Buy Local Food In Kitsap

FreshLocal, the local food store at 540 Fourth St. in Bremerton, is actively seeking a qualified person to work as co-manager, starting immediately.  Our present wonderful co-manager, Lisamarie Wilson is leaving our community for the warmer climate in Lewis County and stubbornly refuses to commute!  She’s a tough act to follow, but sadly, she must be replaced.  We need someone now so that she can pass along the myriad details the job involves.

We want an experienced person with great love for and dedication to the cause of building our supply of local food.  Retail experience, especially in the food business will help, of course, but not absolutely necessary.

If interested, please call Jean Schanen at 360 479-0642 (store) or 360 475-9153 (home).

Jean

LOCAL EVENTS

Kitsap Community and Agricultural Alliance
February 9, 6:30pm.
Jean Schanen of Freshlocal will be on hand to speak about opportunities for farmers, eaters and urban farmers in local food. Norm Dicks Center, 345 Sixth Street, Bremerton, WA

NEW!! Kitsap Food and Farm Policy Council
February 11, 5:00pm [Read more →]

The second and last Cabin Fever event will take place on February 7 from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Returning are the Tallboys Bluegrass Band who have made such an impression on the crowds at the Bainbridge Grange the last two times they have played.

Lesser known is the fact that Chef Jeff McClelland of the Harbour Pub is whipping up some outstanding locally produced food for guests to sample including beef from HiLo Ranch, vegetables from Farmer Brian McWhorter of Butler Green Farms and beverages produced in Kitsap by Hood Canal Brewery.

Parents and friends of the Madrona School are especially invited and information will be on hand for the Kitsap Community and Agrciultural Alliance from board member Jeff Waite.

The Grange is located at 1270 Madison Ave N , Bainbridge Island, WA 98110. Read more at: http://www.buylocalfoodinkitsap.org/?s=cabin+fever

Sea you there.

LOCAL EVENTS

Author Event: Joan Hockaday
January 31, 4:30pm
Joan Hockaday will talk about Greenscapes: Olmsted’s Pacific Northwest at Bloedel Reserve and copies of her book will be available for signing and sale at the event, through the co-sponsorship of Eagle Harbor Books. Light refreshments will be served. $25. http://www.bloedelreserve.org/pages/lectures or call 206-842-7631 to register.

4-H KYG (Know Your Government)
January 31, 2:00 – 5:00pm [Read more →]

Eat Better and Make Money With Local Food

The KEDA economic statistics report in August of 2009 didn’t have a lot of good news for us. At that time it indicated that about 9,000 people were looking for work in Kitsap County. The November 2009 update isn’t much better. The unemployment rate was reported at 7.4% in August. The preliminary rate is estimated at 7.6% for November 2009. The next meeting of the KCAA will feature people who can help you to improve your condition if you find yourself unfortunately a member of this group. Here are the meeting details:

Tuesday, February 9, 2010. Please note new start time at 6:30 pm.
Jean Schanen of Freshlocal
Norm Dicks Center, 345 Sixth Street, Bremerton, WA

[Read more →]

KCAA Director Jade Pope Found This Local Food Job Opportunity:

Date: 2009-12-30, 11:21AM

GENERAL DESCRIPTION – POSITION SUMMARY
Under the general direction of the Market Master, the Daystall/Farm Assistant has the primary responsibility of managing farm permitting and records as well as aiding in the coordination and set-up of Farmers Markets and events. This position is also an active team member of the Daystall Department.
[Read more →]

Local Events

NEW!! 4-H Mega Monday 2010
January 18, 9:00am – 2:25pm
Faith Fellowship Church off Newberry Hill Exit, 6251 NW Newberry Hill, Silverdale, WA. Workshop offerings include: Horse anatomy and 1st Aid, Cloverbuds, oral reasons, Camp, battery recycling, educational displays, magic of leadership, TAG (Teen Action Group), expressive arts, KYG, flower arranging. For more info: Toni Blanchard 360-440-1077 / 360-692-3768 or blanchard_4h@live.com

NEW!! The West Sound Beekeepers Association

[Read more →]

Kate Dean and Nash Huber

The PCC Farmland Trust is sponsoring an important farmland tour on Saturday, January 16 on the Delta Farm in Sequim. Since 1999 the Trust has been instrumental in preserving 549 acres of farmland on the peninsula, all for organic farming, including the Delta Farm and is arguable one of the most successful organizations focused on farmland preservation. You will need to register and there is a cost for the tour so go ahead and flip over to this url to get the information:

http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/farmtrust/delta/tour_delta_2010.html

Nash Huber of Nash’s Organics was instrumental in the formation of the Trust and currently holds the 99 year lease to farm the Delta Farm and others in Sequim. Nash and Kate Dean were the featured speakers at our 2009 Local Food Chef Showoff. The two of them could be considered national experts on the topic of farmland preservation and farmer succession so this will be a great opportunity to see Nash’s operation from the inside out and learn about winter farming in the Pacific Northwest.

Nash Huber, Growing Local Food For You

The registration includes lunch. This would be a fun and informative day trip for Kitsapiens.

See you there.

Patty Graf Hoke, the new executive general manager of the Kitsap Visitors and Convention Bureau has been doing good work for the local food movement since starting in the position just a few months ago.

Patty Graf-Hoke of the KVCB

A recent example resulted in getting some good publicity out about Freshlocal, the new local food store in Bremerton opened by Jean Schanen and Glenn Huff. As a former owner of a Kitsap advertising agency with her husband, Bill Hoke, Patty has a lot to offer all local businesses and has proven her commitment to the improvement of our local food scene. She was a contributor to the publicity effort for our Local Food Chef Showoff last September just before accepting the position of executive gm.

Of course, local food is a huge opportunity for Kitsap or any community for that matter to develop a distinctive local culture. This attracts visitors in the fastest growing segment of the travel and tourism industry that includes agrotourism and provides an improved quality of life for us as locals. This is the reason that smart community leaders like Patty pay attention to helping local food emerge as a more visible and vibrant element of our life together.

Here is a link to the article about Bremerton and Freshlocal recently in the Tacoma News Tribune. We look forward to further collaboration with Patty and the KVCB. Thanks Patty.

Local Food Open For Business in Bremerton

Now that the holidays are over and many of us have probably consumed far more fat, starch, and sugar and than we should have, we are turning toward eating better low- calorie, high-fiber diets containing  lots of fresh fruit, vegetables and legumes.  And there’s no better place to shop for these items than the FreshLocal food store, located right in the heart of downtown Bremerton.

Jean Schanen, stirring the local food pot

[Read more →]