New Hampshire
Senate weighs farm-to-school pilot program • New Hampshire Bulletin
Senators are considering creating a state-run “farm to schools” program to increase the amount of local produce that goes to school meals.
House Bill 1678 would create a two-year pilot program to reimburse 10 public schools that purchase food from New Hampshire farms. The program would cover purchases of dairy, fish, pork, beef poultry, eggs, fruits, vegetables, cider, and maple syrup, and would allow schools to buy from food hubs, distributors, or directly from farms.
Under the bill, schools would be reimbursed for 33 percent of what they spent. The state would spend $241,000 of general funds to fund the program.
The legislation passed the House earlier this month, 191-182, and is being considered now by the Senate Finance Committee.
Supporters of the bill say it would help support farms and local food systems while also boosting nutrition in New Hampshire schools. But opponents, who include many Republicans, say the state should not be spending its own dollars on the effort, pointing to a $559,000 federally funded program the state approved last year that serves more schools.
The bill would create a selection committee of people with knowledge of New Hampshire agriculture and school meal services, and would require that school districts apply to participate. Ten schools would qualify for the pilot program; the bill specifies there must be one from each county.
The committee would be required to select a group of schools with a diversity in size, location, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
The bill also requires the Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food to track the overall number of farms participating, the number of organic and sustainable farms that participate, and other metrics determined by the committee, and to provide a report every year to the Legislature.
Nikki Kolb, operations director of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire, argued the bill would help farms and the rest of the state by strengthening local food production. And she said it would assist New England Feeding New England, a cross-state coalition of farms that is striving to get local farmers producing 30 percent of the region’s food by 2030.
“Over the last four years, we’ve seen how a largely import-based food economy can be affected by external conditions, leading to food insecurity,” Kolb said in testimony to the House earlier this year. “… If the pilot program goes well, it will set the stage for broader institutional purchasing in future years.”
Rep. Dan McGuire, an Epsom Republican, countered that the state should not be spending so much money for just 10 school districts. He said the federally funded approach last year was more sustainable.
“There’s better uses of general funds,” he said at a Senate hearing Tuesday.
New Hampshire
Photo Exhibit | Art Talk | Crew Competition | Nashua Genealogy Club | More: Week Ahead Events
NASHUA, NH — Here is the week ahead roundup.
Get out, New Hampshire.
Event listings are free on one Patch site. You can share your calendar info on other community sites for a modest fee, starting at 25 cents per day. To get started, visit the Events link on the front page of all Patch sites. Statewide calendar roundups are published on most Sundays and Wednesdays. Visit any of the 223 New Hampshire Patch Event sites (patch.com/map/new-hampshire) for updated listings.
Join us for a community conversation exploring how land conservation supports thriving communities, healthy ecosystems, and local economies. Recent research from Maine highlights the growing economic value of conserved lands — from supporting recreation, forestry, agriculture, and tourism to protecting clean water, storing carbon, and strengthening climate resilience. The findings reveal something important: protecting natural landscapes is not only good for the environment, but also for the people and communities that depend on them.
Together, we’ll explore what this research means both regionally and here at home. How do conserved lands shape our quality of life, local economy, and sense of place? How can communities balance growth, conservation, and long-term sustainability? And what role can each of us play in protecting the landscapes that support both nature and people?
At each “Let’s Talk Nature” gathering, we share a short article in advance and come together for an informal, welcoming discussion. Each session stands on its own, and everyone is welcome. No expertise needed. Bring your curiosity and a willingness to listen and share. Drinks and cookies provided.
Read this session’s article: Conserved Land in Maine has Growing Economic Power
Grey Rocks Conservation Center
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM on Wed, 1 Jul 2026
Event Supported By
Newfound Lake Region Association
603-744-8689
info@NewfoundLake.org
High winds and widespread rain contributed to more than 12,000 power outages Saturday as a low pressure system passes over New Hampshire.
A high wind advisory remains in effect for southeastern New Hampshire until midday.
There is a high surf advisory in effect for the Seacoast area until 8 p.m. Saturday, with large-breaking waves in the range of 6-9 feet, according to the National Weather Service.
The forecast warns of dangerous wintry winds for hikers and campers, with heavy wet snow likely at higher elevations and a foot of snow possible on summits in the White Mountains.
In southeastern New Hampshire, the wind advisory calls for steady winds of 15-25 mph, and potential wind gusts up to 50 mph.
Eversource reported over 10,000 outages as of 9:30 a.m. Unitil had about 1,400 outages at that time.
The Mount Washington Observatory has recorded winterlike weather over the past 24 hours. Weather observers there say over half a foot of snow and sleet has fallen at the summit.
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