Information and resources for eating only food locally produced in Whatcom County
Category : Bellingham, Farmers' Markets, Retail Stores, Where to Buy Local Food
Bellingham Dealsaver (sponsored by the Bellingham Herald) recently offered coupons for Veg Express, a food truck which operates at 700 Ohio St. just off I-5 in Bellingham. Though it’s been in operation for about two years, I hadn’t heard of it before. 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
Category : About Food Sources, CSAs, Whatcom Locavore Basics, Where to Buy Local Food
This list of farms offering Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs was taken from the 2012 Whatcom Food & Farm Finder by permission of the publisher, Sustainable Connections. Wherever possible, the Farm Name is linked to their website for more information. Learn more about what a CSA is and how it works. Continue Reading
Category : About Food Sources, CSAs, Whatcom Locavore Basics, Where to Buy Local Food
Photo by Fir0002
If you read these articles frequently (and may you and your descendants be blessed forever if you do!), you’ve probably seen me mention Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. If you want to start improving the quality of food you eat by buying locally grown ingredients, CSAs are the single easiest way to begin–and to save money! Continue Reading
Category : About Food Sources, CSAs, Home Delivery, Where to Buy Local Food
Last week Acme Farms + Kitchen (AF+K) announced they will soon be opening a storefront location in downtown Bellingham. Along with the location will come some new services. Continue Reading
What comes to mind first when you think of food that represents the Pacific Northwest? It’s no contest for me. I think of salmon.
Salmon is part of my personal history. When I lived in Alaska in my younger years, I spent time working on a salmon fishing tender, and then a gillnetter. For fun I sometimes helped spot salmon from a small plane. For a long time I worked in the office of a large seafood processor. Later I brokered sales of commercial salmon fishing permits and boats, and even large processing ships. These remarkable fish have been a big focus in my life, and I find them fascinating. Continue Reading
Category : About Food Sources, CSAs, Home Delivery, Where to Buy Local Food
Our first delivery from Acme Farms + Kitchen (AF+K) arrived last week, and included an unexpected surprise! I had anticipated the beautiful, high quality organic food. I know some of the farms where the food was grown and they consistently produce nothing less than excellence. The big surprise was the packaging. AF+K has taken “reduce, reuse, recycle” to new heights. Continue Reading
Category : About Food Sources, CSAs, Home Delivery, Where to Buy Local Food
Last week I mentioned the reduced access to locally grown foods during the winter months when the Farmers Markets are closed. This week, in following up on a suggestion from Marvin Fast at Red Barn Lavender Farm, I discovered a new business which provides a perfect solution–Acme Farms + Kitchen (AF+K). Continue Reading
Category : About Food Sources, CSAs, Where to Buy Local Food
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs are one of the easiest ways to get a steady, affordable supply of locally grown foods during the growing season. It also gives a farmer some cash at a time of the year when they are spending money for seeds, and guarantees sale of a percentage of their crops in advance. 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 : Not Available?, Whatcom Locavore Basics, Where to Buy Local Food
When purchasing food for locavore eating, here are the priorities I use: 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.
CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) subscriptions are a terrific way to get started in local eating. You buy a subscription or “share” from a farm offering CSA’s in the early spring. In return you’ll get a bag or box of farm fresh food every week, usually from May through September or so. Here’s the list of farms in Whatcom County offering CSA’s for 2010, according to Sustainable Connections’ March newsletter: Continue Reading
