What, When, How and Where . . . for Preserving
Whether you are experienced at preserving food, or this is your first season of stocking the pantry, we are fortunate that in most regions of the country we have access to many sources of good local produce and more ways to do that appear every year.
In this article we’ll be discussing some of those avenues and sharing some of the sources of each in Pierce County , Washington
What
CFPA's goal continues to be to strengthen local food systems by supporting local farmers, producers, and by working to make high quality, nutritious, and affordable food available to everyone
When
Although the weather patterns shift from year to year, the seasons are consistent enough for the development of some Seasonal Guides. Here is just such information from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA)
Fruits, Legume, and Herbs:
Pickyourown.org has a slightly different take in their Washington State Typical Crop Ripening Dates/Harvest Calendar: https://pickyourown.org/WAharvestcalendar.htm
How & Where
There are a multitude of ways to source the produce you need as fresh ingredients when stocking your pantry for year-round opportunities.
- Direct from Farmers
- Farmer's Markets
- Discount Retail
- Sharing Groups
- Barter Groups
- Shared Resources
- Gleaning Programs
Direct from Farmers
Four different products made with excess red onions
Photo courtesy of Tori Brewster
Photo courtesy of Tori Brewster
This can take several forms, Community Sponsored Agriculture (CSA), Farm Stands, You-Pick, or all three.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
Some CSAs offer other products like nuts, meats, cheese, preserves and even baked goods. And some deliver the product all at once when it is ready. An example of one that I work with is Dinner Time Farm that raises for sale whole and half hogs. They take a deposit and then monthly payments starting in February/March. The hog are processed, frozen and available for pick-up around mid-September. Shares are sold out for 2021 but contact Gavin Dinnel at dinnertimefarm at gmail dot com to get on the mailing list to be notified for 2022.
Farm Stands
Some farms have their own facilities and sell directly to the public. Some of the ones CFPA has worked with include: Duris Cucumber and Strawberry Farm, Sterinos Farm, and Spooners Berries,
You-Pick
Many are accessible for berries and tree fruit. Pick Your Own.org has an extensive list for Washington at https://www.pickyourown.org/WA.htm
Farmers Markets
What is a farmers market? A farmers market is a public and recurring assembly of farmers or their representatives selling the food that they produced directly to consumers. (From https://farmersmarketcoalition.org/education/qanda/)
Due to the new safety considerations required by the COVID-19 pandemic, many Farmers markets are encouraging and supporting“Pre-Ordering” where customers contact the farmers and other vendors, ordering in advance so the market becomes a pick-up site.
Discount Retail
Valley Liquidation. Prices and selection vary based on stock so it pays to follow their Facebook page to stay on top of specials. I’ve been able to get pounds of roma tomatoes for under 70 cents a pound. They also have a different discount for every day of the week including Military on Mondays, and Seniors 55+ on Tuesdays. https://www.facebook.com/ValleyLiquidation9813/
Gardens
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| image courtesy of Harvest Pierce County |
Buying Groups
“An association of companies or individuals who use their combined purchasing power to achieve the best prices from suppliers” - Collins Dictionary
One well established one is Eat Local Pierce County https://www.eatlocalpiercecounty.org/vendors.html
Sharing Groups
Food is Free, while geared to individuals and families, sometimes reports large amounts of a product coming in. Like a recent exchange of potatoes and onions from Eastern Washington, shown in this report by King 5 News.
It is worthwhile supporting their work and following their Facebook page to see when there might be excess. https://www.facebook.com/foodisfreetacoma/
It is worthwhile supporting their work and following their Facebook page to see when there might be excess. https://www.facebook.com/foodisfreetacoma/
This looks like an ongoing project
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| photo from Fair Tradin' Barter event |
Barter Groups
Recent events have really limited in person events with many groups moving online. An example of a group I’ve worked with is Fair Tradin’ Online Barter. But there are many more out there large and small. https://www.facebook.com/FairTradin/
Try a simple browser search, or search on social media to find one in your neighborhood.
Shared Resources
Find out more from their home page https://swancreekparkfoodforest.weebly.com/about.html
Curran Apple Orchard
Sponsor and care for a tree and get the apples http://www.curranappleorchard.com/adopt-a-tree
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| image courtesy of Harvest Pierce County |
Gleaning Programs
Harvest Pierce County runs The Gleaning Project, a volunteer powered program that works to reduce local produce waste, provide more fresh food to those in need, and build community. Glean Teams harvest from both farms and backyard fruit trees, then share the bounty with local food banks, shelters, and families in need. Volunteers also take a portion home as a thank you for all their hard work! https://piercecd.org/196/Gleaning-Project
Updated 6.6.2021
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