GARDEN
Garden to Table Connecting with local farms
By S. MICHAL BENNETT
W hether you grow your own vegetable garden or not, the Inland North- west is full of farms, farm stands and farmers’ markets where you can shop local produce, meat, eggs, dairy and more, straight from the produc- er. Farmers market season typical- ly runs May through October, and we certainly have some wonderful Washington and Idaho markets with something for everyone! But the Ida- ho Panhandle is filled with quality small farms and ranches, and farm- ers’ markets are just one way to shop local farms. The question is, how do we find those farms and bring their goodness to our tables? In 2020, four Idaho farm owners es- tablished the Panhandle Farm Cor- ridor (a 501(c) non-profit) with the mission of promoting farm stands in their communities and increas- ing sales channel options for farm- ers in North Idaho. After the initial start and the onset of the realities of
farm commitments, the board end- ed up with just three members: Em- ily Black, coordinator; Lisa Pointer, treasurer; and Betty Mobbs, secre- tary. Five years in, they now have a board of five farmers, all volunteers, and one community volunteer. The Panhandle Farm Corridor is a collection of farms, ranches and farm stands throughout Shoshone, Koote- nai, Bonners and Boundary counties with a vision to encourage and wel- come customers to come out to the farms to purchase products, meet the farmers and learn about how each product is grown or raised. Its web- site (www.panhandlefarmcorridor. com), offers a downloadable guide to 27 farms and ranches throughout the Panhandle and includes an in- teractive map with farm details and links to each farm’s site or social me- dia. The site is a billboard for mem- bers, re-sharing information while creating an outlet for farmers to reach communities and customers.
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