Meet the Locals

Archway Farm

Keene, NH

Drive down Arch Street in Keene, and you may recognize Archway Farm right away. The landscape becomes dotted with pig huts and pigs happily doing their thing—rooting, grazing, and rolling in the mud. Mark Florenz started Archway Farm in 2014, bringing this land back to its farming roots.  His heritage pigs grow slower than other breeds, allowing for more marbling, which makes for more flavorful meat. Archway Farm is Animal Welfare Approved (AWA) by A Greener World—the most highly regarded food label when it comes to animal welfare, pasture-based farming, and sustainability. Meet the local Archway Farm in Keene, New Hampshire, and shop for this local farmer’s products at the co-op!

Bread Shed Bakery

Keene, NH

Brittany’s love of her Aunt & Uncle’s Bread Bakery in Vermont led her to apprentice with them as a teenager. She’s been handcrafting her own baked goods at the Bread Shed Bakery here in Keene since 2011. Meet the locals at The Bread Shed Bakery in Keene, NH, and experience her delicious creations firsthand — from cranberry walnut bread and focaccia to cookies and biscotti, we love everything she bakes!

Dog Days Farm

Fitzwilliam, NH

In 2018, Tracie’s Community Farm, now known as Dog Days Farm, in Fitzwilliam, received one of our Monadnock Food Co-op Farm Fund grant awards to purchase a 6-row seeder in order to increase the efficiency of their seeding process on the farm. Their first seeding, which usually takes 8-10 hours for 18 beds, was completed in just over 4 with the new equipment! This savings of time helps the farm be more productive, grow sales, and provide more delicious food to our community!

Meet the locals at Dog Days Farm in Fitzwilliam, NH, where Jack Rixey, the farm’s owner and manager, has been dedicated to the farm for over seven years.

“The Farm Fund grant has allowed us to follow through with a project that was once out of reach due to financial constraints and has had a tangible impact on our productivity. We no longer lose an experienced employee for hours each week to seeding”, shared Jack Rixey, Farm Owner.

Generation Farm

Concord, NH

Everything at Generation Farm is lovingly grown, harvested, and packed by James Stever and Marley Horner, a husband and wife first-generation farming team.  Their local New Hampshire certified organic farm specializes in salad greens.  James became inspired by agriculture in Kyrgyzstan where he lived as a Peace Corps volunteer. He went on to intern at the Stone Barns and Quail Hill in New York before moving to New Hampshire to start his own farm. Here, he met Marley while she was working at the local food co-op in town.  They produce most of their electricity through solar power and heat their barn with a wood pellet burner. Both feel grateful to be a part of the next generation of farmers, establishing more small sustainable farms for the health of our society and the environment. They are another local supplier you can find at the Co-op!

Hemingway Farms

Charlestown, NH

Chris and Amy Hemingway purchased their 90-acre Charlestown, NH property in 2002, naming it Hemingway Farms. This land had historically been used for farming for many decades, and both having grown up in the farming industry decided to pursue their farming interests again when the property became available. Since purchasing their local product farm, they’ve expanded many times with six ornamental plant greenhouses where they grow tropical plants, succulents, annuals and bedding plants, herbs, and perennials. Meet the locals at Hemingway Farms in Charlestown, NH, where they grow several acres of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, as well as 20+ acres of vegetables. Nine high tunnel greenhouses help them extend their vegetable production season, namely for tomatoes and greens. They’re especially grateful for their great farm crew, many of which have been with them for years.

Manning Hill Farm

Winchester, NH

Sarah Costa and Sam Canonica, first-generation farmers, bought their 126-acre farm in 2005. They raise grass-fed Dutch Belted dairy cows, a breed known for its naturally homogenized, sweet-flavored, and more easily digestible milk. Manning Hill Local Farm, a standout among dairy farms in New Hampshire, gently pasteurizes and bottles its milk on-site in reusable glass bottles, a practice that’s good for the environment and helps maintain the flavor of their milk. Best of all, the milk comes straight from the farm to the co-op and you. Enjoy Farm fresh milk from this local supplier!