Country store meets organic farm stand at Longhaul Farm Country Store & Garden Centre (Rte. 113, Holderness, 603/968-9333, www.longhaulfarm.com [1], 9 a.m.–4 p.m. daily., or call ahead, May–Oct.). In addition to all kinds of produce and New England specialty products (from homemade jams to organic stone-ground flour), the shop stocks fresh-baked pastries and hand-cut steaks. Stop by on a Friday night between 5 and 7 p.m. for free wine tastings. (To find the farm, drive on Route 113 a mile west of Holderness center.)
If the country store has a sophisticated, modern-day equivalent, it’s probably best embodied by Holderness General Store (863 Rte. 3, 603/968-3446, www.holdernessgeneralstore.net [2], 8:30 a.m.–7 p.m. Mon.–Fri.; 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Sat.–Sun.). Adorable inside and out, the bright, airy aisles are lined with imported French napkins, imported bath products, and designer picture frames. In back, a deli doles out caprese salads and Cubano sandwiches, while the grocery aisles sport gourmet coffees, organic apples, and locally made cheeses.
A cooperatively owned, nonprofit Village Artists & Gallery (51 Main St., Ashland, 603/968-4445, www.villageartistsandgallery.org [3], noon–5 p.m. daily June–March; call for hours in spring) is nirvana for the gift-giver: ceramics and glass made by New Hampshire [4] craftsmen, jewelry and small wooden furnishings, quilts, embroidered shirts, paintings, and original-artwork cards.
Links:
[1] http://www.longhaulfarm.com
[2] http://www.holdernessgeneralstore.net
[3] http://www.villageartistsandgallery.org
[4] http://www.moon.com/destinations/new-england/new-hampshire