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March 29, 2024 7:21 am
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Locals Barter With Food Products At Moapa Valley Food Swap

By STEPHANIE BUNKER

Moapa Valley Progress

Participants in the Moapa Valley Food Swap began bargaining for home made goods as the Food Swap got under way on Saturday. PHOTO BY STEPHANIE BUNKER/Moapa Valley Progress.

Breads, jams, goat cheese, and yogurts were just a few items to be found at the Moapa Valley Food Swap on Saturday last week. The Food Swap is a regularly planned community event put on by the Educational Farm Foundation. People are encouraged to bring their homemade specialty food items and trade them across the table with other participants. None of the wares are sold, so it does not fall under any state or local health regulations.

A large group of participants met at the Cooperative Extension Office on Saturday and laid out their goods on the tables. Each participant set out samples of the product with which they were bartering.

Overton resident Whitney Donohue is the manager and organizers of these Food Swap events. She was bartering with a couscous mix, Thai dipping sauce, citrus rosemary salt, and citrus pepper.

Donohue explained that the Food Swap is held every 3 months and has been in motion for almost 2 years now.

“There are a lot of ladies that do Bountiful Baskets and ladies from Kingman (Arizona) that participate,” said Donahue.

Cathy Pelham is one of those ladies from Kingman. Donahue explained that she attended one of the Food Swaps here in Moapa Valley and wanted to start one up in Kingman. The participants in Moapa Valley helped the Kingman Food Swap get started by taking their goods to Kingman for the Food Swap. The ladies from Kingman then returned the favor and came to Moapa Valley on Saturday for the Food Swap.

Christine Williams traveled from Las Vegas to attend the Food Swap. She brought her homemade fudge and traded it for some bread and bacon jam.

Cally Cole brought many homemade cleaning supplies such as soap, laundry detergent, and shower scrubbers. She also brought relish and hamburger meat. She traded for some onions and a waffle dessert.

“I like to do this because it gets me out of the house and to see what everyone else has,” she said. “It’s nice that we are still a community and don’t always have to go to town and shop.”

Denise Robertson brought a few different types of bread and jam with her. Robertson said that she loves to bake and she is good at what she does. The dinner rolls and artisan bread were a popular item at the Food Swap.

Mike and Christine Riordan were enjoying the company and food at the Food Swap. Mike brought some fudge and Christine brought her onions.

“We like to see what everyone else has and try what they are making,” Christine said.

Carol Bishop the local Cooperative Extension Educator attended the Food Swap to give everyone the good news about the Cottage Law that was passed. This new law allows goods baked at home to be sold in farmer’s markets without special health permits. . “Now that the legislature has passed the new law, we can now sell all these amazing things!” Bishop said.

Bishop also passed out a pamphlet educating the participants on food safety tips in directing an edible home garden.

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