Steamboat Springs, CO : How to be a Yampavore and Eat Local
As a private chef in Steamboat, summer is the time when I have the most local, seasonal food available. I love cooking for people this time of year because I get to share the tastes of the freshest ingredients around!
After a 10 day trip to Alaska earlier this month, it’s been pedal to the metal with harvesting at the farm. I’ve been eating so many greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers! The Routt County Fair is approaching as well and it’s time to start thinking about what meat I want to stock up on for the winter! We are so fortunate in the Yampa Valley to have access to an abundance of local produce, meat, and eggs. As a private chef, this is my favorite season to cook for clients because there is so much more available! There is still more than you’d think in the winter, but summer is THE TIME!
So how do I eat as locally as possible?
Here are a few of my favorite ways:
Join a CSA
One of the best ways is to join a CSA (community supported agriculture) from a local farm. Usually, this means you pay a membership fee for the season and usually get either a weekly or biweekly box of delicious seasonal, fresh produce directly from the farm you are supporting. I currently have a subscription to a salad CSA box through another local farm, Bee Grateful Farm. The owners are absolutely wonderful and I love being able to support another small farm in our community.
Farm Stands and Farmer’s Markets
Another way to eat locally and seasonally is to shop at your local farm stand and/or farmer’s market! The farm where I work (Elkstone Farm) has a farm stand every Tuesday and Friday from July-September where we sell our freshly harvested produce and the jams, pickles, and other value added goods. Most people have access to one or the other, and it is guaranteed that the produce at those markets is seasonal! That’s the point, right?
4H and the County Fair Junior Livestock Sales
Meat has always been a hot topic when it comes to sustainability, environmental awareness, and humanitarianism. That’s a whole other blog topic and discussion, but as someone who chooses to eat meat, I try to source it from my local small farms, ranches, and 4H kids. The county fair is awesome in that you can purchase whole, half, or quarter animals and know that you are supporting a small local family or ranch kid that has hand raised that animal. This year, we bought a half pig from our farmer friends who own The Little Penny Cart. They are a small family farm and only raise a few pigs a year! We’re also hoping to share a half cow with some friends! Buying whole doesn’t mean that a whole pig, cow, lamb, or goat just shows up on your doorstep, you are able to get in contact with the butcher and tell them how you want the animal broken down. Do you want the scraps turned into ground meat or sausage? Do you want a whole shoulder or shoulder steaks? Whether is through the junior livestock program or other local farmers and ranchers selling whole animals, my husband and I will buy a couple of different animals every year and the meat will last us until the next year comes around. Don’t have a separate freezer?
Get together with your neighbors or friends and share!
Community Ag Alliance
Here in the mountains, our farmer’s market only runs for a few months compared to a lot of other places where the seasons may be longer, but there are still options! We have a wonderful resource called the Community Agriculture Alliance that works as an online farmer’s marketplace where local producers can sell their goods year round. Meat, eggs, and cheeses are always available, and our local hydroponic container farm is able to grow micro greens and mushrooms year round! Not all communities have this, but its worth seeing if your community offers one!
No matter the season, I try to get as much locally as possible. I definitely still shop at the grocery store, but I as much as I can to eat as locally and seasonally as possible!
Look into your local resources and see what might be available!
Happy Eating!
Chereen