By Sara Kennedy
Cover photo courtesy of Sara Kennedy
With most farmers’ markets shuttered for the season, it might seem reasonable to take a pass from local eating until warm weather comes around again. Imported foods play an important role in our modern lives, but there are many great reasons to offset a portion of those, even in the winter months. Here are some of my favorite strategies for keeping it local until spring.
Prioritize animal foods—Not only are animal-based foods available year-round, but there is so much variety. Pork from Ramstead Ranch, beef from Lone Crow Ranch, and lamb from Sundog Sheep Co. provide convenient options to pick up a frozen animal side and have nutritious options available in the freezer for months. Rose Hill Farm delivers raw milk all year to local grocery stores like Yoke’s, and I pick up eggs through my LINC Box subscription.
Plan and preserve—In the imaginary world where I have ample time for canning, I load up my pantry with my garden tomatoes and Green Bluff peaches. In the real world, I’ll be leaning on my frozen huckleberries for tastes of summer in muffins and pancakes through the new year.
Embrace winter squash—These are my favorite for so many reasons. I love to sow a mystery mix of winter squash seeds in spring for the whimsical surprise of seeing what the vines will produce. These hard-skinned fruits—classic butternut, silky kuri, hefty hubbard—will keep all winter long, are delightful as decorations and are ready to turn into a myriad of recipes at any moment. Check out the year-round Scale House Market in Spokane for local winter vegetables.
