Resolve to Eat Local in 2016
New Year, new resolution.
This year, instead of pinky-promising yourself you will stay on that new fad diet and give up carbohydrates, why not commit to doing something different that’s good for you and your community? Make 2016 the year you resolve to live local and eat the amazing agricultural products we grow and produce in this wonderful state. Even during these cold winter months you can find quality local items on grocery store shelves. We also have some mighty fine wineries and craft breweries here in Idaho, as well as many restaurants that proudly serve local foods, beers, wines and spirits all year-round. They might not be carb-free, but it’s ok to treat yourself occasionally!
Read on to discover our list of local products including produce, meats, frozen foods and specialty items that are available all year long, as well as a list of local restaurants and retailers where you can find these Idaho-grown items.
Fresh Produce:
Idaho-grown items include potatoes, onions, apples, garlic and winter squash. Potatoes and onions are always a great staple to have in your kitchen and there are still local apples floating around in January. Look for Fortress, Symms and Garrett Ranches apples at your local retail stores including Paul’s, Walmart, Albertsons and Winco.
Meat/Fish:
Another Idaho raised product that is always in season. Look for local beef, lamb, pork, bacon, sausage, elk, chicken, trout and venison when out shopping for your next meal. Try something different like Idaho raised yak meat from Howling Winds Farm. Look for some of our amazing Idaho meat and fish producers including 24 West Ranch, Black Pine Deer Farm, Clear Springs Foods, Falls Brand, Snake River Farms, Double R Ranch, Lava Lake Lamb, Fish Breeders of Idaho, Gutierrez Family Farms, Homestead Natural Foods, M&N Cattle, Sisler Ranch, Snedaker’s Fine Swine, Vogel Farms. (Click on the ranch name for more info.)
Dairy:
Did you know? Idaho is the third largest dairy state in the nation. We have an abundance of locally produced dairy products available all year-round. Look for milk, cheese, butter, cream and other products from Darigold, Meadowgold, Eden Creamery, High Desert, Wood’n Goat Garden, Ballard Family Dairy and Cloverleaf Creamery at retail stores including Walmart, Albertson’s, Winco, Whole Foods Market, M&W Warm Springs Market, Paul’s, and Rosauer’s, Vogel Farms Country Market. Too busy to run out to the store? Boise Milk Co. will deliver Idaho dairy goodness right to your front door. Choose Idaho processed products like Precious® brand string cheese to pack as a snack in your lunch or for a quick on-the-go treat. The local dairy products in this state are limitless!
Beans & Lentils:
Add a different kind of protein to your diet and shop for local beans and lentils. 13 Foods has frozen, ready-to-use garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and lentils grown right in the Palouse area! Look for their products in the frozen section of your local grocery stores. Prefer dry beans? Zursun heirloom beans and legumes can be found at the following locations here.
Bread:
Idaho breads range from artisan loaves to sliced sandwich breads. There is no excuse to NOT buy locally made breads, pastries and baked goods! Breads from Zeppole’s, Great Harvest Bread Co. and Alpicella Bakery are all made with Pendleton flour right out of Blackfoot, Idaho. These breads are not only made in Idaho but also use Idaho ingredients.
Specialty Products:
Whether you’re looking for on-the-go energy, your daily chocolate fix or a savory snack, Idaho has an abundance of local, specialty foods that you can find in stores everywhere. Look for honey, jelly, jam, baking mixes, bars, soup mixes, syrups and more. A few of our favorites include: Cowboy Tom’s flapjack mix, Kaufmann Farms hearty barley soup mix, The Berry Ranch and Baker Ranch jams, jellies and fruit syrups, D’arcy’s Bakeshop pasta sauces, Fat Daddy’s caramelized onions and BBQ sauces, Fitz Wraps, Fresca Mexican Foods corn chips and tortillas, Homemade by Dorothy huckleberry, jams, syrups, baking and hot cocoa mixes, Litehouse dressings, Legacy Farms jams and jellies, Backcountry Bars, Pepper Fusion soy sauces and pepper jellies, Casa Valdez tortillas, Wagner mustard, Treasure Valley Salsa and Zacca Hummus!
Looking for Idaho sweet honey nectar? Check out our Idaho Preferred brands including Browning’s Honey Co., Cox Honey Farms, Gorder Honey Company, Reisinger Apiaries, The Honey Store, and Treasure Valley Honey & Bees Corp.! Chocolate lovers rejoice, we have some of the best local hand-dipped chocolates, gourmet fudge and confections in all the land – Weiser Classic Candy takes the cake in satisfying all of your sweet-tooth needs.
Beverages:
Most of us (over 21) have already hopped on to the Idaho alcohol beverage train. However, if you haven’t, check out what our wonderful state has to offer in the wine, craft brew and spirit category. The best part about these beverages? They are not only brewed, distilled or bottled here in Idaho, they are also made with Idaho-grown hops, barley, grapes and potatoes!
Wine – 3 Horse Ranch Vineyards, Bitner Vineyards, Cold Springs Winery, Colter’s Creek Winery, Crossings Winery, Huston Vineyards, Indian Creek Winery, Sawtooth Winery, Snake River Winery, Ste. Chapelle Winery
Beer – Edge Brewing, Highlands Hollow Brewhouse, Payette Brewing Co, Sockeye Brewing
Spirits – 44 North Vodka
Looking for a non-alcoholic bottled beverage? Try Starkey Spring Water, bottled right here in Council, ID. The water comes from an ancient geothermal spring near the Weiser River in the Idaho Mountains.
Restaurants:
Love dining out? So do we. And lucky for us, we can continue to make local choices when eating outside of our own kitchens. Chefs and culinary experts in Idaho have done a fantastic job of sourcing locally grown ingredients when possible and producing wonderful seasonal menu items and year-round staples. Check out all of our Idaho Preferred restaurants who have made a commitment to serving-up local dishes all throughout the state.
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