By Stacee
The front room of GRuB’s farmhouse slowly filled with people as, one by one, 19 folks entered the space. Many looked tentative, unsure what to do. Each heaved boxes or baskets of homemade goods, ready to trade with other bakers, canners, cooks, and gardeners assembled for Olympia Food Swap’s inaugural event.
The idea of a food swap is simple: People gather to celebrate and trade homemade, homegrown, or foraged goods.
As the recent fall evening grew dark, light emanated out the open front door, mirroring the warmth of the greetings inside. Olympia Food Swap co-organizer Kathleen Moore was quick to say hello, explain the process, and put first-time swappers at ease.
Kathleen attended her first food swap in Portland last summer, which was hosted by Kate Payne, the godmother of food swapping and author of The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking. Incidentally, the writer’s cousin, Carolyn, works at GRuB and was also in attendance at the Oly swap.
After seeing a post on GRuB’s Facebook page suggesting someone organize a food swap in Olympia, Kathleen volunteered, only asking that GRuB open its space for the event. She then put out the call for other interested volunteers and Jeriann Schriner and Kathleen’s longtime foodie friend Brooke Guthrie also jumped on board.
The goodies coming through GRuB’s door were impressive in quantity, variety, and creativity of packaging. Rows of jams and breads, salsa and chocolates, newly harvested vegetables and fresh eggs took up every inch of table space. Swappers set out descriptive labels, ingredient lists, and samples of their wares.
The room buzzed with women – and a couple of men – chatting about their products and getting to know one another.
Kathleen brought plum barbeque sauce, raw milk kefir, dried and brandied cherries, sauerkraut, and a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast for making kombucha, a tea-based beverage.
Brooke also brought a cavalcade of delicious delicacies to the swap: carrot marmalade, dandelion syrup, pickled garlic, zucchini preserves, blueberry jelly, peach ginger jam, rose mint tea, parsley pesto, and garlic scape pesto – all made from local ingredients.
She looked over the impressive array. “Now I’m thinking I should have brought even more,” Brooke said.
Jeriann displayed kale chips and sprouted quinoa pizza crust. “I’m really excited,” she said, watching participants set up. “It definitely gives me ideas for next time, as far as packaging. Some people have gone all out and it’s so cute.”
Once everyone had set up and settled in, Kathleen spoke. “The swap is a great way to swap food and not money,” she began.
She then outlined the logistics of the event. Participants check out all the available goods, write their name and product they want to offer for trade on a sheet of paper next to their desired items, and then enjoy a potluck dinner before the actual swapping starts.
“And don’t feel bad if you don’t want to trade with someone because it doesn’t fit with your dietary needs or you already have 27 jars of strawberry jam at home,” Kathleen said. “No hard feelings, it’s just a fun thing.”
She closed by announcing an area where freebies were displayed for participants to peruse and, theoretically, clean out. “I brought some giant zucchini and I’m not bringing them home,” Kathleen said to laughter.
Two sisters from Vancouver, Washington, Sharon Rahm and Kathryn Rahm, who met Kathleen at the Portland event, came to support the new venture – and, of course, get their swap on.
Kathryn planned to employ the same strategy in Olympia that she used at the Portland swap. “I didn’t say no to anybody,” she said, “because I wanted to try everything. And it was all just fabulous. I didn’t come home disappointed with anything.”
“Those ladies put in so much effort,” said Kathleen, standing in front of the sisters’ table, piled high with decorative fabric-covered jars of sweet pickles, peach mango ketchup, sour cherry jam, and much more. “They brought some amazing stuff and it was so beautifully presented.”
Many swappers paid special attention to detail in the presentation of their goods. Erica Mulherin packaged four fabulous flavors of macarons in clear plastic tubes finished with labels that would be right at home in any gourmet specialty store. (Read her blog post about the event here.)
The swap officially began and folks mingled, sampled, oohed and aahed, dished up some dinner, and made new friends. After the actual swap, folks left with smiles, weighed down by new products to nibble and enjoy.
“I think it went really well,” Kathleen said the following day. “Everyone seemed thrilled with their loot. I know I am.”
Twenty-six participants pre-registered for the event, but the final tally of 19 worked well in the space. “GRuB told us 25 to 30 was the maximum they would recommend,” said Kathy. “For the size of the space, I thought it worked really well and the energy was definitely there. We could have accommodated a few more, no problem.”
The group hopes to make the swap a regular happening. The next event is tentatively planned for December – with the potential addition of craft items, perfect for holiday gift giving.
For more information about future Oly Food Swaps, keep tabs on their website or Facebook page.
