A Year in the Life of a Local Food Supporter

The Wood River Valley is home to an amazing community of gardeners, farmers, and food lovers who come together through seed exchanges, farm tours, farmers markets, gleaning programs, and festivals throughout the year. No matter the season, there's always a way to connect, contribute, and learn.

Plant

Connect with local gardeners and share your experience and knowledge at the 5B Resilience Gardens winter webinars and workshops.

Plan a garden. A well-planned garden provides all season long. Think about what you like to eat and where to plant to take advantage of your yard’s micro-climates.

Share your plants and seeds. At the Upper Big Wood River Grange Seed & Plant exchange, you can share the seeds you saved from the last season and pick up new seeds and plants from other gardeners.

Grow

Tend your own gardens. In addition to your home garden, you also join others at the Bloom Community Center to grow food for the community.

Participate in the area garden tours given by Sawtooth Botanical Garden and be inspired by what other gardeners are doing.

Visit local farms. There is no better time to experience how your food is grown than a farm tour at the height of the growing season.

Continue to nurture your soil by caring for your compost pile.

harvest

Embrace the start of the harvest season by attending the first farmers markets in Ketchum and Hailey where you can reconnect with all the producers and get the first fresh produce of the year.

Capture the harvest season in your own gardens with a special summer recipe.

 Minimize food waste and feed the community by participating in fruit tree gleaning with The Hunger Coalition.

Celebrate the close of another harvest season with the Trailing of the Sheep festival.

Savor

Slow down and really taste everything that was produced during the year.

Protect the soil and incorporate more organic material by cover cropping your garden beds.

Preserve and store crops. With preparation, the harvest season can be enjoyed year-round.

Try something new with a winter recipe.