Have you heard of the Maker Movement? The Maker Movement is a “tech-influenced DIY community” full of creative and innovative individuals including hobbyists, tinkerers, students, young adults and entrepreneurs. The Maker Movement began in 2005 when Dale Dougherty launched MAKE Magazine, a published collection of DIY projects, ideas and toolkits. Dougherty later introduced Maker Faire, a festival concept that highlights and displays DIY projects. According to Dougherty, everyone is a maker to some degree! The average American in today’s culture may not tinker as much as those a few decades back when people were more apt to attempt to fix their own cars, tackle home improvement projects, make their own clothes and cook regularly; however, many people today still take pride in making things for themselves and learning new skills.
At this time of year, because cooking and preserving food are methods of making, celebrating local foods may be a great way to engage in the maker movement! In fact, August 6-12 is Ohio Local Foods Week – the perfect opportunity to practice being a maker through local foods!
What are some practical skills you could adopt as a self-proclaimed maker to celebrate local foods? You could start out by trying a new recipe- or, if you’re feeling a little more ambitious and are interested in home food preservation, you might consider:
- Preserving your own jam or jelly
- Making pickles
- Canning your own vegetables
- Using a dehydrator to make apple chips, kale chips or fruit leather
Before getting started in the kitchen, consider visiting a farmers’ market or a farm stand, touring a community garden or farm, looking for a new food or recipe book at your local library, or searching the internet for an interesting recipe to try.
If you’re planning to preserve local food, make sure to use tested recipes from a credible source like the National Center for Home Food Preservation, Cooperative Extension or the USDA. If you have questions related to food preservation, contact your local extension office.
What will you make today? Share on Facebook or Twitter using #LocalFoodsOH!
