Tallahassee celebrated their first local food swap this past weekend with huge success, as the community rallied to provide an assortment of drool-worthy homemade canned goods, spreads, granolas, breads, pies, jellies, freshly grown produce, freshly picked fruit, and backyard foraged edibles.
The swap began with each attendee setting up their provided loot with a brief informational sheet before perusing the variety of goods available for trade. Blessed with the opportunity to snack on endless samples, choosing which treat to trade for another was a serious challenge. Everything looked like it was made with so much care - a wonderfully thoughtful event shared with a community of somewhat strangers who've each taken effort and time for the occasion.
This thoughtful local community engagement that champions sustainability, home grown, and homemade, is the very foundation of the food swap movement. Each swap is a special occasion which allows community members to make new connections and friendships with others, as well as vary their own personal food supply. The food swap movement, which has been steadily gaining traction since its conception in 2010 has since gone on to grow into a national and even international movement. Basic recommendations for each swap include limiting your group to around 40 attendees, hosting it at either a house or local shopfront, and providing samples of your item. Items to bring can include anything that you've made, grown, or foraged on your own: pickled eggs, kimchi, seed spreads, fresh fruits or produce, jams and jellies, breads, butters, on and on. Not only does this open invitation allows for such an incredible diversity at each swap, but also is a beautiful way to appreciate the handmade work that went into each item. The event itself typically lasts near two hours: 30 minutes for attendees to arrive and setup their food items and information sheets; up to an hour to explore and sample items from your fellow swappers; 30 minutes to finally get down to business and begin your swapping.
Hosting your own community food swap is highly encouraged and the Food Swap Network does an incredible job providing all the necessary resources and materials one would need to get started. Tallahassee's own food swap group is excited to continue this new community tradition, and it is super easy to get involved. Join the facebook group to stay up-to-date with any upcoming planning for the next swap. For those interested in organizing or hosting ones in our Tallahassee community, be sure to email tallahasseefoodswap@gmail.com for more information. Until you are able to attend your own next local food swap, enjoy the photos below from ours!