The 2nd Annual Farmer's Market Exchange!

***Although all of the photos below are of produce, this exchange is certainly not limited to produce only. Read the very bottom of this post to get some ideas on other good things to pick up and exchange from your farmer's market. 

Last year I organized The First Annual Transplanted Baker Farmer’s Market Exchange.

Ten farmer-lovers from the likes of Alaska, California, and Scotland signed up to take part in the shipping of heirloom potatoes, single-source honey, Seville orange BBQ sauce, hand-tapped maple syrup, and locally-roasted coffee. It was the kind of event that allows a person to not only support their local farmer, but to share the bounty of their hometown with someone on the other side of the country (or even ocean!) It’s a good way to say, “Hey, I live somewhere that produces really good food from really good ingredients, here’s a taste” Of course, it’s always nice to get a box with your name on it in the mail. Especially if that box is filled with surprise market goodies.

 
This is a call to announce The Second Annual Transplanted Baker Farmer’s Exchange. You. Yes, you, want to sign up for this. Ten partakers isn’t a shabby number for an inaugural year, but twenty (or more) partakers this year would make my little heart swell.

   

Now, the whole charm of summertime is that you get a chance to slow down, drink a beer outside, and forget about the stresses of the other 9 months of the year. With that being said, I’ll give you til the end of the month to sign up for this exchange and an additional month (prime market season!) to collect the market goods and ship them out to your exchange buddy. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt to sign up right here and now, but to ensure that you have ample beer-drinking time, we’ll say that Wednesday, June 30^th will be the last day to sign up and Saturday, July 31^st will be the last day to ship.

 
Write a comment at the bottom of this post letting me know that you’re interested, or send me an e-mail at: [email protected] . I’ll match up the exchange buddies during the first week of July.

Let the exchanging begin!

-SiRi

*The beautiful, edible photography was taken at the Minneapolis Farmer's Market by my husband, Bent Are Iversen.

**While sending produce from your hometown is a great idea if it's been shipped within your country of residence (otherwise it's against the law!), there are plenty of other great finds at the farmer's market that are less perishable, and perhaps easier to ship. Just a few ideas: dried herbs, preserves, chocolates and other confects, baked goods, nuts and seeds, syrups, and coffee.

Comments

[Rachel Larson]

Count me in...

[mallory elise]

just a question....i live in brazil now (actually live!) how would i ship food outside of brazil?? i've already had a customs nightmare once...did you guys really ship produce overseas?

[Nicole @ Arctic Garden Studio]

Siri,
I was soooo jealous I couldn't participate last year. Count me in for this year. I'm so excited because I am traveling from Alaska back to the midwest for a couple of weeks, so I will be able to hit up several markets this summer including the Minneapolis one!

[Siri]

Hi Mallory!

I realized after only putting up photos of only produce that some people might get the wrong idea and think of it as a "produce exchange" rather than a general market exchange. I know that some people that live in the US sent potatoes and olives and whatnot to one another last year, while I exchanged with someone in Florida and sent herbal tea and Norwegian chocolate, etc...while receiving peanuts, bottled BBQ sauce and a few other non-perishables. Of course, what you send doesn't necessarily have to be from the farmer's market, either. It could just be something locally made that you pick up at a small store in town. I posted a few non-veg/fruit ideas at the bottom of the post, so maybe that'll help.

The only other thing I should mention is that US customs does not accept honey from outside of the US. This delayed a box from reaching someone by several months last year! Although I BELIEVE it's ok to send honey to a country outside of the US.

Let me know if you decide on signing up!
-SiRi

[Rebecca]

Yay! I couldn't do it last year, which made me so sad. Definitely count me in this time round! Oooh, excuses to wander around markets and pick delicious produce, what a wonderful thing to spend my July doing...

[Jes]

I would love to be counted in on this! It sounds like fun!

[Josh]

I'm in Siri, I had fun helping Heather pick out some things last year.

[Heather]

Add me to the list, too, Siri! It was the third most anticipated package of the year! After my birthday box from Norway, and the cookie exchange, of course! (A girl's gotta have priorities!)
I'm alright with overseas shipping, too.

[Minneapolis Farmers Market]

Just tweeted a link to your blog inviting all to join in. Good luck!

[Jenn AKA The Leftover Queen]

I am there! So much fun last year, and now that I am in Vermont, with an even better local food scene, I can't wait to participate!!!

[A Little Yumminess]

What a good idea!!

[Kim Chase-Kozak]

Siri - I'd love to participate if you have room for one more frequenting Mpls/St. Paul farmer's markets. We just made homemade jam this morning! We'd be happy to ship overseas too. :-)

[Ellen Hunter Gans]

Siri, I know you are a fan of Farmers Markets, and you also happen to be a cheese expert. Next time you are in Minnesota, I will buy you a block of the stuff I just reviewed (courtesty of the Minneapolis Farmers Market). Life changing.

[Lindsay Blaylock]

oooh!! sign me up!

[-th eredhead-]

I would like to participate, and may be able to send some fresh Colorado peaches and homemade jam by the end of July.

-the redhead-

[DavetteB]

Too bad I missed it, this sounds like fun - keep me posted for next year!