Take a Swing at a Swap (A Food Swap, That Is)

If you’re a gardener, your kitchen is probably overrun by hordes of tomatoes and zucchini every summer. Or maybe you love to bake, but don’t want brownies lingering around just as you’re getting ready for swimsuit season.

Why not share your bounty – and culinary flair – by swapping those yummy extras for something you can use? Maybe some homemade jam or some free-range eggs by chance?

Through STL Food Swap events, parents and families alike can pack their kitchens with a variety of homemade goods and fresh vegetables and fruits simply by swapping their own foods for those of other swap attendees. STL Food Swap is one part potluck and one part swap meet with an emphasis on local and organic foods.

If you can grow it, bake it or create it, you can swap it – and at the same time, teach your family about healthy eating, sustainability and community.

Launching a food movement

In 2010, Marie Rogers of Trenton, Ill., started making homemade jam, quickly stocking her pantry with more than she could eat. She gave away jars as gifts, but realized her hobby was getting expensive. Rather than bombarding her loved ones with jam, she looked for new opportunities to share her love of cooking and canning.

That’s when Rogers discovered the food swap movement online. She began coordinating events for her friends and family to share a variety of foods, but as word spread, so did the number of attendees. Soon, STL Food Swap began expanding outside her small town, spilling in to St. Louis.

Said Rogers via email, “Initially I just wanted to get rid of all the sweet stuff, but I’ve also gotten more interested in real, whole, nutritious food, and my goals have broadened to include getting folks reacquainted with the food supply, getting people back to their kitchens, fighting the trend of fast food, sharing what we have, opting out of the general commerce, and generating community.”

Once a month, participants gather at locations in St. Louis, such as Whole Foods Town & Country, Shining Rivers Waldorf School in Webster Groves, and Cherokee Street Farmers Market, to barter and exchange homemade and homegrown food. Crafts, body care items and cleaning products are also welcome.

“We always have so much variety,” Rogers remarked. “I tend to get into a rut, and I assume others feel the same, but when I get to a swap, I’m impressed and inspired by the creativity of others. We have lots of things that travel well – jams and cans of food, plus baked goods, fermented foods, beverages, candy, produce, eggs, and spice mixes. We’ve also had frozen Alaskan salmon a family member brought back from a fishing trip, and one time I made deconstructed sushi in a jar.”

Swaps usually last two hours with the first half hour dedicated to set-up. The rest of the time, attendees can mingle, sample goods and start writing down on swap sheets the items they’d like to swap. During the last half hour, the swapping begins as guests choose which items they’ll accept in exchange for their homemade goods.

As the swap is a potluck and no items are sold, items are not prepared in a commercial kitchen or inspected by a government agency. As with any food get-together, guests are responsible for what they bring and what they take.

Your first swing at a swap

The next STL Food Swap will be held on Monday, April 7, 2014 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Schlafly Bottleworks, 7260 Southwest Avenue in Maplewood. Admission is free, but the organization requests a donation of $2 per person to cover the cost of supplies. You must pre-register for the event here.

You’re welcome to bring any food item as long as it’s homemade or homegrown. However, the entire item doesn’t have to be homemade – if you make a bread pudding with store-bought bread, for instance. But if you bring a loaf of bread, make it from scratch. Include the recipe, some samples and any guidelines (such as whether or not the food needs to be refrigerated or canning dates) as well. Items like baked goods should be individually packaged in reusable, earth-friendly packaging if possible. For more information, visit www.stlfoodswap.com.

An STL Food Swap event not only helps you stock your kitchen, it immerses your family in the sustainability movement.

Shared Rogers, “I want people to get excited about what they eat and what they feed their families. I want folks to sample new foods and appreciate what goes into make them – time, effort, love. I want us to educate each other about food; why yogurt is nutritious, how to ferment foods at home, how to properly prepare grits, how to reconnect with the earth and grow our own food. I want people to realize that our families deserve good nutritious food. We are worth quality food, and it doesn’t have to be expensive.”