What’s Local?
A Guide to New England Foods

Fruit
Vegetables
Herbs
Grains/Beans
Dairy
Meat
Seafood
Honey/Maple Syrup
Beverages
Specialty Items

 

Large supermarkets may carry some locally-grown foods, including produce in-season and some local pantry items year-round.  Generally, staff are unaware of local items beyond the most popular local produce, such as apple and corn.  Searching is required.

Specialty groceries, natural food stores  and gourmet markets are likely to carry more local products, and staff may or may not be able to assist you. 

Some farm stores and stand are open only seasonally, other year-round.  All sell their own farm products, but most supplement their produce with other locally-grown items, such as honey, maple syrup, dairy or frozen meats from nearby farms.  Many, particularly those open year-round, also provide a full line of produce and other products from other areas. Most farm stores are careful to indicate which items are locally grown, and staff are generally knowledgeable.

Small roadside farm stands are seasonal and usually carry only the items from one or possible two growers.

Farmers’ markets are open seasonally, usually from June-October. All offer local produce and often honey, maple syrup, pickles, plants, meats, cheeses, eggs and even sometimes fish.  Many also have booths devoted to local crafts, locally-made (but not grown) baked goods and beauty products. Farmers’ market listings are available for CT, MA, ME, NH, RI and VT.

Specialty producers of maple syrup, grains, mushrooms, wines, ciders, jams from local fruit, pickles from local vegetables, and other items may or may not have retail stores associated with their business.  Many of these items are available through mail order; other sell primarily through small local specialty stores and farmers’ markets in season Some orchards also offer mail-order delivery of locally-grown fruit baskets.

LocalHarvest offers a searchable database of local farms and specialty stores.

 

Fruit

Apples: From large supermarkets, farmers’ markets and specialty groceries in season; from farm stores in season and sometimes year-round. Dried local apples available from WoodPrairie Farm . Pick-your-own widely available.

Apricots: Occasionally available in season from farm stores or farmers’ markets. 

Asian pears: Occasionally available in season from farm stores or farmers’ markets. 

Blackberries: Available in season from farm stores or farmers’ markets.  Occasionally available pick-your-own.

Blueberries: From specialty groceries, farm stores, and farmers’ markets in season; frozen available year-round in some large supermarkets and specialty groceries. Pick-your-own available. Dried wild Maine blueberries and canned wild blueberries in syrup available mail-order from  Maine Munchies; Wyman’s also offers canned blueberries, blueberry pie filling and blueberry juice from its fields in Maine and Nova Scotia; available in most supermarkets.

Crabapples: Occasionally available in season from farm stores or farmers’ markets. 

Cranberries: Usually available in season from larger farm stores, specialty groceries and most supermarkets.

Currants: Occasionally available in season from farm stores or farmers’ markets. 

Grapes: From specialty groceries, farm stores, and farmers’ markets in season.

Melons: From specialty groceries, farm stores, and farmers’ markets in season.

Nectarines: From specialty groceries, farm stores, farmers’ markets, and some supermarkets in season.

Peaches: From specialty groceries, farm stores, farmers’ markets, and some supermarkets in season.

Pears: From specialty groceries, farm stores, farmers’ markets, and some supermarkets in season; some farm stores carry storage pears through the winter. Pick-your-own available.

Plums: From specialty groceries, farm stores, farmers’ markets in season.

Raspberries: From specialty groceries, farm stores, and farmers’ markets in season. Pick-your-own available.

Rhubarb: From specialty groceries, farm stores, and farmers’ markets in season.

Strawberries: From specialty groceries, farm stores, farmers’ markets, and some supermarkets in season. Pick-your-own widely available.

 

Vegetables

Asparagus: From specialty groceries, farm stores, and farmers’ markets in season.

Beets: From specialty groceries, farm stores, and farmers’ markets in season.
Brussels sprouts:

Cabbage: From specialty groceries, farm stores, and farmers’ markets in season.

Carrots: From specialty groceries, farm stores, and farmers’ markets in season.

Celery: From specialty groceries, farm stores, and farmers’ markets in season.

Corn: Wildly available in supermarkets, farmers’ markets, farm stores and specialty groceries in season.

Cucumbers: From specialty groceries, farm stores, and farmers’ markets in season.

Fiddleheads: From some specialty groceries, farm stores, and farmers’ markets in season.

Greens: From specialty groceries, farm stores, and farmers’ markets in season.

Greens, Asian: From specialty groceries, farm stores, and farmers’ markets in season.

Green beans: From specialty groceries, farm stores, and farmers’ markets in season.

Lettuce: From specialty groceries, farm stores, and farmers’ markets in season.

Mushrooms, fresh: From specialty groceries, farm stores, and farmers’ markets in season. Some area supermarkets carry mushrooms year-round from Franklin Farms in Connecticut.

Mushrooms, dried: Oyster Creek Mushroom and Franklin Farms both offer dried mushrooms; the former by mail order or in specialty stores, the latter in some supermarkets and in specialty stores.

Okra: Occasionally available in season from farm stores or farmers’ markets. 

Peas: From specialty groceries, farm stores, and farmers’ markets in season. Occasional available pick-your-own.

Potatoes: Year-round from some supermarkets, specialty groceries, and farm stores, and from specialty groceries, farm stores and farmers’ markets in season.

Pumpkins: From specialty groceries, farm stores, and farmers’ markets in season.

Squash: From specialty groceries, farm stores, and farmers’ markets in season.

Tomatoes: From specialty groceries, farm stores, farmers’ markets and some supermarkets in season.

Turnips: From specialty groceries, farm stores, and farmers’ markets in season.

 

Herbs

Fresh herbs: Widely available from specialty stores, farm stores and farmers’ markets in season.  Fresh herbs from the New England Herb Company also available year-round in many large supermarkets.

Dried herbs:  Occasionally available at farm stores and farmers’ markets. Also available by mail order from several New England herb growers.

 

Grains/Beans

Cornmeal: Gray’s Grist Mill, Rhode Island, in store or by mail-order.

Whole wheat flour: WoodPrairie Farms, by mail-order (other grains from their catalog not grown in Maine). Wheat flour also available in some natural food stores and specialty groceries in Vermont from Butterworks Farm.

Buckwheat flour: Bouchard Family Farms, Maine, by  mail-order.

Dried beans: Occasionally available from farmers’ markets. Kennebec Bean Company of Maine, State of Maine line beans, are widely available in large supermarkets, specialty groceries and farm stores in Maine and available in some supermarkets, specialty groceries and farm stores in other New England states. Dried beans available mail-order from WoodPrairie Farms. Beans also available in some natural food stores and specialty groceries in Vermont from Butterworks Farm.

 

Seafood

Fresh fish: Local shellfish and finfish widely available in fish shops and supermarkets, as well as some farmers’ markets in season. Freshest fish can be found at fish piers.

Smoked fish: Available in some specialty groceries and fish shops, as well as by mail order from smokehouses including Stonington Seafood, Ducktrap River and Bold Coast Smokehouse.

Frozen fish: Available in some specialty groceries and fish shops, as well as by mail order.

Canned fish: Available in some specialty groceries and fish shops. Some supermarkets carry canned mussels and clams from Bar Harbor Foods of Maine.

Lobster: Widely available in supermarkets, fish shops, and directly from lobster pounds. Also available mail-order (yes, live!) from many sources.

 

Dairy

Butter: Widely available in supermarkets, farm stores, specialty groceries year–round,  as well as at farmers’ markets in season.

Cheese: Widely available in supermarkets, farm stores, specialty groceries year–round,  as well as at farmers’ markets in season. Some cheese also available mail-order.

Cream: Widely available in supermarkets, farm stores, specialty groceries year–round,  as well as at farmers’ markets in season.

Milk, pasteurized: Widely available in supermarkets, farm stores, specialty groceries year–round,  as well as at farmers’ markets in season.

Milk, raw:  Not generally available, except directly from select farms. Find sources of raw milk products in your area at RealMilk.

Yogurt: Widely available in supermarkets, farm stores, specialty groceries year–round,  as well as at farmers’ markets in season.

 

Meat

The Eat Well Guide offers a searchable database of local meat products. EatWild offers lists of pastured (grass-fed) meat sources by state.

Maine Farms Meats offers a wide variety of Maine-grown meats by mail-order.

Beef: Available in some farm stores and farmers’ markets; occasionally available in specialty groceries. Available directly from some farmers who do not keep a farm store; call for information.  Some farmers may require large minimum purchase.

Buffalo/beefalo/bison: Available in some farm stores and farmers’ markets; occasionally available in specialty groceries. Available directly from some farmers who do not keep a farm store; call for information. Also available mail-order from several farms.

Chicken: Available in some farm stores and farmers’ markets; occasionally available in specialty groceries. Available directly from some farmers who do not keep a farm store; call for information. 

Game birds: Not widely available, can be found in some farm stores and directly from some farmers who do not keep a farm store; call for information. 

Goat: Not widely available, can be found in some farm stores and directly from some farmers who do not keep a farm store; call for information. 

Ham: Available in some farm stores and farmers’ markets; occasionally available in specialty butchers and groceries. Also available mail-order.

Lamb: Not widely available, can be found in some farm stores and directly from some farmers who do not keep a farm store; call for information. 

Ostrich: Not widely available, can be found in some farm stores and specialty butchers. Available mail-order from Yankee Farmers Market.

Pork: Available in some farm stores and farmers’ markets; occasionally available in specialty butchers and groceries. Available directly from some farmers who do not keep a farm store; call for information. 

Sausage: Available in some farm stores and farmers’ markets; occasionally available in specialty butchers and groceries.

Turkey: Available in some farm stores and farmers’ markets; occasionally available in specialty groceries. Available directly from some farmers who do not keep a farm store; call for information. 

Venison: Available in some farm stores; occasionally available in specialty groceries. Available directly from some farmers who do not keep a farm store; call for information.  Available mail-order from several growers.

 

Honey and Maple Syrup

Honey: Local honey widely available in supermarkets, specialty groceries, and farm stores year–round, as well as farmers’ markets in season and by mail-order from some apiaries.  Raw, unpasteurized honey and comb honey available in some specialty stores, farm stores and farmers’ markets. State listings of honey providers available for CT  and RI; limited listings for all states available through the National Honey Board’s Honey Locator.

Maple syrup: Local maple syrup widely available in supermarkets, specialty groceries, and farm stores year–round, as well as farmers’ markets in season, and by mail-order from some sugarhouses.  State listings of maple providers available for CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT.

 

Beverages

Apple cider, fresh: Widely available year-round in supermarkets, specialty groceries and farm stores, seasonally at farmers’ market.

Apple cider, hard: Available in most larger liquor stores and some specialty groceries.  Several big brands, such as Woodchuck Cider of Vermont, source some but not all of their apples from New England.  Smaller local ciders, like Johnny Mash American Cider and the widely available West County Cider, are made from all-locally grown apples.

Beer: There are many local breweries in New England, but all of them depend on ingredients from elsewhere. Buzzards Bay Brewing Company of Westport, Massachusetts grows some of its own hops.  Homebrewers can buy their own local hops from Paris View Farm in Maine.

Vodka: General John Stark Vodka from Flag Hill Winery and Distillery in Lee, NH is made from local apples. Vodka from Cold River Distillery is made from Maine-grown potatoes.

Wine: Many wines are only available at the winery.  Some are sold also at specialty groceries or liquor stores. Due to state-level restrictions, some wineries only sell their wines through liquor store in their own state. Please see our Wineries Directory for more information.

 

Specialty items

Pickles and jams: Locally-made, but not locally-grown, widely available from specialty groceries, farm stores and farmers’ markets.  Locally-made and grown also available, though less frequently. Also available by mail-order.

Salt: Maine sea salt becoming widely available in gourmet shops under Stonewall Kitchens label and directly from the Maine Sea Salt Company, via mail-order.

Seaweed: Available in some specialty groceries and mail-order from Maine Seaweed Company and Maine Seacoast Vegetables. 

Sunflower oil: Available in some natural food stores and specialty groceries in Vermont from Butterworks Farm.