Information and resources for eating only food locally produced in Whatcom County
Category : About Food Sources, Farm Stands, On the Farm, U-Pick Farms
For years BelleWood Acres has had their farm store in the heart of their apple orchards. As the farm developed, the store began to feel cramped, and owners Dorie and John Belisle wanted to move their retail sales away from their wholesale operation, with its busy trucks, forklifts–you get the picture. on the other side of their farm at 6140 Guide Meridian near Lynden. Continue Reading
Category : About Food Sources, Events, Farm Stands, On the Farm, U-Pick Farms
| September 8, 2012 | ||
| 10:00 am | to | 5:00 pm |
| 10:00 am | to | 5:00 pm |
Next Saturday, September 8, is one of my favorite events every year–the annual Whatcom Farm Tour! It’s a free self-guided tour of farms around the County who open their gates to visitors from 10am to 5pm. A lot of the farms offer special events, rides for the family, tastings, and more during the day. 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.
Category : Farm Stands, Menu Ideas, October, On the Farm, Related Organizations
Anticipation was in the air as we joined other families arriving at Cloud Mountain Farm Center for the second day of their Fall Fruit Festival. Almost immediately my grandson was recruited to try turning the wheel on the apple chopper for the hand cider press. The fun was underway! Continue Reading
| October 1, 2011 | ||
| 10:00 am | to | 5:00 pm |
| October 2, 2011 | ||
| 11:00 am | to | 4:00 pm |
If you’ve never been to one of Cloud Mountain’s Fall Fruit Festivals, next weekend is an opportunity to share the joy! If you’ve been to one before, we’ll see you there!
Cloud Mountain Farm Center, located at 6906 Goodwin Rd., east of Everson, will be hosting their 22nd Annual Fruit Festival, Saturday, October 1 from 10am-5pm, and on Sunday, October 2 from 11am – 4pm. Fruit sampling of over 200 varieties of apples, European and Asian pears, kiwis, table and wine grapes, cider, and jams and jellies of unusual small fruits will take place throughout both days. Continue Reading
Category : Farm Stands, Retail Stores
Cool shade and a nice breeze were a welcome relief when we arrived at Field of Greens, a cooperative farm stand in Everson. Owner Joy Monjure was also welcoming, and invited us to look around.
Joy explained that this was the second season Field of Greens has been open. Joy worked for the City of Bellingham for 23 years, but was laid off in 2009 as part of budget cutbacks. Though it was a shock at the time, she said she gradually began to see it as an opportunity, and started planning her farm stand business. Continue Reading
Crisp fall morning air and bright sunshine set the tone for a delightful visit to BelleWood Acres. Accompanied by several Whatcom Locavore blog readers, we met farmer Dorie Belisle for a guided tour just as her farm store was opening.
Dorie and John Belisle own 62 acres of former dairy land near Lynden, half of which is planted in apple orchards. Their 25,000 trees produce 1.4 million pounds of fruit every year. 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
Anyone who lives in Whatcom County has probably eaten some food produced by the dedicated people at Cloud Mountain Farm near Everson. Have you eaten at Nimbus, Prospect Street Cafe, or Boundary Bay? Enjoyed some of the exotic fruit flavors in Mallard’s ice cream? Some of the ingredients you ate were almost certainly grown at Cloud Mountain Farm. Continue Reading
Category : Farm Stands, July, Menu Ideas, U-Pick Farms
On Thursdays or Fridays I do my locavore shopping, looking for ingredients to inspire these weekly recipes. I usually start at Terra Organica, because all their produce is organic. Next I go to the Community Food Co-op. Both stores label produce sources prominently so local food is easy to find.
Inspiration didn’t strike, though, until I got to Boxx Berry Farm. I stopped there last because it was a warm afternoon, my daughter and grandson were with me, and I had strawberry shortcake in mind. Boxx has outdoor picnic tables and a Shortcake Shack in their farm store where you can get Edaleen ice cream, strawberry sundaes, and strawberry shortcake–delicious! Continue Reading
Category : Farm Stands, June, Menu Ideas
I was in the mood to bake bread this week, so I decided to attempt an improved, locavore grilled cheese sandwich. The Appel Farms Cheese Shoppe immediately came to mind. I remembered their Sweet Red Pepper Gouda, a perfect central flavor. If I sliced the cheese onto homemade bread, added a generous amount of fresh basil leaves, put it onto the grill to melt into gooey perfection…well, my goal was clear. I headed out the door, turning toward Ferndale on Northwest Road, on a quest for the ingredients. Continue Reading
My friend Meredith showed me a relatively new blog this evening written by a woman she knows. The theme is about local food and farms in the Pacific Northwest. It includes dining information, recipes, and ingredient information, but the most stunning feature of the NW Farms & Food website is its interactive farm map.
Select the kinds of foods you are looking for, click the search button, and poof! Little red dots on the map indicate farms that have what you want. Mouse over a dot to see the farm name. Click on a dot to get a page with contact information, a description of products available and farming practices used, links to driving directions, and more.
Check it out! It appears to be very comprehensive, easy to use, and useful.
