Granite State Growers: Brookford Farm

It’s no surprise that agritourism is on the rise in New Hampshire, because fall is all about farms. From leaf peepers pulling over on the Kancamagus for a piping hot cup of apple cider, to teenagers running through flashlight corn mazes and pick-your-own apples galore, the state comes alive every fall as tourists and Granite Staters alike flock to local farms. New Hampshire’s local farms are the backbone of our communities, and many of them offer unique and interesting experiences that are as fresh as their produce; with the hope that visitors will stop by and stay a while, and then keep coming back.

Here’s a look at some of New Hampshire’s fabulous farms:

Brookford Farm, Canterbury (profile below)
LaValley Farms, Hooksett
Moulton Farm, Meredith
Miles Smith Farm, Loudon
Brookdale Fruit Farm, Hollis
Vernon Family Farm, Newfields

Brookford Farm, Canterbury

Courtesy photo/ Sunflowers in full bloom, just in time for the annual Sunflower Soiree.

After graduating college with a degree in anthropology and realizing that he didn’t want to work in a museum, Luke Mahoney had a  career change.  

“I had always been a hands-on, hands in the dirt, physically active guy,” Mahoney says. “I wanted to stay outside, and agriculture seemed like a good place for me. I wanted to have a positive impact on the world, and I thought organic farming would be a good place to end my search.”

With no prior experience, Mahoney started farming and apprenticing in Pennsylvania. Eventually, that led him to farming in Russia, where he met his wife, and to Germany, before settling down in New Hampshire. 

“I was in Russia in 1999, which was not long after the fall of the Soviet Union,” Mahoney says. “I was in rural Russia, in a region that centered on agriculture. The farms were humongous and the whole community supported the industry. I sharpened my teeth on machinery and repairs, and (I learned how to be) innovative, creative and spontaneous. It was an incredibly formative experience.”

From Russia, Luke and his family moved to his wife’s native Germany, where Luke continued his training in diversified organic farms before moving across the pond to New Hampshire, where the family remains today.

Tomatoes growing on the vine.

 New England’s community orientation and quaint way of living, coupled with New Hampshire’s legislations on raw dairy, made the Granite State the perfect place to start their dairy farm.

“We had an incredible opportunity in Rollinsford for 300 acres of land, with all the equipment and milking parlors set up. We couldn’t pass it up,” Mahoney says. “Without that, it would’ve never happened. It took us a while to fill it, but over the five years that we were there, we feel like we filled that 300 with activity.”

For more than 12 years, Brookford Farm has called Canterbury their home. Their vision for a diversified farm, where different species of plants and animals are grown and raised, is in full swing. With 40 species of vegetables, dairy cows, beef cows, sows, chickens, eggs and more, along with their events and their annual Sunflower Festival, Brookford Farm is hoping to do it all. 

Mahoney hopes that this year, they can drive more traffic to their farm store, and get more people to attend their events and visit the farm. The ultimate goal is to become a regular part of people’s lives.

Poster from this past year’s spring plant sale.

“We’re only one mile off of I-93,” Mahoney says. “We want to see people come to our farm more and more. That’s why we’ve gotten into events.”

Brookford Farm’s events begin in May with the annual Heifer Parade, which celebrates the seasonal transition and the heifers going to grass. This past June, the farm hosted a Strawberry Jam-Borree, which was a massive success, and they hosted Hideaway Circus for a Circus on the Farm night. 

“We’d like to do more interesting shows, and marry different art forms with agriculture,” Mahoney says.

“Our next event is our Sunflower Soiree,” Mahoney says. “It’s a really cool, and has pick-your-own sunflowers, cow pie bingo, live music and so much more. This year, the Soggy Po Boys are playing. Then, we’re doing a Pumpkins and Puppets event in the fall, which will have larger-than-life puppets.”

According to Mahoney, the best way to support the farm is by going to an event, or by stopping at the farm store. 

“Direct support to the farm and events, without the middle man, is the most beneficial,” he notes. “And tell your friends and neighbors!” brookfordfarm.com