November 4, 2012: I attended the Urban Food Fair put on by Backyard Barter.
Backyard Barter is both a website that works as a social network for folks to share and trade what they produce and a organization that puts on events like this Urban Food Fair that featured a barter session.
There was a wide variety of stuff you could barter. Produce from your garden...
...soap...
...vanilla extract, hot pepper sauce, granola, homemade sodas...
...homemade goat cheese, ice cream (!), worms (!!!), eggs...
...home-baked bread...
...sourdough starter, bagels, sock monkeys and other crafts, seed packets, chocolates, and LOTS more. I didn't barter this time (more on what I was doing there in a sec) but my friend Brook did and she noted that unusual and interesting items are the way to go. Her peach preserves were beautiful and delicious, but people tend to go for really unique items.
So I was there to be a jam judge! We tasted a variety of jams, and we all found it was serious business! There was a lot to consider - how well it was canned, appearance, texture, and of course, taste. I judged alongside Chris Hudyma of Food Revolution of Snohomish County, prize-winning gluten-free pie maker Becca Knox, and longtime friend-of-FPS Brook Hurst Stephens of Learn To Preserve.
The winners were two strawberry jams, and they were both in the family! Nancy won first prize with a very nicely-balanced strawberry-balsamic, and Jacob won second with his strawberry freezer jam. Becca, who was a jam judge with me, won second prize in the separate pie contest with her gluten-free apple pie.
There was also a cider press for fresh cider.
The event also had a pie walk. Our jam judging team was meant to be pie-related winners that day: in addition to Becca's win in the pie contest, judge Chris's daughter won THREE pies in the pie walk. Chris actually had to go check to make sure it wasn't a mistake, but she literally won three pies.
And Seattle Farm Co-op was there to offer help to urban gardeners. They have a barter happening on Sunday, November 11, 2012. More info on that on the last slide.
And the fair featured several workshops.
Here, local hog farmer Luke Conyac taught us how to make sauerkraut. (His farm also offers hog butchery-related classes, I will list them on FPS when I see them.)
Lindsay Nickel of Bear Soap showed us how to make cold-process soap. And she gave out samples AND my friend Brook won a gift basket. Hey. I just realized all the jam judges won something but me. Harrumph.
But I did have the chance to meet some new folks and tell them abotu the site, so that was great.
I shared a table with Brook, who had a great display showing what you can do with two pounds of roma tomatoes.
You can can them, dry them, dry them and store in oil, or dry and pulverize into powder.