New Claremont Market to Focus on Locally Produced Foods

Claremont — Locally produced food, including smoked cheeses and meats from Plainfield, maple syrup from Claremont, honey from Springfield, Vt., and ice cream from Walpole, N.H., are now available in one location with the opening Saturday of 100 Mile Market at 35 Pleasant St.

Proprietor April Woodman, who recently left her job with SAU 6 after 13 years to pursue her new business, said she will be selling only food locally grown and produced within a 100-mile radius of Claremont. The region includes most of New Hampshire and Vermont as well as parts of eastern New York, northwestern Massachusetts and southern Maine.

Standing last week in her new storefront business, which most recently was the restaurant Simply Comfort, Woodman said she hit upon the idea about two years ago, thinking a lot about our nation’s food supply and the chemicals used in food processing.

“It is really, really bad for us,” said Woodman, who was born and raised in Claremont. “We live in a rural area and there is a huge bounty available but most people don’t know how to tap into it. They don’t know where to get it. And then those that do know, don’t have time to drive a half hour one way for dairy and a half hour the other way for meat. The goal is to have it all in one place.”

Woodman, whose husband, Charlie, owns a construction business, said positive feedback encouraged her to develop the plan. Since February, they have been renovating the space with new shelving and other changes.

“It was just something that kept coming up, with people wanting to buy locally produced food and being more conscience where their food comes from,” Woodman said. “I just kind of grabbed onto it, sent out some market surveys and took an entrepreneur class with the city. It has been building for a while and feedback has been popular.”

Woodman said they work with many small producers, many of whom do not have the time or capital to merchandise their products. One example Woodman gave is a small artisan cheesemaker in Walpole, whose products will be available in the 100 Mile Market. “We are building relationships with the farmers and with the producers,” Woodman said.

Woodman said they will eventually have a website but for now, people can find them on Facebook.

“We already have 700 followers on our Facebook page,” Woodman said.

Planned hours are Saturdays 9-3, Sundays 10-2, and Tuesday-Friday 8 to 6. For more information call 603-504-6271.

 Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.