New England garden and homestead sources directory
Official and primary sources for growing calendars, soil tests, seeds, food preservation and small-scale livestock. Every entry links to the page it comes from and shows when we last checked it (2026-10-17). Pages change; check the source.
Listings are for information only. Nothing here is paid placement or an endorsement, and this is not a complete list. Preservation entries point to tested methods only: read the safety notes.
Extension offices, planting guides and helplines
University Cooperative Extension offices are the research-based public source for home gardening in each state. Planting dates below are guides, not guarantees.
- NH UNH Extension: When to Plant Your Vegetable Garden
Per-crop weeks-before/after-last-frost rules. This site's schedule tables use these rules. States that for central NH, Memorial Day is a conservative last-frost estimate.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - NH UNH Extension Education Center (Infoline)
Ask-an-expert contact for home gardening and food preservation questions; phone 1-877-EXT-GROW (1-877-398-4769) per UNH's pages. Link not auto-checked; phone number appears on UNH Extension pages read 2026-10-17.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - NH UNH Extension: Fall Vegetable Gardening
Explains planning fall crops around the first freeze (32°F or less) and notes many fall vegetables tolerate mild frosts down to about 28°F.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - MA UMass Extension (CAFE): Vegetable Planting Chart
Chart for when to sow seeds or set out seedlings; the page lists it as last updated Oct 26, 2016.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - MA UMass Extension: Starting Seeds Indoors
Says that in many areas of Massachusetts the last frost is usually around May 15 and gives weeks-before-transplanting guidance by crop.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - ME UMaine Extension: Planting Chart for the Home Vegetable Garden
Earliest and latest safe planting dates for central Maine; says to plant 10-14 days earlier on the coast and 10-14 days later in northern Maine.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - ME MOFGA: Seed Planting Calendar
Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association calendar for starting, sowing and transplanting; based on USDA Zone 5 and described as approximate.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - VT UVM Extension: Community Horticulture / Master Gardener program
UVM Extension's horticulture and Master Gardener program page. UVM's soil lab page says home soil-test reports are handled through the Master Gardener Helpline.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - CT UConn Home & Garden Education Center
UConn's home gardening help center. UConn's soil-test form lists (877) 486-6271 for plant and garden questions.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - RI URI Gardening & Environmental Hotline
Hotline from URI Cooperative Extension staffed by trained Master Gardeners, per URI's page.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - NH NHPR Homegrown NH: How to know when to start seeds indoors (Feb 6, 2026)
Public-radio gardening segment; says last frost in Zone 5 (where most NH residents live) is typically late May and to watch long-range forecasts.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - RI URI Cooperative Extension: Rhode Island Planting Calendar for Fruits and Vegetables (PDF)
Two-page chart of when to start seeds indoors, sow directly or transplant each crop from February to October; says its dates assume a final frost of May 15 and a first frost of October 15, and to allow for local microclimates. Linked from URI's Gardening Resources page.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - VT UVM Extension: It's Time to Plant Garlic! (Nov 3, 2023)
Extension Master Gardener article; says mid-October to late November is garlic planting time in Vermont depending on the weather, suggests a soil pH of 6-7, and recommends straw mulch to limit winter heaving.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - NH UNH Extension: Cover Cropping for the Home Garden
Fact sheet on choosing, sowing and ending cover crops in New Hampshire gardens; says winter rye can be sown as late as early October in southern NH, while hairy vetch and clovers should go in by September 15.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17
Soil testing for home gardens
A university soil test tells you pH and nutrient needs before you buy amendments. Check each lab's current forms, prices and turnaround.
- MA UMass Soil and Plant Nutrient Testing Laboratory
Order form for home grounds and gardening; the lab says its Modified Morgan method and recommendations were developed for New England soils and climate.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - NH UNH Extension Soil Testing Service
Soil analysis and fertilizer recommendations for homeowners; accepts samples in person or by mail.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - ME University of Maine Analytical Lab and Maine Soil Testing Service
Tests soil, compost, manure, water and more for the public; samples may be mailed or dropped off in Orono.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - VT UVM Agricultural and Environmental Testing Lab
Soil and manure testing for the public; says printable forms are on its site and kits are sold at UVM Extension offices and many garden centers.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - CT UConn Plant and Soil Health Center (soil nutrient testing)
UConn's soil nutrient lab for home gardens, landscapers and lawns; the form says the test is not suitable for soilless media or composts.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - RI URI Gardening Information and Soil Testing (GIST)
URI's soil testing service via events statewide or drop-off/mail-in at the Kingston campus; asks for air-dried samples from the 4-6 inch root zone.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17
Seed and supply companies based in New England
Listed for information only. This is not a ranking or endorsement, and nobody paid to be listed. Many other good sources exist.
- ME Fedco Seeds
Maine worker/consumer-owned cooperative with warehouses in Clinton, ME; says it does not knowingly sell GMOs; retail store and pickup orders at 688 Bellsqueeze Road, Clinton.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - ME Johnny's Selected Seeds (location source)
Seeds, tools and growing supplies; listed as based in Maine in a Beyond Pesticides seed directory brochure. Site says it is 100% employee owned.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - VT High Mowing Organic Seeds (location source)
Sells 100% certified organic seed; listed as based in Vermont in the same Beyond Pesticides brochure.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - ME Wood Prairie Family Farm
Family farm selling organic seed potatoes, vegetable and flower seeds; says it raises organic seed at the edge of the North Maine Woods.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - ME MOFGA: Order Seeds
MOFGA's page on ordering seeds, with a basic planting calendar.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - New England UConn New England Native Plants Initiative: Plant Sources
UConn's list of native plant and seed sources by state; notes local native seed is limited in New England.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17
Food preservation: tested methods only
Home canning can cause serious illness, including botulism, if done wrong. Use only current tested recipes from USDA, the National Center for Home Food Preservation, or a university Extension, and follow them exactly, including altitude adjustments.
- National National Center for Home Food Preservation (University of Georgia)
Research-based canning, freezing, drying and pickling guidance. UNH Extension names it as a source of tested recipes.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - NH UNH Extension: Food Preservation
Hub of fact sheets on canning, freezing, drying and storing food, and workshops.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - NH UNH Extension: What to Look for When Determining the Safety of Home Canning Recipes
Advises using research-based recipes from sources no earlier than 1994, and the most recent USDA, NCHFP or Extension recipes; follow the recipe exactly and adjust for altitude.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - NH UNH Extension: Canning Vegetables in a Pressure Canner
States pressure canning is the only recommended method for canning low-acid vegetables and that boiling-water canners pose a real risk of botulism for them.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - NH UNH Extension: Canning Fruits and Tomatoes
Boiling-water canning for fruit and acidified tomatoes; says to add lemon juice or citric acid to tomatoes per tested directions and to know your elevation.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - NH UNH Extension: Canning Meats, Poultry & Soup
Says meat, poultry and soups are low-acid and need a pressure canner, and that UNH tests dial gauges for accuracy.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - ME UMaine Extension: Food Preservation
University of Maine Cooperative Extension food preservation hub.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - ME UMaine Extension: Preserving the Harvest FAQ
Frequently asked questions on preserving garden produce.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17
Small-scale livestock and backyard poultry basics
Check your town and state rules (zoning, permits, flock limits, animal-health reporting) before getting animals. This site does not give veterinary advice.
- NH UNH Extension: Backyard Livestock
Articles on backyard chickens, breeds, internal parasites, turkeys, hay and egg production.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - NH UNH Extension: Poultry Health & Management for the Small Flock
Fact sheet on keeping a small poultry flock healthy.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - NH UNH Extension: Producing Your Own Eggs
Guide to sources of hens and raising birds for home egg production.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - CT UConn Extension: Backyard Poultry, a Quick Look at Raising Healthy Birds
UConn publication on healthy backyard flocks.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check 200, 2026-10-17 - MA Mass.gov: Best Management Practices for Backyard Poultry Keepers
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) guidance on getting birds from pullorum-tested flocks, housing, manure handling and biosecurity; says to check local bylaws and permits first. The link check gets HTTP 403 (blocked); the page itself was read directly on 2026-10-17.
Last verified 2026-10-17 · link check blocked (HTTP 403); see note