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AWARDS

3-6Annual NH Farm, Forest & Garden Expo Celebrates 40 Years!

Award Winners Recognized at Annual Ceremony

The ^40th annual NH Farm, Forest & Garden Exposition was held on May 5-6 2023 at the Deerfield Fairgrounds.  The event featured a busy trade show showcasing the latest in agricultural and forest technology and educational workshops and demonstrations with something for everyone, from the hobbyist to the professional.

The annual industry awards reception, held on  May 5th, recognized individuals and businesses for outstanding contributions to their industry. The winners are as follows:

NH Farms of Distinction is a program of the NH Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food that annually recognizes those New Hampshire Farms that go the extra mile to keep their busy farmsteads neat and attractive, thereby portraying a positive image for New Hampshire agriculture. The 2023 winners are:

Photo: Senator Maggie Hassan, NH Commissioner of Agriculture Shawn Jasper, Bill Bartlett, Courtney Gould, Congressman Chris Pappas.

Photo: Congressman Chris Pappas, Senator Maggie Hassan, NH Commissioner of Agriculture Shawn Jasper, Julie and Jason MacGlaflin.

Manning Hill Farm

Sarah Costa and Sam Canonica are 1st generation farmers that started Manning Hill Farm in Winchester, back in 2010 from scratch.  They are a small, diversified dairy farm with a state and federally inspected milk plant on site, along with a farm store. 

They milk a unique breed of heritage dairy cows, Dutch Belted, and gently vat pasteurize and bottle in returnable glass all the milk produced from their herd.  They also raise laying hens, broiler chickens, beef and pork all on pasture, along with 200 acres of managed woodlands and 2,500 tapped maples.  

They market and distribute all of their own products locally in a 30-mile radius from the farm.  The farm is located at the end of a dirt road with scenic views of the Connecticut River valley. 

Stephen H Taylor Agricultural Leadership Award. Named for former NH Commissioner of Agriculture, Steve Taylor, the Farm, Forest & Garden Expo’s founding father. This award recognizes outstanding work by an individual who works professionally in the field of agriculture – Gail McWilliam Jellie.

Gail McWilliam Jellie has been a force for good in New Hampshire agriculture for over three decades, devoting her career to nurturing and advancing agriculture and farming in the state. Growing up on a dairy farm, Gail has brought that work ethic to her roles as a UNH Extension Educator and in leading the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food’s Division of Agricultural Development for nearly 30 years.

Gail’s impact on the health and vitality of New Hampshire agriculture stems from an ability to listen to the needs of and bring together farmers, producers, processors, markets and consumers to find new ways of working together. She was integral in the creation and success of organizations like NH Made, the NH Farm to Restaurant Connection and the development of New Hampshire’s Buy Local marketing campaigns. Her work in creating matchmaking events for wholesale buyers and NH farmers has been fundamental in increasing the amount of local food products gaining access to new markets. She has shepherded NH farms through changing industry dynamics supporting the economic success of farmers’ markets, agritourism and direct-to-consumer sales.

In working to promote the diversity and quality of New Hampshire farmers and producers, Gail has been a true champion guiding the efforts of the New Hampshire Building at the Eastern States Exposition, playing a key role in support of Harvest New England, and being a devoted board member for the Farm, Forest & Garden Expo, to name a few.

Gail leads by example, working quietly, thoughtfully and creatively always giving appreciation and credit to the contributions of collaborators. Her efforts have garnered her recognition and appreciation from countless NH farm organizations and from outside of the agricultural industry being named a New Hampshire Game Changer in 2014 by New Hampshire Magazine.

Gail McWilliam Jellie embodies the spirit of the Stephen H. Taylor Leadership Award through her dedication to the success and well-being of farm families and the flourishing of local agriculture in New Hampshire.

Photo: Senator Maggie Hassan, Gail McWilliam Jellie, Steve Taylor – past NH Commissioner of Agriculture.

Andrew L. Felker Memorial Award for leadership in promoting the growth and prosperity of New Hampshire agriculture – Keith Sarasin.

Chef Keith Sarasin is an author, chef, speaker and restauranteur who began his culinary career at the age of 15, working at a locally owned sub shop washing dishes and making subs. As he developed his craft, he went on to work with a variety of restaurants working his way up from Sous Chef to Executive Chef.

Keith worked as a private chef before founding The Farmers Dinner in 2012. The Farmers Dinner hosts upscale dinners on local New England Farms. Since 2012, it has hosted over 87 farm-to-table events across New England and fed more than 17,000 customers raising over $125,000 for local farms.

Keith’s work has been integral in encouraging local restaurants and their suppliers to adopt buying local as a practice and to develop locally grown foods as a commonplace feature on their menus. His passion for integrating farmers and their products into the world of fine dining has helped shift trends in wholesale suppliers and distributors to feature local foods more often and through the same access points as regional, national, and imported foods.

Using his experiences, Keith has been a mentor and inspiration to many professional Chefs creating a culture of businesses supporting businesses. Joining in on the trend of “Pop Up” restaurants, where Chefs show up to run a different menu in someone else’s space, Keith has spread the good word of local food to the restaurant world and been a true advocate for farmers and local food.

This work has demonstrated significant contributions to the health and vitality of NH agriculture making Keith Sarasin a worthy recipient of the Andrew L. Felker Memorial Award.

Photo: Jayson McCarter – Expo President, Keith Sarasin, Senator Maggie Hassan.

Fred E. Beane Memorial Award for fair, accurate and effective reporting of news and issues impacting farming and forestry in the state – Carole Soule (not pictured).

Carole Soule and her husband Bruce Dawson operate the Miles Smith Farm in Loudon, New Hampshire. They both came from professional occupations and embraced the farm lifestyle as a change of pace. They are known for their grass-fed Scottish Highlander beef cows, Elspeth’s Place Learning Barn, Farm Camp, and the Farm House Inn. The beef, lamb and pork products are sold at the farm store, which brings many people to their place for a farm experience. All these activities create the backdrop and material for the human-interest stories she writes about the farm.

Every Sunday Carole has a feature in the “Your Life” section of the Concord Monitor entitled “Carole’s Corner, as well as published by the Laconia Daily Sun and online publications.  Here she educates the public about real life on the farm. It is not all romantic, as she tells of the heartbreak of a calf being still-born, losing a prize bull to an injury, or dealing with frozen water pipes in the winter. She tells her true stories in a very folksy way that draws people into experiences that used to be common when people had the memory of visiting grandfather’s farm. Each article is usually accompanied by a profile shot of herself with a cow and colored pictures of the animal or incident covered in the story.

Carole embodies the spirit of the Fred Beane Award. Fred was known for having a nose for agricultural news and getting it into a prominent place in the newspaper, and Carol is telling the joys, heart aches and rewards of rural life to many urban readers in the greater Concord area and beyond.

The Joseph Battles Memorial Award:

The Joseph Battles Memorial Exhibitor award is presented each year by the NH Farm & Forest Expo Board of Directors to recognize those exhibitors that make an extra effort with their booth design and appearance. Exhibits are judged on a variety of criteria including message clarity, overall design, and use of Expo theme. The 2023 winner is New Hampshire Grange.

Congressman Chris Pappas, Senator Maggie Hassan, Gloria Davis – NH Grange, Rachel Maccini – Expo Vice President.

For more information about the NH Farm & Forest Expo, visit www.nhfarmadforestexpo.org.

Andrew L. Felker Award

The Andrew L. Felker Award recognizes distinguished achievement in fostering the economic advancement of agriculture in New Hampshire.

Fred E. Beane Award

The Fred E. Beane Award recognizes an individual or organization in the communications field for effective coverage or agriculture and public issues affecting agriculture in New Hampshire, including forestry.

Stephen H. Taylor Leadership Award For Agriculture Professionals

The Stephen H. Taylor Leadership Award recognizes an individual or business/organization currently working in the field of agriculture exemplifying leadership in the field of agriculture and consumer awareness and education regarding agriculture and agricultural issues.