Littleton Food Co-op

a community-owned market

Social Icons

Open Daily 7am - 8pm
Meat: 7am - 7pm
Deli: 7am-6pm Sun-Thu / 7am-7pm Fri & Sat

  • Home
  • About
    • Departments
    • Recall Info
  • Community
    • The Weekly Radish – News & Specials!
    • Listen to Our Podcast
    • Workshops & Events
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Sustainability
    • Partner of the Month
    • Littleton Food Co-op Community Fund
    • Healthy Food Access
    • SNAP & Market Match
    • Co-op Café & Art Gallery
    • Art in the Pavilion
  • Membership
    • Become a Member!
    • Reports & Governing Documents
    • Patronage Rebates
  • Store
    • The Weekly Radish – Fresh Specials For Everyone!
    • Daily Menu
    • Workshops & Events
    • Buy A Gift Card Online
    • Online Ordering & Curbside Pickup
    • Party Platters & Custom Baskets
    • Local Vendors
    • Co-op Café & Art Gallery
    • Art in the Pavilion
    • Bulk Item Lookup
  • Careers
  • Board of Directors
    • Meet the Board of Directors!
    • Co-op Board Elections
    • Join The Board
    • Reports & Governing Documents
  • Contact & FAQ
    • Become a Vendor
    • Frequently Asked Questions

Where’s the Milk?

February 4, 2024 By Anastasia Maher

Many folks have been asking this winter: “Where’s all the Robie Farm milk?” “Why do you not have any Huckins Farm products on the shelves?” Although we’re tempted to stockpile all that local dairy goodness for ourselves, that’s not what’s happening here. We wanted to set the record straight about local dairy this winter.

First, there’s the cows themselves.

Simply put, cows do not produce as much milk in the winter. Unlike childhood storybooks have led us to believe, cows are not constant suppliers of milk that are ready with a fresh squeeze whenever we feel. Many factors affect milk production, and a huge one is weather. When temperatures drop for our infamous New England winters, it changes the life of a cow completely. First, their feed changes. Gone are the rolling acres of fresh green pasture; farmers become more reliant on hay and alternative feeds. Did you know that cows can drink an average of 3 to 5 gallons of water a minute? Cows are pretty fussy about their water temperature. Water that’s too cold or even frozen is not going to fly. No hydration or nutrition = no milk. In addition, cows have to send their bodily energy away from making milk for the winter. It goes either to maintaining their internal body temperature or producing new life to continue the milking cycle.

Secondly, there’s the farmers.

It’s not uncommon to hear a dairy farm being referred to as a seventh, eighth, twelfth generation or beyond operated farm. This means the farm is run by a family, like many of our local farms are. Staffing a dairy farm is a hard task year round, but especially difficult in the winter. Children that would be helping around the farm return back to school, work slows enough to not justify part-time farmhands, and conditions can become brutal for even the most experienced farmers. Suffice to say, if there even is milk to prepare, there might not be enough people around to do it.

So when is the milk coming back?

Short answer is we don’t know, but we’re working hard to make sure it’s as soon as possible. A high priority of ours is cultivating meaningful relationships with our local dairy farmers, and we know they will prioritize getting milk back on our shelves as soon as possible. However, we can’t sell you milk when there is none coming from the farm. The dairy farmers cannot predict what factors will impact milk production in the coming weeks, so, unfortunately, they can’t tell our Dairy Department when they will deliver. We also don’t want to name a random date only to get your hopes up and generate disappointment when unforeseen circumstances kick in. 

Then how will I know when it’s back?

The best recommendation we have is to call the store to inquire about a product you are interested in. We cannot call customers when a product comes in or set aside product; we see hundreds of customers everyday and our staff are too busy to carry out special requests like these. This is also a great opportunity to try something new! We have thousands of products in store and new items added weekly. Who knows, you might just discover a new favorite.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this natural part of the milk production cycle.

Filed Under: Farms, Food, Local, The Weekly Radish Newsletter Tagged With: eat local month, local dairy, local farms, milk, NH Eats Local, shop local

Support the NH Farm to School Bill

February 1, 2024 By Anastasia Maher

The New Hampshire state legislature will soon be deciding on HB1678-FN, also known as the Local Food for Local Schools Reimbursement Pilot Program or the Farm to School Bill. The goal of this program is to connect more NH school cafeterias with fresh, locally produced foods to serve their populations. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: there are innumerable benefits to eating local, including fresher food, lower carbon emissions, and a strong economy. That is why the Littleton Food Co-op is a proud supporter of the Farm to School Bill. As we know, a thriving democracy only thrives when its members are active participants. Here’s what you can do to help support the passage of this bill:

 

 

Educate yourself on the bill

NOFA-NH (Northeast Organic Farming Association of NH) has put together a great resource guide about how this program will work, why it is important to NH, and who will benefit from it. Click here to read more from NOFA-NH. 

Read General Manager Ed King’s letter of support for NH HB-1678-FN

To Whom It May Concern,

Food Coops across the country have a long history of supporting local agriculture
and healthy eating. I’m writing this letter in support of a Farm to School Bill that is
currently before the New Hampshire House (HB 1678-FN). The goal of the bill is to
increase the availability of local fruits and vegetables in our school systems
statewide. Similar Bills have failed to pass recently in New Hampshire, leaving a
significant amount of Federal matching funding on the table. Speaking on behalf of
the Littleton Food Coop’s 9 Board Members and over 9,000 Members we feel that it
is imperative that HB 1678-FN passes in Fiscal Year 2024.
We’re not sure why this initiative hasn’t passed before this year? This program has
a modest cost of $241,000 for the state and accesses significant federal matching
funds that have already been approved. Do our representatives have something
against NH Farmers? Or perhaps they’re not interested in better nutrition for our
school children? I doubt that is the case. Maybe I am missing something here? What
we don’t want is the errors of the past to doom a positive path forward. Therefore the
Littleton Food Coop and its Members urge our legislatures to pass HB 1678-FN
during this session.

Cooperatively,
Ed King, General Manager LFC

Sign the official letter of support

NOFA-NH is doing the ground work of centralizing communities across NH into one strong letter of support. Click here to add your name to the letter and an optional short what local food means to you.

Contact your representatives

If this is a cause you’re really passionate about and you have a few extra minutes, use them to contact your state representative directly. Click here to find out who your representative is. If this seems to overwhelming, have no fear! There are plenty of resources and templates online designed to help folks contact their representatives. Many of them allow you to just plug in your name and information, and a sentence or two about the bill you’re writing about.

Help us make local food in local schools a reality!

Filed Under: Cooperation, Food, Local, Sustainability, The Weekly Radish Newsletter Tagged With: eat local month, farm to school, local farms, NH Eats Local, shop local

The 2023 Littleton Food Co-op Member Choice Awards

September 5, 2023 By Anastasia Maher

The RESULTS ARE IN! Scroll Below for our inaugural list of Member Choice Winners!

As a co-op, we love local and we love democracy. In honor of Eat Local Month this August, we’re combining these ideas for the Littleton Food Co-op’s first annual Member Choice Awards. Littleton Food Co-op members now have the opportunity this summer to vote for their favorite local products from the Co-op in a variety of categories including: “Best Local Cheese,” “Best Local Craft Beer,” and “Best Savory Snack,” and more!

“But wait,” you say, “It’s not August yet,” Yes, you are correct. We’re rolling these awards out early to get us all hyped about local foods and fun before the month begins so we can take all month to celebrate the winners (and the not-winners.) Voting is open from July 22nd through July 31st, 2023, so don’t think you have to vote on day one. These are tough decisions we’re asking you to make. Some research (aka sampling) might be required…

Per the name, this is a member-only opportunity. A co-op thrives on the participation of member-owners, and we wanted these awards to reflect that. Not a member yet? Stop here first to sign up for membership before voting.

Once you’ve cast your vote, make sure to tune into the August episode of That’s Rad: a podcast presented by the Littleton Food Co-op to find out if your choices are declared winners!

AND THE WINNERS ARE…….

Best Local Produce: Four Corners Farm Strawberries (31.5%)

Best Local Bakery Item: Bonilla Bread Dutch-Oven Cheese and Herb Bread (20%)

Best Local Deli Prepared Food: Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad (46.2%)

Best Local Pantry Staple Award: White Mountain Apiary Organic Raw Honey (39.1%)

Best Local Meat and Seafood Award: Robie Farm Ground Beef (35%)

Best Local Specialty Cheese Award: Jasper Hill Harbison (28.8%)

Best Local Granola Award: Grandy Organics Classic Bulk Granola (24.5%)

Best Local Dairy Item Award: Meadowstone Farm Eggs (47.7%)

Best Local Frozen Item Award: Giffords Vanilla Ice Cream (21.2%)

Best Local Beverage Award: Maine Root Soda Spicy Ginger Brew (28%)

Best Local Savory Snack Award: Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar Popcorn (37.4%)

Best Local Sweet Treat Award: Lake Champlain Milk Chocolates (39.8%)

Best Local Alcoholic Beverage Award: Rek-lis Brewing Clouded Judgement NEIPA (22.2%)

Best Local Wellness Product: Elmore Mountain Lavender Goat’s Milk Lotion (39.6%)

Thank you for voting, and congratulations to our winning products! Check back in Summer 2024 for a fresh round of nominations and voting.

Questions? Email info@littletoncoop.org or talk to one of the friendly folks at the Service Desk for more information.

Member Choice Awards Poster

Filed Under: Local, Membership, The Weekly Radish Newsletter Tagged With: eat local month, local farms, member choice awards, membership, NH Eats Local, vote









Upcoming Events

Littleton Co-op's 16th Anniversary Celebration!

Littleton Co-op’s 16th Anniversary Celebration!

May 10, 2025, 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Everyone is welcome to join us on Saturday, May 10th to celebrate 16 years of the Co-op with free samples, …
Cafe Storytime with Littleton Public Library

Cafe Storytime with Littleton Public Library

May 15, 2025, 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Join the Littleton Public Library in the Co-op Cafe on Thursday, May 15th at 10AM for their weekly storytime with …
Spring Case Lot Sale!

Spring Case Lot Sale!

May 16, 2025, 7:00 am - 9:00 pm
Shop the Littleton Co-op May 16th, 17th, and 18th for extra special deals on cases of your favorite pantry staples! …

View more events here!

Get Our Weekly Newsletter

Every Thursday we release The Weekly Radish, our Co-op newsletter. This contains our latest specials, coupons, member updates, fun articles, recipes, community news, and more. Get it right in your inbox each week! We promise to never share your info, and we will never spam you.

* indicates required
43 Bethlehem Road· On the corner of Cottage St and Rte 302· Exit 41 off I-93· 603-444-2800
Littleton Consumer Cooperative Society, Inc. ®2019 · Designed by Notchnet