I am still looking to locally source a number of items I consider staples. These things could grow in my foodshed, but I haven’t been able to find anyone growing them here on my own. If anyone happens to know where I could get these things, please let me know. If I have to, I’m willing to go outside the 100 miles to source from a human being with a name.
Has anyone found any of the following (a locavore twist on Go Fish):
- dry beans (lentils, cannellini, black, black-eyed peas, and so on)
- nuts (hazelnut/filberts, walnuts, chestnuts)
- mushrooms (I’ve found some but would love a variety)
- artichokes
- pork supplier making pancetta, bracciole, prosciutto, and so on…
- escarole (looks like lettuce, goes great with cannellini beans in escarole and bean soup-with a litlle pancetta, OMG…)
- pre-made pasta, bread, crackers, using local ingredients. (I enjoy making these from scratch, but not daily. )
If you happen to be a farmer reading this, please consider growing some of these things. I understand the land in Connecticut and New York might make it cost prohibitive, but if you were wondering if there was a market, there is!
on Mar 30th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Yes! Dry beans you can get through Wild Hive. They have a bean supplier right next to them, and I ordered through Wild Hive. Here’s the website:
http://www.cayugapureorganics.com/live/
I can’t get in touch with them directly, but Wild Hive stocks their beans in their new cafe/store, and they sent me the beans right along with the regular flour orders. I think I got navy, kidney, black, and jacob’s cattle last time, each in 15-20 lbs.
Nuts I am still on the hunt for, as with pre-made grains. But Nate’s Granola might be getting stuff from Wild Hive soon, so who knows, we might have something.
on May 9th, 2009 at 8:50 am
We got chicory from our CSA last summer, which is the same plant as escarole, just a different stage of development. Our farmer has been doing a whole lot of branching out, trying new crops. Other farmers who serve our local markets have also been growing an increasing diversity of vegetables.
The only local mushrooms I ever encounter are Chicken of the Woods, foraged by our CSA farmer. He sells most of them at market for something on the order of $10/pound, but we get a teaser bit in our CSA shares once or twice a summer, too.
I’m right outside of Boston, so outside your foodshed, and I’d hate to see you burning gallons and gallons of gas to come here to shop. Hopefully, those same foods will show up in season at a farmer or farmers market near you.