The big excitement in Greenfield is that we have a new farmstand, operated by the Gagnon family of Rockrose Farm, at the site of the old Yankee Farmer garden center at 171 Forest Road.

The Gagnons are selling their own homemade muffins, cookies and apple cider doughnuts, along with a variety of locally made goods, including Cait Bakes sourdough bread, which is baked here in town.  Other local products include chocolate, strawberry and banana milk from Shaw Farm, Jack’s Crackers, Trombly Kitchen pies, Sweet Goods cookies and  Ellis Farmstead dog treats. The stand also carries local honey, soap candles and more, depending on the day! Be sure to stop by the farm stand on your way home, and support local farmers.

Spring is slowly coming to Greenfield. Cal Ripken baseball signup is Sunday, March 3, 1 to 3 p.m., and Wednesday, March 4, 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Harvester Market. Please check the Greenfield NH Community Facebook page for information. The Greenfield Farmers’ Market is looking for vendors and musicians for the upcoming season at Oak Park. The very organized Shannon Bilodeau has online signups available, and information is available at the Greenfield Farmers and Crafters Market page on Facebook.

On March 9, the Conservation Commission will host a guided winter walk with Greenfield resident Tom Bregani and Mike Gagnon of the UNH Extension from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Greenfield State Park. Walkers should meet at the railroad tracks on the park entrance road, dress warmly and wear boots. To get on the Conservation Committee mailing list, please send email to con-com@greenfield-nh.gov.  

The Greenfield Historical Society (GHS) has some exciting news – the society’s new book, “In the Shadow of Crotched Mountain: Revealing Greenfield’s Colorful Characters, Past and Present” is going to press this week. It is unbelievable how many strange stories and remarkable people have come out of Greenfield. Did you know there was an airplane buried in the front lawn of one house in town? Or that some “Greenfield boys” went out west and rode with Kit Carson? Or that high- bush blueberries were created in blueberry fields on the Greenfield side of Crotched Mountain?  “In the Shadow of Crotched Mountain,” written by GHS volunteers Amy Lowell, Lenny Cornwell, Sylvia Shea, Alan Easton and Bruce Dodge, will be for sale soon. 

On March 21, GHS and New Hampshire Humanities will present storyteller and humorist Rebecca Rule, who will perform "That Reminds Me of a Story,” at 7 p.m. at Stephenson Library. Refreshments will be provided.  This presentation is free and open to the public. On May 11, GHS will unveil a new oxen weathervane with a luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Historical Society, 828 Forest Road. 

The Friends of the Meetinghouse are hard at work planning our dinner event on April 6. We had hoped to do an upscale dinner, but without a functional kitchen in the Meetinghouse, hardly any water pressure, no dishwasher, dodgy ovens and sketchy electricity, we are limited in how fancy we can get with the cooking, but there is no doubt our cooks will figure out something wonderful! We are dreaming about the day we have a beautiful new space to cook and hold events in; every event we have gets us a little bit closer to our goal. 

Greenfield still needs a candidate for our soon-to-be vacant School Board position. Katherine Heck is not running for re-election, and while these are big – and always elegant! – shoes to fill, all residents are encouraged to consider representing our town in the ConVal district as a write-in candidate. With possible school reconfiguration coming in 2025-2026, the next few years will doubtless be an interesting time to serve on the School Board. 

All residents are strongly encouraged to come to Town Meeting on March 16. You never know what will happen. Some years,  we argue about fire trucks for an hour. Other years – like 2020, when we were outside in the freezing cold -- everything is wrapped up with very little debate.  In Greenfield, as in much of New Hampshire, we still hold Town Meeting, which is apparently the world’s purest democracy, in the very same Meeting House that was built for this purpose in 1795.  

Finally, some sad news. Greenfield has lost a very special person. David Bridgewater, who was the director of Stephenson Library, passed away after a period of illness, at the age of 80. He will be greatly missed. 

Jesseca Timmons is secretary of Friends of the Greenfield Community Meetinghouse.