I just found a wonderful website for garden farmers
and cooks interested in sustainable techniques and fresh produce.
It's called Gardens to Tables. Ann Shepphird,
affectionately known as the Community Gardener,
is one of several writers encouraging a hands-on approach to
producing your own food, whatever size plot you own or borrow.
Because Farm Stay U.S. is about reconnecting with the land (and
the land provides our food), and because Ann's article below
specifically talks about farmer's markets (and many of our farms
sell what they produce this way), I thought this was a good
fit.
After you have read her piece, check out the farm and ranch
stays we have listed in Montana. You will find a wide variety
of offerings, from the large operations of Averill's Flathead Lake
Lodge in Bigfork to small ones like Serenity Sheep Farm in
Belgrade.
Beyond the Farmer's Market in Whitefish,
Montana. By Ann Shepphird. Originally posted 19 July
2009
A great way to get to know a community is to visit its
Farmers Market. The Farmers Market in Whitefish, Montana, located
in Northwest Montana, is no exception. Held every Tuesday evening
from May through September, there are booths with fresh fruits and
vegetables, flowers, baked goods, arts and crafts -- even soap made
from buffalo tallow. Music is playing and it often appears everyone
in the town has come out.
But Whitefish has taken the farm-to-table concept one
step further and also provides a map to the farms and fresh food
found throughout the Flathead Valley, produced by an organization
called FarmHands, which has as its mission "connecting people with
working lands." (Note: they also offer a groovy "Who's Your
Farmer?" bumper sticker.)
The map identifies more than 70 farms, plus seasonal
farmers markets in Kalispell, Whitefish, Bigfork, West Glacier and
Columbia Falls, a harvest calendar AND the names of local
businesses -- restaurants, hotels and markets -- that buy from
local farms. The map and the groovy bumper sticker are available at
the farmers market and in businesses throughout town. For more
information on FarmHands, contact Barb Brant at
barbb@coffeetraders.com
The town of Whitefish is ideal for those who love
outdoor adventure -- with summer offerings that include hiking,
biking, kayaking, rafting and horseback riding, plus easy access to
Glacier National Park, which is celebrating its centennial in 2010
-- and for those who enjoy returning from those adventures to a
great meal in a number of wonderful restaurants (that use local
produce!). For more information, visit www.explorewhitefish.com