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closeBe a farm-finder: Use the Internet to find traditional farm products, learn about farms
Carrie Sikorski / for the Pierce County FARM Board
Along the highways and hedgerows of Pierce County, tiny gems of rural commerce are preparing to open for seasonal business.
A stark and staked architecture of bare canes and vines will soon grow heavy with the juiciest and most decadent wonders of our region.
Green shoots will differentiate themselves into rows of recognizable crops. Yes, if it finally warms up around here, the farm stands will follow the crop cycle back to life.
Like birds that disappear during the long, stormy winter, most farm stands are absent from both sight and mind from November to June. And then comes summer.
If you’re not in a rush, you’ll have time to turn into a driveway — right after you notice that you’ve just passed a sign that triggered a powerful instinct in your ancient hunter/gatherer genes; an instinct to find the best food in hidden places not crowded by the thundering herd — places where thoughtful, knowledgeable effort goes into the making of produce and farm products to delight the lucky few who find them.
What if you don’t pass a farm stand along your usual route? Not to worry, and by all means don’t waste gas looking. A quick check on two farm-finding Web sites will turn up more than 20 farm stands and uZ-Pick farms in Pierce County.
The national farm marketing Web site, www.LocalHarvest.org, is an easy place to start. Just enter your zip code and a list of farms will appear in order of traveling distance.
Each farm and its offerings are described in the farmers’ own words, along with photos, maps, driving directions and links to farm Web sites if available. Local Harvest is a convenient, free service for both farmers and farm shoppers.
PugetSoundFresh.org is a regional farm finding tool managed by the King County Agriculture Program. Puget Sound Fresh markets farms in all counties around the sound.
The farm finder offered by Puget Sound Fresh is more elaborate and can be searched by crop. So if you are preparing to do some canning, and want organic products for instance, you can search by specific criteria. The Puget Sound Fresh service is also free for consumers.
And if you have children, teach them to be “Farm Finders.” Let them experience the hunter/gatherer “rush” even as they come to understand the true source of real food.
They will enjoy discovering the many farms raising alpacas and interesting, heirloom breeds of goats, cattle, pigs, poultry and more.
A farm visit is a full sensory experience that will be remembered long after the season passes.
And a last word for farmers and ranchers. No farm is too small — or too large — to sell direct.
List your farm stand on the Web so that we can find you. The Pierce County FARM Program will rely on these tools to promote local food and farm products at events and festivals throughout the season.
For help with farm marketing call the FARM Program at 253-798-FARM (3276).