Valerie Brodie – Baker – Mother of 4 Boys
I’m Valerie. I love to bake. I grew up watching & helping my Dad make all sorts of different breads for our Sunday dinners. As a very young girl, I loved sitting on my Grandma’s counter and being taught how to measure out the ingredients when we baked. There is a coziness that comes with homemade baked goods. Now as a Mom, I bake for and with my boys. It brings a sense of extra love and comfort into our home and is a cherished time together.
We moved to Deerfield in the summer of 2021. Our boys wanted a treehouse and so we decided to have them earn it by “raising some dough”. Thanks to our 2 seasons with the Candia Farmers Market, we have a 200 ft zipline, 10′ deck, stairs, and pulley built. We are hoping to earn enough this summer for a huge spiral slide! We are incredibly grateful to be part of the quaint Candia Farmers Market and for our wonderful customers!
For our 3rd season we will have our most popular items: Cheesy Garlic Swirls, Rosemary Focaccia, Ginger Molasses Cookies, Lemon Crinkle Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies and Cinnamon Rolls
My wife, four kids and two dogs moved here from northern Idaho, by way of Chicago, 3 years ago and currently reside in Derry, NH. We enjoy the area, and it feels and looks like home to us. Three of my kids will be attending Pinkerton Academy next year as a freshman, junior, and senior.
I got into kettle corn due to my love of popcorn and its varieties (i.e. Carmel corn, cheese corn and especially buttered popcorn). Because I make so much of these at home currently, I thought why not try to make some side money doing just that. I have one child trying to obtain his pilot’s license, one child in travel softball and another playing high level hockey. With all the travel, tuition fees and equipment, my family and I needed supplement income to make ends meet and allow the kids to chase their dreams. My youngest is just starting hockey and t ball and is currently in kindergarten. My wife also runs a bakery that you may see around other markets. Between the two of us being vendors, traveling with the kids and all the house duties, we’re an extremely busy family.
I have yet to have obtain a website and I haven’t figured out Facebook yet. I do have an Instagram page called @kenscornnh. My wife is the social media person so she’s working on pages for me. Stay tuned, as more information on those will be developing in the coming weeks.
As a fresh starting business in New Hampshire, we’ve been met with a lot of excitement and friendship in our short time doing farmers markets and have met many friends. We’re hoping to continue our success and meet new people as we travel around selling our products.
You might ask why my company is called Ken’s Corn when my name is Scott. Well, here’s the story:
My middle name is Scott. My first name is Kenneth. I was named after my grandfather and unfortunately disliked that name until his passing, and I appreciated the man he was. I went by Scott due to the numerous Kenneth’s on both sides of my family. When I named the business, I went with Ken’s corn. Yes, because it was “KC” as in “kettle corn” but also because I played college baseball and am a huge baseball fan. George Brett the former third baseman for the Kansas City Royals owned the single-A minor league team in Washington State and northern Idaho where I grew up. He was a local hero. I’m not a Royals fan per say but was a fan of Mr. Brett. Because it has the same initials as Ken’s Corn and Kettle Corn, we wear KC Royals hats as business apparel. Due to trademark issues, I cannot adopt that logo as an official business logo, so we wear it in honor of Ken’s Corn, my grandfather and Mr. Brett and the heritage in which we grew up.
We are Nick and Christy Ortins aka Geary Farms LLC. We started this company with only one goal in mind, to make an impact. We believe no matter how big or small, individual efforts can have a ripple effect beyond comprehension. Geary Farms is committed to partnering with nature to provide restoration, refuge, and sustenance for all. We choose to measure by the metrics of sustainability and ecological health, above all else. What’s good for nature is good for all of us. We practice a no-till approach to farming, we up-cycle items into the garden when we can and we never deal in -cides. If it kills, it kills indiscriminately. We work with nature to provide for you.
We are Richard Ascolillo and Danielle Gomes of Back to Nature Farm. We started our small farm right here in Candia in 2022, with the intention of getting back in touch with our community and to live in alignment with nature.
As we looked around we saw nature dissolving, and our society becoming disconnected from our roots. As the population increased and consumerism invaded the minds of all, we pillaged our forgiving planet. We began factory and monoculture farming, spraying pesticides into the land and destroying our top soil. The world’s Farmland, and the health of those who eat from it, have greatly suffered.
It is now up to farmers and consumers to correct the path we are on, and to feed the future in a sustainable manner. We believe it is not a privilege, but a right for all people to have access to affordable locally grown food. We know the key to this is working with nature, as a humble equal, by employing regenerative farming practices. On our farm every animal and plant plays a key role in the success of our farm. Each product you see has been selected to fulfill the needs of our small farm. We raise chickens for eggs, and the beautiful compost that their manure provides. We raise ducks for eggs, and their natural ability to control pests when allowed to free range. We raise geese because they are raised best on a one-hundred percent grass diet. In large numbers we raise quail, as they are a delicious and a sustainable alternative to chicken. Quail only require one-eighth of the feed that chickens do, in turn bringing down gas emissions from outsourced grain.
Here on Back to Nature Farm we also grow fruits and vegetables with equally as much passion. From a young age Farmer Rich grew vegetables in his garden, a tradition passed down by his family from Italy. Today he uses his natural green-thumb to grow heirloom tomatoes, summer squash, peppers, eggplants, watermelons, cantaloupe, radishes, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, scallions, mushrooms, cucumbers, garlic, spinach, kale, carrots, swiss chard, basil, winter squash, potatoes, sweet corn, pumpkins and more. Perhaps his favorite are his fig trees, a specialty that is hard to come by this far north. Each crop we grow is something that we personally enjoy using in our own kitchen. If you see us, ask about our favorite recipes. Some of which have been handed down through generations from Italy.
We are only in our second year farming and have high ambitions to expand our operation. Our next endeavor will be to add a flock of sheep for both meat and wool. It is our goal to be able to feed Candia and all of our animals right from our own land. Today our power lies in where we shop. By supporting our farm you make it possible for us to continue expanding, and to continue feeding New Hampshire the right way. Our community is stronger together.
You can find us on Facebook at Back to Nature Farm and on Instagram at @backtonaturefarm_. Or visit us at our farm stand at 613 High Street for fresh meat, produce and eggs every weekend.
Members of the Candia Clovers take turns throughout the market season bringing their own handmade or grown items to sell. It is alway fun to see what they will bring! 
