JOYCE — It’s shaping up to be a bright-green deal, with carpooling, silverware and locally sourced salads and desserts.
The 100-Mile Potluck arrives at WestWind Farm, 585 Wasankari Road, at 3 p.m. Sunday, and everyone who likes to eat is invited.
Admission is free, while guests are encouraged to bring dishes true to the party’s name: made with ingredients raised within 100 miles of Port Angeles.
“Peter makes a wonderful potato salad,” Jane Vanderhoof said of her husband, with whom she has farmed at WestWind since 2001.
That’s one of the dishes that fits the criteria, naturally: It has locally grown potatoes and locally laid eggs.
Jane and Peter Vanderhoof are members of Transition Port Angeles, a group seeking a “resilient and relocalized economy,” as its Facebook page notes.
By hosting the 100-Mile Potluck, the couple hope to celebrate local food and farming — and bring people together on a late-summer afternoon.
“We have a beautiful farm,” said Jane, adding that guests will have a chance to walk along the stream that runs through: the salmon-spawning Salt Creek.
Carpools
Andrew McInnes, another Transition Port Angeles member, is coordinating carpools starting at 2 p.m. from Albertsons’ parking lot, 114 E. Lauridsen Blvd., Port Angeles.
“Call me if you need a ride,” said McInnes, whose number is 360-809-3660.
At 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Clea Rome, Washington State University Extension Director for Clallam County, will give a short talk on the importance of the local food network.
She’ll also have information about the Oct. 5 Clallam Farm Tour.
Details about its eight farms can be found at www.clallam.wsu.edu.
“We’re asking people to bring their own tableware,” added McInnes, meaning plates and real silverware rather than paper or plastic.
McInnes is the man behind Port Angeles Coffee Roasting Co., which uses beans from Sumatra and other lands beyond that 100-mile radius.
He’s thought about pouring his coffee Sunday but said he’ll have to consult with some of the other people involved with the potluck.
Not for purists
McInnes and Rome both emphasize, however, that the event is not for purists.
“No one is advocating a complete 100-mile diet,” Rome said.
What she does hope for is a greater understanding of how buying from local growers strengthens the local economy.
Sources include the Port Angeles Farmers Market, held Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Gateway pavilion at Front and Lincoln streets, and the Sequim Farmers Market from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays at Second Avenue and Cedar Street.
These markets have local grain, eggs, vegetables, fruits and grass-fed beef and pork, among other Clallam-raised products.
For dessert, there are ever-bearing strawberries and other fruits, added Jane, who knows from experience with two orchards at WestWind Farm.
Sunday’s potluck will go until about 7 p.m. — and the hosts would like to send people home with fresh “eat local” awareness.
“Harvest time,” added Rome, “is a really special time to remind people of the role that agriculture plays in our local economy.”
________
Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5062, or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
