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Have you ever wished you could skip the grocery store lines and still fill your pantry with fresh, wholesome food? Or wanted to support your neighbors while enjoying truly local, seasonal meals? If so, it might be time to begin (or deepen) your journey into building a local food community.
While eating local and seasonal might feel like the latest lifestyle trend, it’s really a return to what our ancestors did naturally: growing, sharing, and eating food close to home. In today’s world, this kind of community doesn’t always exist by default, but with a little intention, it can absolutely be cultivated.
The current trendiness of seasonal eating and local food for that matter might make it a bit easier for you to build your local food network. However, it’s not always as obvious or as easy as walking through a large grocery store.
Building a local food community takes a bit of time but is a worthwhile pursuit and once it’s established it is just as easy as hitting the grocery store.
Let’s talk about some simple, doable ways to build your own local food community while still living your very modern and likely busy life.
Grow Something Yourself
Not everyone has a ton of space for gardens or even the inclination to keep a large garden. There’s nothing wrong with that, however; most everyone can grow a pot of herbs in the window.
This simple act of homegrown produce does so much for our independence and connection to the earth and our local food community.
Talk to Your Local Farmers
Go to the farmer’s market, attend open farm days, volunteer. Get to know your local farmers. Talk to them, they generally love to talk about what they’re doing and they are a wealth of information. They are generally the basis of our seasonal eating meal plans and more.
You need to actually talk to people and get to know them and their food options. We can not build a local community of any kind without being active community members.
They are your first line not only to local food but to other folks interested in local food. They generally know and work with other farmers, producers, and community members and can help you get in touch with these people.
Take Notice of Your Food Shed
When walking around your neighborhood or community take notice of what’s growing. Are there fruit trees being neglected? Does a neighbor have a huge rhubarb patch? Be willing to knock on the door and ask for the plums from that neglected tree. Ask for some extra rhubarb, etc.
Don’t just take either, offer as well. Offer to trade some of the finished product from whatever you take, some homemade jam for the plums might be more than welcome.
Be respectful when harvesting, treat the property and plants as you would your own.
Eventually your neighbors might just bring you the gifts of things they don’t want or need without asking.
Forage for Wild Edibles
Wild food is all around us—often right under our feet. Learn what’s edible in your area and remember many things we can already identify are edible and tasty: think dandelions, violets, rose hips, and more.
It’s not always about mushrooms, which can be a more advanced foraging adventure. Know the berries too that you can freely pick and eat for your part of the world.
Always double (and triple) check your identification. Take a class or go out with an experienced forager.
Foraging is a fun and empowering way to supplement your meals, especially in seasons of abundance.
Buy in Bulk
Buy large shares of local produce including meat products. Buy the side of beef or whole hog. Yes, the initial outlay of cash is more when buying animal products on the hoof but most of the time it will be less expensive for the higher quality meats.
Buy the whole chickens and learn how to break them down yourself or roast them whole and enjoy the leftovers. Learn to use all the fat and bones that come along with such purchases.
Ask for seconds from orchards and farmers. Seconds are the ugly or odd-sized bits of produce. Farmers often have a hard time selling those items at market and are often willing to give price breaks to customers who don’t care. This helps your budget stay on track while also supporting a local business.
Learn to Preserve Food
Everything has a season, make the most of seasonal foods by learning to preserve them for later. This doesn’t have to mean 300 jars a year and a root cellar.
It can simply mean a few dehydrated herbs, maybe some frozen shredded zucchini, and a couple jars of jam.
Do what’s right for your climate and home but do try to save some things from this season for the next.
Look to People not Just Businesses
Attend seed swaps and gardening seminars in your local area. Get to know people and look for opportunities to barter.
It’s a mistake to think that the local food community is only those businesses selling at the farmers market. Look for the neighbor who shares extra produce, connect with the woman at church who knows how to make sourdough, ask the coworker to teach you how to can.
If you’re on Facebook, check for listings in your geographic area for gardeners, yard sale swaps, even food swapping. These groups often share, trade, and sell produce, plants, eggs, animals, baked goods, kefir grains and more amongst members. It’s a great way to trade extras and learn more about your area. These people may already be the foundation of your local food community.
Place Ads
Advertise on Craigslist or other local venues. Place ads asking to pick extra fruit or nuts, again offering to trade extra jam, etc. If you’re having trouble finding someone to help you learn about wild edibles, run an ad seeking a teacher. You might be surprised what turns up.
Use a free service so that your ads don’t cost anything just in case the results are underwhelming. Still use the internet to your benefit even when building a local food community.
A Gentle Reminder
It’s easy to focus on the food itself, but it’s the people behind the food who truly create the community. Start small, stay curious, and be generous. Over time, your local food web will grow stronger and with it, your sense of connection and resilience.
You don’t have to do everything at once. Pick one idea that feels doable and try it this week.
Keep the doors open for new things and the community will build quietly and slowly over time.
This local community may or may not replace the grocery store but it will definitely help you feel less dependent on things that are trucked in from far away while also building up a community of people.
this is great, Kathie!
Thank you so much Robin!
I live in an area with many summer visitors and many of them will walk around the neighborhoods. If I am out working in the garden and have extra vegetables I always ask if they would like some. I have yet to be turned down and feel good about paying it forward and to making new friends. I had one woman who saw I had planted Mache this spring just to try it. She stopped by and told me about her grandmother who always planted this lettuce growing up in Germany. She then proceeded to tell me how to harvest it. (I had no idea) Gave her some and then she came back with her mother to expand on the story. It was great and now I am getting ready to plant my fall crop of it more confident than I was in the spring.