This Northern Life

Last year, I began my efforts to consume more locally produced food. I've expanded my geographic boundaries of "local" a bit, as I'm striving to increasing the proportion of foods we consume that are made & processed in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho (bonus points if the food comes from the Inland Northwest). I now have a much better idea of foods that are easy to come by locally, and those that are more challenging. So far, dairy products are the clear winner in terms of year-round availability. As I've mentioned before, Spokane Family Farm provides our milk, Tillamook County Creamery Association is the primary source of our butter, yogurt, and some cheese. I buy my eggs from colleagues at work.

Over the past year, I also learned a bit about price and availability differences of local, organic, and conventional/non-local foods. During the summer and fall, local fruits and vegetables are both abundant and inexpensive (and when I'm really lucky, only steps away in the garden!). Local dairy products are less expensive than organic products, sometimes by as much as half, and I know a lot more about how they were produced. The price of local meat varies, depending on source, type, and quantity. I've found another issue with local food is that it requires a little more planning. I have to remember to ask my colleague to bring in the eggs, so it's not something I can get at the last minute. Last week we had a special treat--one of my husband's friends gave us a dozen eggs in a "variety pack"--it included both duck eggs and chicken eggs. The shell on a duck egg is a lot sturdier and really had to be whacked to crack (good for toddlers).

This morning we had a hearty country breakfast waffles with sausage and eggs. Unfortunately, I didn't notify my friend in time that I needed more eggs, so our eggs were not locally produced. However, the sausage came from friends of ours, Jim and Celia Boland, who started a sausage company, Hog Heaven Sausage Works. Jim and Celia were able to get their facility federally (USDA) inspected, giving the Palouse a source of high quality, locally produced meats available for retail.

The other great part about breakfast this, and every morning, is that we get to enjoy it on the country kitchen table that my husband made last summer. We have such a small dining area, that is very narrow, but we really wanted a table that could seat six. So my husband created a table to fit the space. As a bonus, it matches the pantry shelves he made me two years ago, and I have a delightful little pantry area reminiscent of an old fashioned general store.