Eat Local for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is fast approaching and we all know what that means; too much food, family and fun. As we start planning for the holiday meal, a few local groups would like us to think about adding a local piece of harvest bounty to our tables. Puget Sound Fresh, a organization dedicated to making fresh produce readily available, has launched a campaign asking folks to pledge to put one dish on their table made entirely of local sources. How hard could it be? As farm share consumers we won’t have a problem. But how about everyone else?

We’ve compiled a list of common ingredients on our Thanksgiving table that are available locally, and where you can find them.

Turkey: Locally grown, free-range, heritage breeds are available and easy to get. If you plan ahead. Way ahead. Most farmers only raise birds they know they can sell, so pre-orders are asked for in early spring. We couldn’t find a bird from around here for this year, but for next year it is definitely an option.

Potatoes: What would Thanksgiving be without the mashed potatoes? Many varieties of potatoes are grown nearby and readily available for eating.

Cranberries: This one took a lot of work. What we’ve found out is that Washington is one of only six states that grows cranberries. You can find them growing in the Puyallup Valley and on the coast near Ocean Shores. However, all of the cranberry growers sell directly to Ocean Spray and do not sell at farmers markets or have farm stands. So, if you buy a bag of Ocean Spray cranberries this year some of them may have come from a farm close to home.

Pumpkin Pie: For the adventurous chefs out there, making pumpkin pie from scratch is not terribly difficult, if you are willing to put the work in. Most farm stands and farmers markets have pumpkins for sale that would work well.

Other Side Dishes: All families have other traditions. Sweet Potatoes with marshmallows on top. Green beans with crunchy toppings. Baked Apples. Oh we’re getting hungry just thinking about it. So here’s a list of some other items available locally.
Sweet Potatoes
Squash
Apples (many varieties)
Pears
Greens (chard, lettuce, spinach, and more!)
Onions
Carrots
Broccoli
Leeks

Where can we find such bounty? Puget Sound Fresh has a list of options that cover King County, but are limited on their Pierce County focus so we’ve listed a few that we know of:

Terry’s Berries
Run by Terry & Dick Carkner
4520 River Road, Tacoma, WA 98443
Phone: 253-922-1604

The Meat Shop of Tacoma
Organic meats and poultry, Run by The Markholt’s
13419 Vickery Ave. E., Tacoma, WA 98446
www.meatshopoftacoma.com
253-537-4490

Farmers Market
Our Tacoma farmers markets have closed for the season, but the Olympia Farmers Market and a few in Seattle are still running

There’s Always The Grocery Store
Many of our local grocery stores stock some produce grown near here. Ask for the produce manager next time you go in and request local produce

And, since you’ve made it this far down the post, go to Puget Sound Fresh and take the pledge to eat local this year.

Do you know of other places where we can get fresh, local produce? What might you find locally for your table?