Canterbury Community Farmers Market Association

Name: 

Julie Dewdney

Organization:

Canterbury Community Farmers Market

In 2006, three Canterbury, New Hampshire residents and two area farmers got together to start a farmers market. Almost twenty years later, the Canterbury Community Farmers Market Association (CCFMA) is still going strong.

It’s a nonprofit membership organization with vendor members and consumer members. There were six or eight vendor members back then. Now, there are 24 vendor members and nearly 90 consumer members. Vendors members sell everything from peas to potted plants.

Julie Dewdney is the CCFMA Manager, a volunteer position she has held for about 15 years. She was born in Canada but moved to New Hampshire when she was three years old.

“My mother always had a huge vegetable garden,” Julie recalls. “Her garden supplied our family with fresh, canned, and frozen food. Everything was home made…no TV dinners for sure!”

“I raised a market lamb each year through 4-H from age eleven to fourteen, and I’m now an avid vegetable gardener.”

CCFMA offers local produce, fruits, meat, and dairy. It also has maple products, baked goods, ready-to-eat food, and selected crafts.

“I have a passion for local food, a commitment to building community, and a deep respect for farmers,” Julie declares. “I guess that’s what keeps me volunteering here. My favorite part of the market is the interactions between vendors and consumers. Providing access to locally grown food is important to me – the connection to the earth and our food.”

“This is a true community market,” she continues. “Our secret is a hardworking, involved board of volunteers that includes both consumers and vendors. We run an organized market; and we work hard to support our vendors, offering help to set up and break down their tents each week. We have created a diverse and welcoming environment that includes live music by local talent, activities for kids, and special guests. By offering programs like SNAP/EBT and Veterans’ Market Dollars, we include a broader spectrum of our community.”

CCFMA’s mission is to promote local food and agricultural products through regular farmers markets. Its vision is to be a place that consumers can attend on a regular basis, reliably meet a significant part of their food and agricultural product needs, and have the opportunity to develop relationships with vendors.

“Not all of our farmers are organic,” Julie explains. “The burden of organic certification has been an issue for many of them. We encourage and give preference to vendors who practice sustainable farming and use organic practices. Also, we require that agricultural and value-added products use locally grown or raised products.”

“Farmers markets will always be an important place for community connection and a concrete way to support local economies,” she adds. “They help reduce environmental change by offering shorter supply chains and a market for farms that engage in sustainable agriculture. This contributes to healthier soils, decreased CO2 emissions, and a healthier population.”

“Farmers markets are a small but significant piece of local food sales in NH at 11.3%. They’re also an important place for small farms to interface with consumers, network with other farmers, and develop their brand.”

“The NH Food and Agricultural State Plan 2025 brought together farmers and food producers, organizations, and individuals to create a dynamic plan that details the opportunities for building a more resilient local food system. It’s well worth reading.”

“The greatest challenge small farms face will always be accessibility,” Julie continues. “There’s a strong pull towards one-stop shopping. It’s an ongoing challenge to find creative ways to attract loyal consumers and pull new folks in to experience the market. We all need to build even stronger community support. The bottom line is it needs to be worthwhile for both vendors and consumers.”

“We have worked hard to create an atmosphere at CCFMA that attracts local and nearby communities, which in turn provides significant opportunities for our vendors and the small farms they represent.”