Working Hard at Winnipesaukee Woods Farm

ALTON — There is a question Aaron and Liz Lichtenberg often get from people curious about farming. “What do you guys do all winter?” many people ask.

As the hard-working owners of Winnipesaukee Woods Farm, Aaron and Liz certainly don’t put their feet up and watch television all winter. There is a lot to do, year round, and Aaron and Liz embrace being farmers.

People are surprised to learn the farm grows products in winter as well as summer. Said Aaron Lichtenberg, “Whether we’re ‘overwintering’ a crop, or actively harvesting it, it is possible to grow all year, even in a minus-15 degree New Hampshire temperature. We have what’s called a ‘high tunnel’ that is unheated. To most folks this would look like any other greenhouse, which it basically is, but we grow directly in the ground (Whereas, in a greenhouse you don’t). The only other protection against the cold we use is called ‘row cover,’ spun-bonded material translucent to sunlight and permeable by water. Every layer of covering is like moving one whole zone to the south... Right now, in our high tunnel, we are growing, and actively harvesting, spinach – the true rock-star of winter vegetables – and we are overwintering snapdragons, poppies, agrostemma, nigella, dianthus, cynoglossum, ranunculus, and eucalyptus, for our cut flower business.”

With spring upon us, Lichtenberg said, “One good thing about running this business is there is nothing typical about our days. We can make a ‘to-do’ list a mile long and something else will get our attention that we didn't expect... the row-cover blew off in last night’s storm, the irrigation pump stopped working, etc. Honestly, Liz also being an educator, in addition to helping run our small business, deserves the real kudos for working two jobs most of the year, and giving up her summers to farm.”

Farming is in Aaron and Liz’s blood, but when they moved to the Lakes Region, the couple were not experienced farmers. Lichtenberg recalled, “We got started with a garden, after moving to Alton, and buying our house 12 years ago. We chose to rip up the entire yard around our house and install gardens instead of grass.”

With fields located not far away, the couple are on-site to tend their crops. Winnipesaukee Woods Farm sells vegetables to select locations in the area. As well as growing vegetables, the couple offer large-batch prepared jarred goods at local locations.

The business has certainly grown over the years. “I got my start working for Beans & Greens (in Gilford) our first summer up here, and after that I chose to lease land and start our business,” Lichtenberg explained. “It was difficult in the beginning. Without workshops and continuing education opportunities, the learning path would have been doubled. Organizations like UNH Cooperative Extension host educational opportunities, and without them we'd be in real trouble. Further, since we sell commercially, we must have a pesticide license to spray anything (and I mean anything). To keep my license active, we must get CE credits. UNH Cooperative Extension hosts these educational opportunities for us to get them. The organization is a real asset to us all over the state.”

Concerning the planning — year round — involved in running Winnipesaukee Woods Farm, Lichtenberg said, “The planning process is time consuming, with ordering some seeds before the current growing season hasn’t even ended. Or in the case of our most recent tulip order, this year’s tulips are still covered in snow. Our minds are operating 6-12 months out, at least. Heck, we’re booking 2023 weddings right now.”

The wedding side of the business began due to Liz’s love of growing flowers and creating wedding florals. Liz has long been interested in flowers, and Winnipesaukee Woods Farm has almost always grown them, even when they were doing more vegetable growing. “That has changed, and now we grow mostly flowers,” said Lichtenberg. “It has been amazing to see Liz’s talent grow into a recognized legitimate art form. She has worked hard at learning how to execute many challenging projects. I would be remiss to not mention some of our new florist/designer supporters, as they have been one of the reasons for growth in that area. In no certain order: Riverstone Floral Design, Lakes Region Floral Studio, Prescott Florist, The Fuchsia Peony, EH Floral... and the list goes on.”

Making prepared products with co-processor Genuine Local grew from the farm’s community supported agriculture program. “When you’re trying to grow veggies and provide food for 100 families, starting in late May, having more than just scallions, chard and lettuce to start the season is important,” Lichtenberg said. “We wanted to have more value to give our CSA members, and we wanted to ‘save’ waste from the farm. ‘Ugly’ carrots culled from the harvest could be turned into spicy carrot relish, caterpillar-eaten kale could turn into kale and black bean soup. That whole part of the farm wouldn't be possible without Genuine Local. They run a certified kitchen in downtown Laconia. They give small businesses like ours the opportunity to do small-batch productions. They provide the support staff to make the products, with a full professional bottling line, and they help with label design and printing, and they can help us strategize packaging options.”

Lichtenberg continued, “Beyond selling fresh vegetables, like spinach, we have a whole line of prepared goods, some of which are packed for retail, and some have more of a restaurant pack size. We make many different things from basil maple vinaigrette to pickled jalapenos, salsas, and hot sauces to candied jalapenos and enchilada sauce.”

Although the couple enjoy a good cheeseburger when they eat out, they cook a lot at home. “I cannot say we have a favorite dish,” Lichtenberg said. “However, if I had to pick something coming out of our kitchen, it would be Korean food, or Korean-adjacent foods. We recently made a big pot of ramen broth we will bottle up and have on the shelf to choose from, and we’ve got about five gallons of kimchi from last fall's production."

As with all farmers, change is important. “Our land base changed in 2019, when we were running the CSA and growing 35 different kinds of veggies,” said Lichtenberg. “We had over two acres at our disposal. Now we are only on 1/4 acre, so we had to change what and how we grow in a big way. We still grow some veggies on the farm, like spinach and other greens, some carrots, and garlic, but our relationships with other farmers in the Lakes Region cannot be understated. We can source 90% of our ingredients for our jarred goods locally. Whether I'm getting tomatoes from Beans & Greens, or kale from Moulton Farm, or jalapenos from Red Manse Organic Farm in Loudon, or bell peppers from Picnic Rock Farm in Meredith, we're able to make our products without having to grow all of them ourselves.”

These days, Winnipesaukee Woods Farm sells almost all their veggies and jarred goods wholesale. Added Lichtenberg, “Whether you're having a breakfast sandwich at Wayfarer, with our greens and pickled jalapenos, a meal at Local Eatery, they buy our carrots and spinach, or you are at the Gilford Village Store to pick up some of our jarred goods, they also buy from us for their kitchen, you’re supporting two local businesses in one purchase.”

Due to the popularity of their products, Lichtenberg emphasized, “Our plans involve finding a farm property we can own and live on. Leasing land has always been unstable and hinders our ability to plan long-term, or reinvest in the business with long-lasting infrastructure. However, this current crazy housing market is a real challenge for us. But our plan is to get on a piece of ground for good.”

Reflecting how Winnipesaukee Woods Farm has grown over the years, Lichtenberg said, “We have had generous community support and we have a dogged commitment to growing. This business is super tough, with long hours and year-round attention that doesn’t leave much room for anything else. But our supporters over the years have always been enthusiastic about what we do.”

To learn more about Winnipesaukee Woods Farm, visit www.winniwoodsfarm.com.