Anna Sommo photo

One of the latest trends in the local food movement is food swaps, and this Sunday the public is invited to take part in one in Portland. You don't need any cash, all you need is some food ripe for the swapping. This could be your homemade pickles or canned tomatoes, the squash or cabbage from your garden or the wild mushrooms or seaweed you foraged. 

The event is being organized by Anna Sommo, who hosted a successful food swap at her home this summer. Because the event was so well-received, it inspired her to open it up to a wider group of food swappers.

Sunday's Food Swap takes place from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Portland Food Co-op, 56 Hampshire St., Portland.

"You can bring just a few things, such as a couple of jars of jam or a couple of bags of homemade granola, or you could bring several different items," Sommo said. "It makes swapping easier when you have relatively uniform sizes: pint or quart jars, gallon bags, etc. Food swaps are a great way to share your abundance, learn new recipes and go home with lots of incredible treats."

To keep the event manageable, it is limited to the first 35 people who sign-up through Google Docs.

You can find out more about food swaps on the Food Swap Network website. If you can't make it this Sunday, but are interested in attending a similar event, consider joining the Portland Maine Permaculture Meetup. The organization hosts a monthly Portland Trading Post event, where participants can trade food and other homemade and handcrafted goods.

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About the Author

Meredith Goad has harvested oysters on the Chesapeake Bay, eaten reindeer in Finland and sipped hot chai in the Himalayas. She writes the weekly Soup to Nuts column and enjoys a good cocktail.

Meredith can be contacted at 791-6332 or mgoad@pressherald.com
On Twitter: @meredithgoad

Susan Axelrod's food writing career began in the kitchen; she owned a restaurant and catering business before turning to journalism more than a decade ago. To relax, she bakes, gardens and hikes with her husband and their two dogs. A newcomer to Portland, she is an online content producer for the Press Herald.

Susan can be contacted at 791-6310 or saxelrod [at] pressherald.com.
On Twitter: @susansaxelrod

Wendy Almeida and her family have a smattering of livestock and a summer garden. After 10 years of her kids being involved in 4-H, she's finally accepted the term "hobby farm" to describe her family's work at sustainable living. These days her morning starts with milking a goat before heading into the office for her day job as an assistant editor for features.

Wendy can be contacted at wea [at] mainetoday.com or on Twitter @wea1021.

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