“World's Most Complete Neighborpedia”
Explore:   What's happening in your neck of the woods?

Shannon Aldrich ~ NH & Maine Real Estate Seacoast

Slow Food Seacoast Movement

Slow Food might bring up images of long cooking times, escargot (you know - snails) or the ketchup that never leaves the bottle. But what I have learned is that we are talking about regional food traditions and a sustainable food system that is far away from the industrialization of food they we have come to know. It is a celebration of the local, quirky and rare vs. homogeneity of the grocery store. It is a holistic approach to eating locally grown foods.

Their web site states that "To truly be slow, products must be good-naturally delicious and created with care from healthy plants and animals, clean-sustainably grown and harvested with methods that have a positive impact on ecosystems and biodiversity, and fair-produced by people who are treated with dignity and justly compensated for thier labor.

What would be available for you to put on your table if you decided only to eat foods from a 100 mile radius of your home? Cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving would be available here on the East Coast but you would have to find an alternative in California. It would be a boon to our local farmer's because we would increase our need for the farms. Do we really need another subdivision? or would fresh milk & butter be better? As a Farmer's Market regular I will have to attest to the better taste of fruits and vegetables that have not traveled thousands of miles to get here or forced to grow out of season.

This is an international movement with more than 83,000 members. We have a chapter here called Slow Food Seacoast. They have several events coming up including a Potluck Meeting on June 2. In November they are planning on hosting a 100 mile Thanksgiving. Very interesting thought process goes into this. They are promoting the revival of the kitchen and the table as centered in our lives.

Farmer's Market Schedule for 2008

Organic Eggs by Shannon AldrichThere are 23 local Farmer's Markets in the area to choose from. Support our local agriculture and improve your diet by doing some of your shopping there.

Mondays

Durham NH Traffic Circle - 2:30-5:30pm- Seacoast Grower's Association

Tuesdays

Kingston NH Main Street - 2:30-5:30pm - Seacoast Grower's Association

Hampton NH Route 1 - 3-6pm - Seacoast Grower's Association

Wednesdays

Dover NH McIntosh American Culinary Academy, Silver Street - 2:30-6pm - Seacoast Grower's Association

Saco ME Saco Valley Shopping Center - 7am-12noon - Saco Farmer's and Artisans' Market

Springvale ME Rite Aid Parking Lot - 8am-12noon - Springvale Farmer's Market (anniesgardens@yahoo.com)

Wells ME Parking lot of the Wells Town Hall on Sanford Road - 2-6pm - Wells Farmer's Market

Thursdays

Exeter NH Swasey Parkway - 2:30-6pm - Seacoast Grower's Association

Rochester NH Front lawn of Foster's Daily Democrat 90 N Main Street - 3-6pm - Rochester Downtown Farmer's Market

Lee NH Old Fire Station Rte 155 - 3-6pm - Lee Cooperative Farmer's Market (leemarket@comcast.net)

Fridays

Sanford ME Rte 109 next to Sanford Institution for Savings - 8am-12noon - Sanford Farmer's Market (anniesgardens@yahoo.com)

New Durham NH Depot Road at Post Office parking lot - 1-6pm - New Durham Farmer's Market (davcrord@metrocast.net)

Rochester NH 4 Corners Antique Store, corner of Estes & Meaderboro Rd - 3-6:30pm - Rochester Farmer's Market

Deerfield NH Off Cotton Road at Back entrance to Deerfield Fairgrounds - 3-7pm - Deerfield Farmer's Market

Saturdays

Portsmouth NH City Hall - 8am-1pm - Seacoast Grower's Association

Saco ME Saco Valley Shopping Center - 7am-12noon - Saco Farmer's and Artisans' Market

Farmington NH Corner of Central Main Streets - 8am-12:30pm - Farmington Farmer's Market

Springvale ME Rite Aid Parking Lot - 8am-12noon - Springvale Farmer's Market (anniesgardens@yahoo.com)

Kennebunk ME Grove Street Parking Lot - 8am-12noon - Kennebunk Farmer's Market

Rochester NH 4 Corners Antique Store, corner of Estes & Meaderboro Rd - 9am-12noon - Rochester Farmer's Market

Barrington NH Rte 9 & 125 across from Calef's Country Store - 9am-1pm - Barrington Farmer's Market

York ME Corner of Rte 1 and Stonewall Lane at York Visitor's Center - 9am-1pm - Gateway Farmer's Market

Sundays

Nottingham NH - Blaisdell Memorial Library 129 Stage Road - 1-4pm - Nottingham Farmer's Market (blaisdellml@comcast.net)

Portsmouth Farmer's Market by Shannon Aldrich

Portsmouth NH Farmer's Market at City Hall on Junkins Ave

10 Steps to Cleaner Air

Eliot Windmills by Shannon AldrichEvery time we drive to work or school, use our heating system or air conditioners, clean our windows, or even style our hair, we make choices that affect air pollution. Here are ten steps we can all do to reduce air pollution.

1. Walk or ride a bike. When looking for a new home - look closer to work so that you might be able to do this. You might consider a smaller home in a closer location. At the very least it will reduce your car travel. I love the fact that I can walk to my office and do it often.

2. Share a ride or use public transportation. Here in Portsmouth we do have the trolley systems and Coast buses.

3. Combine errands for fewer trips. It will also give you more time to other fun things.

4. Keep your car well maintained, with tires properly inflated. When buying a new to you car - really look at the gas mileage. Do you really need a truck (are you a farmer?) that only gets 15 mpg and all you do is city driving?

5. Avoid idling in your car. Don't sit there with the a/c running as you look at the ocean. How about opening the windows instead.

6. Turn off lights, computers & TVs when not in use. I have my hair dryer, curling iron and mirror on a power strip. When not in use I turn them all off by the power strip. I also keep my microwave unplugged when not in use.

7. Use energy-efficient light bulbs and appliances. Appliances all come with energy star ratings these days.

8. Run dishwashers and washing machines only when full. And use cold water when washing the clothes.

9. Choose environmentally friendly consumer products and cleaners. Or make your own. It is amazing what you can do with products like baking soda, vinegar and bleach.

10. Make and live the motto - Reduce, reuse, recycle!

Let's all do our share for cleaner air. We only have one planet - Let's keep it around for generations to come.

(c) Shannon Aldrich, Keller Williams Coastal Realty Portsmouth NH

Join our monthly e-newsletter for real estate updates, area happenings and market changes by emailing Shannon at saldrich@kw.com Your email will never be shared or sold!

Rockingham County NH - Real Estate Market Update 21

Real Estate Market Update Update 21 For March 27-April 10, 2008

Rockingham County, New Hampshire

Single Family Homes

  • Total Listings Available 2,230 (Last Report 2,104)
  • Price Range $59,900-$9,500,000
  • Total New Listings This Report 302 (Last Report 96)
  • Price Range $108,000-$2,800,000
  • Total Pending This Report 91 (Last Report 31)
  • Total Withdrawn This Report 57 (Last Report 21)
  • Total Expired This Report 119 (Last Report 30)
  • Total Sold This Report 84 (Last Report 25)

Condos

  • Total Listings Available 950 (Last Report 907)
  • Price Range $74,500-$1,195,000
  • Total New Listings This Report 121 (Last Report 36)
  • Price Range $75,000-$789,900
  • Total Pending This Report 25 (Last Report 14)
  • Total Withdrawn This Report 22 (Last Report 24)
  • Total Expired This Report 69 (Last Report 12)
  • Total Sold This Report 32 (Last Report 13)

Shannon Aldrich, Keller Williams Coastal Realty Portsmouth, NH

Join the monthly e-newsletter for featured listings, area happenings and updated real estate information at saldrich@kw.com I respect your privacy and will never share your email address.

This information for Rockingham and Strafford counties is compiled through NNEREN, Northern New England Real Estate

Strafford County, NH Real Estate Market Update 21

Real Estate Market Update 21 For March 27-April 10, 2008

Strafford County, New Hampshire

Single Family Homes

  • Total Listings Available 840 (Last Report 800)
  • Price Range $39,900-$2,750,000
  • Total New Listings This Report 111 (Last Report 31)
  • Price Range $114,955-$1,100,000
  • Total Pending This Report 34 (Last Report 14)
  • Total Withdrawn This Report 18 (Last Report 6)
  • Total Expired This Report 52 (Last Report 13)
  • Total Sold This Report 44 (Last Report 17)

Condos

  • Total Listings Available 216 (Last Report 208 )
  • Price Range $57,900-$489,900
  • Total New Listings This Report 14 (Last Report 12)
  • Price Range $57,900-$270,000
  • Total Pending This Report 4 (Last Report 5)
  • Total Withdrawn This Report 2 (Last Report 0)
  • Total Expired This Report 12 (Last Report 2)
  • Total Sold This Report 10 (Last Report 0)

Shannon Aldrich, Keller Williams Coastal Realty Portsmouth, NH

Join the monthly e-newsletter for featured listings, area happenings and updated real estate information at saldrich@kw.com I respect your privacy and will never share your email address.

This information for Rockingham and Strafford counties is compiled through NNEREN, Northern New England Real Estate Network for the period listed. Information is deemed reliable but not infallible.