Information and resources for eating only food locally produced in Whatcom County
Category : About Food Sources, April, Bellingham, Farmers' Markets, Main Dishes, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetarian
Most of the ingredients in this dish, except the butter, were items purchased at the Bellingham Farmers Market from Whatcom County farm vendors on opening day (April 7, 2012). Even this early in the spring, local farmers have an amazing array of vegetables and other foods from which to choose. Continue Reading
Category : About Food Sources, April, Bellingham, Farmers' Markets, Where to Buy Local Food
As I walked toward the Bellingham Farmers Market last Saturday on opening day, the background music started to swell. Was this the climactic scene in my own in-my-head local foods movie? It felt like it, but then I caught sight of the band playing gypsy music and snapped back to reality. The music was real, lively, and fun, and a big circle of people had gathered in the middle of Railroad St. to listen. One wiggly, loose-limbed fellow was displaying his dance moves, and kids were watching with rapt (and painted) faces. Besides that, the sun was out! The Market was definitely off to a running start! Continue Reading
Sustainable Connections is a nationally-lauded local organization with a dedicated Food and Farming Program. A key part of the Program is an annual publication called the Whatcom Food & Farm Finder, and it’s one of the single most useful tools available for anyone interesting in eating local food. The booklet includes a comprehensive directory of farms, farm stands, u-picks, ranchers and fishers who produce food in Whatcom County. It also lists farm events, some basic guidelines about farming practices each farm uses (such as organic, salmon safe, etc.), and primary products grown, all keyed to a County map for easy locating. The Finder also lists restaurants, cafes, caterers, and grocers who support local agriculture.
On April 7 at the Bellingham Farmers Market opening, the brand new 2012 Whatcom Food & Farm Finder will be unveiled. You can pick up your free copy at the Sustainable Connections booth.
After that, find copies at the Community Food Co-op stores, libraries, and other retail locations.
When the Farmers Market opens, I feel like I start to breathe deeply again. Winter eating went pretty well this year because I had prepared for it by canning, pickling, freezing, drying, and fermenting local foods to preserve them. Acme Farms + Kitchen also helped ease our family over the locavore “hunger gap” between the late fall harvest and the first spring market.
That said, I’m ready for the return of a little more variety in our fresh ingredients besides kale, carrots, and potatoes (though I love them all). The opening of the Farmers Market each spring brings the promise of the lavish diversity of summer food coming soon! Continue Reading
Category : About Food Sources, Bellingham, Book and Movie Reviews, Farmers' Markets
Photo by William Warby
For the past decade, US media has carried reports of declining honeybee populations and the impending doom it could mean for food production. I’d seen depressing stories about colony collapse disorder (CCD) where whole hives of bees inexplicably disappear, so it was with some trepidation that I picked up Beekeeper’s Lament by Hannah Nordhaus from the library. However, I wanted to know exactly was happening with our fuzzy little friends. Continue Reading
Category : Bellingham, December, Farmers' Markets, Menu Ideas
Moods at the last Bellingham Farmers Market this year ran the gamut from holiday frivolity to sadness that the season was coming to a close. Farmers were having relaxed and jovial conversations about their winter plans (mostly involving things like chopping firewood or working on projects they hadn’t had time to tackle during the busy summer season). A couple of young women vendors at one booth were talking excitedly about a spa day someone was giving them. Some were glad they were going to be able to stay warm and dry at home for the next few Saturdays. Continue Reading
My visit to the Bellingham Farmers Market last Saturday was the first since the Market was rearranged into its winter configuration. It was like exploring a new Market, except for the delight of finding familiar faces in unfamiliar places. There were a few vendors set up along the sidewalk, and a small handful of the “fast food” vendors on the other side, but most remaining vendors had moved in under the main shelter across from Boundary Bay Brewery. It was nice to see everyone looking relaxed and happy as the busy season begins to wind down on their farms.
Besides picking up our weekly egg CSA from Red Barn Lavender, I didn’t really have a shopping list on this particular day. Instead I was looking for inspiration, something a little unexpected or surprising, that I could turn into a new locavore dish using other autumn ingredients. Continue Reading
Category : About Food Sources, April, Bellingham, Farmers' Markets, Menu Ideas
Bellingham’s Saturday Farmers Market opened last Saturday (April 2)! The weather was daunting, but we here in Whatcom County rarely let that stop us, so there was an enthusiastic crowd. I arrived early in the afternoon, and most farmers I talked with had been doing a brisk business all day. Continue Reading
Category : About Food Sources, Bellingham, December, Farmers' Markets, Menu Ideas
After Thanksgiving, my supplies of local foods were depleted, so we made a family outing to the Bellingham Farmers Market last Saturday. The sun was out, the air was crisp, and we planned to make a quick trip of it.
Most of the north end of the market was vacant, since a lot of the summer produce stands and fast food stalls have shut down for the year. Most of the remaining vendors were under the shelter at the south end. However, there were still plenty of exciting local foods still available. Continue Reading
Category : About Food Sources, Bellingham, December, Farmers' Markets, Holidays, Main Dishes, Menu Ideas, November, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetarian
If you’ve been considering planning a locavore holiday menu this year but thought it might be too hard, I’ve found just the resource for you! Bellingham Farmers Market has made it as easy as can be. Here are two complete local holiday menus, one based on poultry and one vegetarian:
Holiday Menu and Recipes (with turkey or chicken)
Holiday Vegetarian Menu and Recipes Continue Reading
Finding locally grown organic food can be a fascinating treasure hunt, but it also can be time consuming, especially at first. Here are some food finding tips to help jumpstart your locavore lifestyle:
1. Start close to home.
You may have noticed that I mention some farms more frequently than others. That’s because they are the best sources I’ve found close enough to my normal errand routes to be convenient. My goal is to find the quality I want as close to home as possible. I go to Half Acre Farm for u-picking vegetables, but you may be able to locate a u-pick you like closer to where you live. Continue Reading
Category : About Food Sources, August, Farmers' Markets, Lummi Island, Menu Ideas
As we begin to approach the peak harvest season in Whatcom County, I enjoy going to the Farmers Market to look for different or unusual varieties of vegetables I haven’t tried before. Instead of sticking to a shopping list, sometimes I like to let the vegetables themselves inspire my menus.
Zucchini is a familiar ingredient, of course, but this week Hillcrest Farm (Lummi Island) had a variety that was new to me. “Eight Ball” zucchini is almost perfectly round, and each was about the size of a grapefruit. They practically begged to be roasted and stuffed. Continue Reading
Category : About Food Sources, August, Farmers' Markets, Lummi Island, Menu Ideas
Pizza was on my mind as I drove to the Lummi Island Farmers Market last Saturday morning. To make a pizza, I need four things–crust dough, a sauce for the base, toppings, and cheese to melt over it all.
I’d found an unbelievably quick pizza dough recipe I could adapt with local ingredients. For the sauce, I hoped to find some early season tomatoes at the Market, but I knew that was being wishful. Plan B was some leftover Locavore Basil Pesto sauce, that I felt sure would make a good base sauce if I didn’t find enough tomatoes. I also knew I could get some Ferndale cheese later that afternoon when the Artisan Wine Gallery opened for Saturday tastings. Continue Reading
