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.
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 : August, Menu Ideas, U-Pick Farms
People often think eating locally grown organic food is expensive. That can be true of some products, but there are nearly always ways to keep costs in line. For example, you can pick produce yourself and pay less. Many small farms in Whatcom County have u-pick operations. 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
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.
