By Local Food Alliance
The end of the farmers’ market season inevitably brings a sense of sadness. Weekly trips to the Ketchum and Hailey markets do more than fill us with fresh, seasonal food—they provide a fun opportunity to connect with local farmers, friends and neighbors.
While nothing can replace the lively social atmosphere and face-to-face interaction of the farmers’ market, locally grown produce, meats, dairy, eggs, and value-added products can be yours throughout the off-season. You just have to know where to shop.
Weekly deliveries from Kraay’s Market & Garden (Kraaysmarketgarden.com) in Bellevue are certain to warm your heart. Offering products from more than 45 regional vendors, including Hangar Bread, Wood River Ranch Beef and CK’s Real Food, Kraay’s is a convenient way to get high-quality local foods delivered to your door.
At NourishMe (Jjnourishme.com) in Ketchum, you can find locally grown fruits and veggies along with local dairy, eggs and meat from small regional producers, including Elkhorn Ranch South in Mackay, Prairie Sun Farms in Fairfield, and Agrarian Harvest in Buhl. Every Tuesday, Waterwheel Gardens makes the journey over from Emmett with its van full of cold-storage apples, pears, plums, juices, jams and jellies.
Atkinsons’ Market (Atkinsons.com) now offers one of the largest selections of locally produced foods in the Wood River Valley. Purchase farm-fresh goods from Squash Blossom Farm in Bellevue, Sunset Natural Farms in Shoshone, Picabo Desert Farm in Richfield, and Desert Mountain Grass-Fed Beef from the lush pastures of Idaho.
If you act fast, you can snag one of the coveted remaining shares of the annual Winter CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) from Onsen Farm (Onsenfarm.com), two hours south, in Buhl. Sign up online or email onsenfarm@gmail.com and enjoy bi-monthly deliveries of fresh-picked greens, winter squash, onions, potatoes, beets, radishes, fresh herbs, dried beans, Meyer lemons, and more.
Local Food Alliance, a program of the Sun Valley Institute, educates, connects and collaborates with individuals, organizations and businesses to bring locally and regionally grown food to our community. Learn more and sign up at localfoodalliance.org and sunvalleyinstitute.org.
