Home & Harvest Food Swap
creating community around fine food
Welcome to Home & Harvest Food Swap. We are a group of cooks, bakers, brewers, growers, foragers, and general DIYers who meet monthly to exchange homemade and homegrown items. It is a perfect opportunity to experiment with new recipes, repeat a treasured favorite or share the garden bounty. In return, you get to trade for other foods that you enjoyed sampling.
About Us
Our Swap creates a welcoming environment to meet new folks who share your passion for digging in the dirt or creating in the kitchen and making something delicious out of the experience. No money changes hands but we instead swap recipes, share stories, sample each other's creations, and depart with a basket full of battered goodies.
While we are now a grassroots gathering, we will forever be thankful for Countryside starting this group in January 2013! What fun we have!
Won't you join us? To learn more and register for our next event, read on to discover what we're all about.
Swapping details and more...
celebrating locally sourced food with friends old and new
Calling ALL homemade enthusiasts!
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- do you love to cook/bake & try new recipes?
- is homesteading or foraging your thing?
- have an obsession with canning?
- experiencing a garden glut?
- do you enjoy being crafty?
- have you caught the "do-it-yourself" fever?
- maybe you brew & ferment for fun
- into meeting other unique people like you?
We meet monthly to share delicious food, create friendships, build stronger communities, reduce waste and provide a grass roots response to food access issues.
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Format
Swaps last 1.5 - 2 hours. During the first 30 minutes participants sign-in, get a name tag & swap sheets, enjoy appetizers & set-up their wares/samples. The next hour is for browsing, chatting, sampling and "bidding" where swappers write their names and items they brought on other's sheets to indicate items for which they'd like to trade. Desired trades are written on swap sheets provided by us. During the final 30 minutes, people review their offers to decide what they'd like to exchange before the actual swap occurs.
WARNING - food swaps tend to be habit forming
Rules to swap by
- while free, attendees register for each month's swap
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- children, family, and friends interested in checking out what happens at a swap are welcome
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- items must be homemade or homegrown by you & carry a $6-$7 value. Remember, no money is to be exchanged
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- label items with your name, contact info (email or phone), item name, shelf life & storage suggestions
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- always post an ingredients list or bring a copy of the recipe - this allows participants with allergies or preferences to feel comfortable with trading
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- the number of items brought determines how many possible trades you can make - 6 to 10 items is common. Bring as much or as little as you like; there are no caps or minimums
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- home brewers & vinters note that state liquor laws prohibit outside alcohol to be brought into establishments that serve alcohol or public parks - be sure to check the location before planning swap items
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- Swappers agree to adhere to an honor code of using the highest cleanliness standards in their kitchens & gardens
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- by participating in these events, you are acknowledging that the food items shared may not be prepared in kitchens inspected by a government agency & you agree to not hold liable food swap hosts, swap venue owners/providers or other swap participants
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Interested in Joining a Home & Harvest Food Swap?
When: 3rd Wednesday/month
(unless otherwise noted on Facebook)
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Location: various spots in Summit/Portage county
(suggestions gladly accepted)
Time: 7 - 8:30ish p.m.
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Check out this article on food swap etiquette
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What swappers are saying...
"What a wonderful event! It was well-planned, everyone was super friendly and such amazing food! This was my first, but not last." - Helen
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"I LOVE food swap ! Today I am feasting on a wild mushroom soup that I traded my egg noodles for." - Margaret
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"Just attended my first swap....what fun! Great group of people & such a variety of homemade foods! Already looking forward to next month! Thanks for the warm welcome & delicious offerings!" - Pamela
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"What an awesome swap! I wanted one of everything!!" - Heather
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"I am feeling very lucky to be a part of such a talented group of cookers and crafters who are welcoming and caring. - Elizabeth
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"I came in a stranger and immediately felt the warmth of hospitality - what a cool idea! Only wish I had known about it sooner." - Jeanne
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"Last week was my first swap and I enjoyed it immensely - loved my "haul" - inspired by all of you. Count me in as a regular" - Anne
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"The full-circle nature of food swap warms my heart. BEST FOOD SWAP. EVER. I am the happiest herbivore. " - Maggie
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"Food swap magic: Make one or two things and come home with 12 different ones!" - Carrie
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"A bounty of treasure from some talented folks. I forgot how much fun it is to see all the fantastic foodstuffs the next day. Thanks again for the fun!" - Hollyhock Hill Farm
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"Just minutes after arriving at work this morning, I realized I forgot my food swap lunch at home. Needless to say, I've been pissy and insufferable ever since." - Mag
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"The monthly food swap continues to be a highlight of my month." - Patti
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"Umm excuse me, this swap was WILD! Thanks for sharing all your talents and good company! Now it's time to make some room in my fridge." - Rachel
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