Essential for Japanese-adjacent cooking. Hon-mirin (real mirin) over aji-mirin (corn syrup).
Stock: 1 bottle. Rotate every 3 months.
Fish Sauce
Southeast Asia
Umami backbone for dressings, braises, and anything that needs depth. Red Boat or Squid brand.
Stock: 1 bottle (750ml). Rotate every 6 months.
Spices
Global
Black pepper, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric — the entire spice rack is imported with no local substitute. Buy whole, grind as needed.
Full refresh annually. Spot-check every 3 months — whole spices last, ground spices don't.
Contingency thesis: Dashi from Maine kelp + Go-en miso + Quincannon ACV + Slack Tide salt = you've rebuilt Japanese-adjacent cuisine from Seacoast ingredients. The Strait of Hormuz can close. The Gulf of Maine cannot.
IX
Weekly Operations Tempo
CODENAME: MISE EN PLACEA sample rhythm for someone based in Portsmouth. Adjust locations and days to your situation. The goal is making local sourcing feel like a routine, not a project.
SATURDAY 0800–1200
Portsmouth Farmers Market. Discovery, gap-filling, seasonal recon. Walk, browse, buy garlic.
WEDNESDAY 1500–1830
CSA Pickup (if subscribed). Heron Pond Wed 2–6:30 on Lafayette Rd; Meadow's Mirth Wed 2–6 on Marcy St; Wild Fern Wed 3–7 at Liar's Bench; Orange Circle Tue 4–8 at Loaded Question. Plan the week's meals around the share list emailed in advance.
WEEKLY (FLEXIBLE)
Milk & eggs. Brookford by delivery or Exeter pickup (Tue 4–6), or walk into Vernon Family Farm (Huckins raw milk) or Brandmoore. A la carte — order what you need, skip when you travel.
AS NEEDED
Maine Meat, Kittery. Sausage, charcuterie, specialty cuts. Vernon Family Farm, Newfields for chicken; Hurd Farm, Hampton for beef; Coppal House, Lee for lamb and eggs.
AS NEEDED
Seafood. Yankee Co-op in Seabrook (seven days), Sanders in town, or a Daily Haul pre-order at Emery Farm on Thursdays.
MONTHLY
Tuckaway Farm Store (Lee, 15 min). Cornmeal, oats, and the broader local product ecosystem.
QUARTERLY
Baer's Best Beans (online or South Berwick). Legume reserves. Maine Grains (online). Flour restock. Specialty pantry: Go-en miso, Maine Coast seaweed, Slack Tide salt.
X
Budget Reality Check
CODENAME: ACCEPTABLE LOSSESThe common objection to eating locally is "it's expensive." Here's the math broken down by household size:
CSA Vegetables (20 weeks): $450–$720 depending on farm and share size (Heron Pond $450–$690, Wild Fern $500–$720), plus $20–$50 for an off-farm pickup. That's $22–$36/week for all your seasonal vegetables. Pay-weekly options (Meadow's Mirth $29–$39, Brookford $22–$42) avoid the up-front outlay. One share comfortably feeds 1–2 people; a couple cooking heavily or a family of 3–4 should consider a full share plus market supplements.
Dairy & Eggs: ~$15–20/week (1 person), $20–35/week (couple/family). Milk, eggs, yogurt. Scales modestly with household size.
Meat: Scales significantly. A whole chicken ($20–30) feeds 1–2 people with leftovers, or a family for one night. Budget $20–30/week (1 person), $35–55/week (couple), $60–90/week (family of 4) depending on protein frequency.
Pantry staples: Beans, flour, grains, miso, seaweed, salt, vinegar — maybe $50–75/quarter. Shelf-stable and don't scale much with household size.
PYO fruit & market extras: Seasonal. A few hundred dollars across the summer, regardless of household size.
Realistic Weekly Range — Near-Total Local Sourcing
Single Person
$65–$90
/week
Couple
$100–$140
/week
Family of 4
$180–$250
/week
The average American household spends $100–$150/week on groceries and eats industrially processed food of questionable provenance shipped from unknowable distances. You'd spend roughly the same and eat like a Seacoast warlord with Ottolenghi training.
Not included in any column: olive oil, citrus, Asian pantry staples, and the Saturday market impulse purchases you will absolutely make.
XI
Quick Reference — All Assets
CODENAME: SPEED DIALBrasen Hill FarmVegetablesMonthly membership, Friday home delivery to 11 towns (not Portsmouth) — Barrington, NHHome DeliveryYear-round · Farm pickup Wed–Sat
Brookford FarmVegetablesWhole-diet CSA, certified organic veg, dairy, eggs, meat — Canterbury, NH; Exeter pickup TueWeekly PayYear-round
Heron Pond FarmVegetablesMarket-style CSA, summer + winter shares, Portsmouth Wed & Dover Tue pickups — South Hampton, NHMarket-StyleSummer Jun–Oct · Winter Nov–Mar
Meadow's Mirth FarmVegetablesPay-weekly veggie box, skip anytime, Portsmouth Marcy St pickup Wed — Brentwood, NHWeekly PaySeasonal · Wednesdays
Orange Circle FarmVegetablesCertified organic CSA, Portsmouth/Dover/Kittery/Durham pickups — Berwick, MECertified Organic19 weeks · 2026 sold out
Stout Oak FarmVegetablesCertified organic spring/summer/fall shares, store credit memberships — Brentwood, NHCertified OrganicApr–Nov · Store Tue–Sat
Wild Fern FarmVegetablesCertified organic CSA, Portsmouth pickup at Liar's Bench Wed — Kingston, NHCertified OrganicJun–Oct · 20 weeks
Three River Farmers AllianceVegetablesOnline market from 50+ local farms, home delivery, $25 minimum — Seacoast NHHome DeliveryYear-round
Portsmouth Farmers MarketVegetablesSaturdays 8am–noon, 1 Junkins Ave — May 2 through October 31, 2026Weekly ReconSeasonal · May–Oct
Applecrest Farm OrchardsVegetablesPYO fruit (prepaid containers in 2026), farm market daily 8–6, MarketShare credit — Hampton Falls, NHSeasonal · Jun–Oct
Emery FarmVegetablesPYO blueberries, market & café, Locavore credit membership — Durham, NHSeasonal · May–Dec
Barker's FarmVegetablesFarm stand, sweet corn, tomatoes, strawberries, no CSA — Stratham, NHSeasonal · Mon–Sat 9–6
DeMeritt Hill FarmVegetablesPYO peaches, nectarines, apples, pumpkins — Lee, NHSeasonal · Tue–Sun 9–5
Butternut FarmVegetablesPYO by the pound: peaches, apples, strawberries; hard cider — Farmington, NHSeasonal · Tue–Sun 9–5
McKenzie's FarmVegetablesPYO by the pound: berries, peaches, tomatoes, 25 apple varieties — Milton, NHSeasonal · Jul–Oct
Blueberry Bay FarmVegetables12-acre chemical-free PYO blueberries, cash/check — Stratham, NHSeasonal · Jul–Aug
Apple AnnieVegetablesLow-spray orchard, unpasteurized cider — Brentwood, NHSeasonal · Opens Sep 12, 2026
Dunk's MushroomsVegetables8–12 mushroom species, retail store Mon–Fri 10–3 & Sat 9–12, delivery — Brentwood, NHYear-round
Mousam Valley MushroomsVegetablesCertified organic oysters & shiitake, Heron Pond CSA add-on — Springvale, MEYear-round
Oyster Creek Mushroom FarmVegetablesOak-log shiitake, dried & growing kits — Damariscotta, ME (ships)Year-round · Ships
Tuckaway Food CommonsVegetablesCommunity hub, farm store (public Fri 10–6), stone mill, partner products — Lee, NHStrategic HubYear-round · Public Fridays
Maine MeatProteinWhole-animal butcher, Wed–Sat 11–5 & Sun 11–3, relocating to 5 Whipple Rd — Kittery, MECritical AssetYear-round
Vernon Family FarmProteinPasture-raised chicken (USDA), grass-fed beef, pork, lamb; meat boxes; Huckins raw milk — Newfields, NHPrimary: ChickenYear-round · Wed–Sun 9–6
Hurd FarmProtein100% grass-fed beef since 1923, pork, poultry, eggs; markets & bulk halves — Hampton, NHPrimary: BeefYear-round · Store Wed & Fri 4–7
Coppal House FarmProteinPasture-raised lamb (whole $11/lb), pork, heritage eggs, sunflower oil — Lee, NHPrimary: LambYear-round · Stand daily 10–5
Clyde FarmProteinCertified organic chicken ($7.75/lb), grass-fed beef, forest pork, shares — Brentwood, NHCertified OrganicFresh Jun–Oct · Store Sat 12–4
Kellie Brook FarmProteinPork, chicken, turkey, eggs; closest meat farm to Portsmouth — Greenland, NHSeasonal · Markets & online
Winnicut River FarmProtein100% grass-fed beef & lamb, published price sheet, 2026 side deposits — Stratham, NHYear-round
Hackmatack FarmProteinGrass-fed bison, Mangalitsa pork; resells Vernon chicken & Coppal lamb — Berwick, MESundays 11–3 · By appointment
Gravel Pit FarmProteinSimmental beef, Berkshire pork, eggs; farm store daily 7am–7pm — Nottingham, NHYear-round · Daily 7–7
Wolf Pine FarmProteinMOFGA-organic quarterly meat boxes $225–$575, Kittery pickup at Tributary — Alfred, MECertified OrganicQuarterly shares
Yankee Fishermen's CooperativeSeafoodFishermen-owned dock & retail market, 725 Ocean Blvd — Seabrook, NHCritical AssetYear-round · Mon–Sat 10–6, Sun 10–5:45
Sanders Fish MarketSeafoodYear-round fish market est. 1987, 367 Marcy St; lobster pound at 54 Pray St — Portsmouth, NHIn TownYear-round · 7 days
The Daily HaulSeafoodBoat-owned, pre-order pickups at Emery Farm, Heron Pond, Kittery and more — Portsmouth, NHBoat-OwnedYear-round · Pre-order
NH Community SeafoodSeafoodCommunity supported fishery — website offline as of Sep 2026; call 603-263-4741 first — Portsmouth, NHVerify FirstStatus unverified
Seaport FishSeafoodWholesale & retail since 1978, local docks + Boston Fish Pier — Rye, NHYear-round · Mon–Sat 9–6, Sun 9–4
Taylor Lobster CompanySeafoodFour-generation lobster wholesaler with retail market, fin fish, oysters — Kittery, MEYear-round · Tue–Sun 9–5
Rye Harbor Lobster PoundSeafoodFamily-run dockside lobster, 1870 Ocean Blvd — Rye, NHSeasonal · Fri–Sun 10–6
Smitty's State Pier Lobster PoundSeafoodLobster off the owner's own boats, 1 Ocean Blvd, 603-926-1488 — Hampton, NHDock DirectSeasonal · Sat–Sun 9–5
Off the Boat LobstersSeafoodFamily boat's own catch at Sewall's Bridge, cash — York, MEDock DirectSeasonal · Wed–Mon 10–7
Fox Point OystersSeafoodLittle Bay oysters; fridge at Emery Farm (Durham) & Garrison City Provisions (Dover); tours — Durham, NHJun–Dec
NH Great Bay Oysters (Superior)Seafood50/100-count online with overnight shipping, raw-bar farm tours — Dover, NHSeasonal · Ships
Swell Oyster Co.SeafoodGrower-owned raw-bar shack, Hampton Harbor & Little Bay oysters online — Hampton, NHSeasonal
Dunstan SmokehouseSeafoodHot-smoked Gulf of Maine pollock, mussels, lox; nearest smokehouse (~50 min) — Scarborough, MEYear-round · Ships
Brookford FarmDairyRaw A2A2 milk, cultured butter, raw cheese, pastured eggs; delivery ($75 min) & Exeter pickup Tue — Canterbury, NHCritical AssetYear-round
Vernon Family Farm (Huckins Dairy)DairyHuckins Farm raw A2A2 milk, cream, yogurt, kefir, cheese; walk-in & monthly CSA — Newfields, NHClosest Raw A2A2Year-round · Wed–Sun 9–6
Brandmoore FarmDairyCertified organic raw Jersey milk, yogurt, labneh, cheese; Portsmouth market Sat — Rollinsford, NHCertified OrganicYear-round · Store daily 7–7
Harris Farm / The Maine MilkmanDairyGlass-bottle milk home delivery to Portsmouth, Kittery, Eliot, S. Berwick on Wednesdays — Dayton, MEHome DeliveryYear-round · Wednesdays
Coppal House Farm (eggs)DairyHeritage free-range eggs $7/dz, 13-week egg CSA $84; stand daily, Portsmouth market — Lee, NHPrimary: EggsYear-round · Stand daily 10–5
Hickory Nut FarmDairyFarmstead cave-aged raw goat cheese, goat yogurt; self-serve stall, markets — Lee, NHYear-round · Stall always open
Bell & Goose Cheese Co.Dairy13 artisan cow & sheep cheeses; Heron Pond stand, Portsmouth & Exeter markets, Three River — South Hampton, NHYear-round · Markets
Abbot Hill CreameryDairyFarmstead organic cheese, Portsmouth market alternate Saturdays Aug–Oct — Wilton, NHSeasonal · Market only
Crows' Feat FarmDairyRaw A2 cow milk; store Fri 4–7 & Sat 9–3 in season, Exeter market — Kensington, NHSeasonal
Kate's ButterDairySweet-cream butter, family-owned since 1981 — Arundel, ME (grocery available)Year-round
Benedikt DairyDairyRaw A2 Jersey milk CSA, farm pickup only in quarts — Goffstown, NH (~1 hr)Year-round · Mon–Sat 9–6, Sun 9–4
Baer's Best BeansGrains~30 heirloom bean varieties, four decades; 5-bag minimum online, farm pickup by appointment — South Berwick, MECritical AssetYear-round · Fall harvest best
Maine GrainsGrainsOrganic stone-milled flour & grains, 2 lb and 25 lb — Skowhegan, ME (ships)Year-round · Ships
Tuckaway Mill / Granite Grains FarmGrainsNH-grown Wapsie Valley cornmeal milled in Lee; Granite Grains oats, wheat, beans via Three River — Lee / Amherst, NHYear-round · Public Fridays 10–6
Heritage Grain CSAGrainsHeirloom grains & Vermont-grown rice; annual February pickup — Hadley, MAAnnual share
Golden HarvestGrainsStocks Baer's Best beans and Vida Tortilla — Kittery, MEYear-round
Maine Coast Sea VegetablesPantryOrganic, primarily wild-harvested kelp, dulse, alaria, laver — Hancock, ME (ships)Strategic UmamiYear-round · Ships
Go-en Fermented FoodsPantryUnpasteurized organic miso, $12/12 oz — Whitefield, ME (ships)Year-round · Sells out some winters
Micro Mama'sPantryCertified organic raw krauts & kimchi; Whole Foods Portsmouth, Heron Pond — Weare, NHYear-round
SeaBee HoneyPantryRaw honey from hives in Seacoast orchards; at Applecrest, Seaport Fish, Salt Box Farm — Rye, NHYear-round
Miles of MaplePantryOrganic maple syrup, cream, sugar; farm stand 9am–dusk, 9A Winnicutt Rd — Stratham, NHYear-round · Stand
Happy Sapling FarmPantryMaple syrup incl. barrel-aged; farm stand, cash only, 13 River Rd — Stratham, NHYear-round · Stand
Vida TortillaPantryNixtamalized heirloom-corn tortillas; storefront 45 Market St; at Tuckaway, Emery, Heron Pond — Somersworth, NHYear-round