Pie Pumpkins ~ Photo by Melissa Borsting

I know what you’re thinking. You are thinking “It’s not even Halloween yet. It’s too early to be thinking about Thanksgiving”. Well, you’ll just have to forgive me for bringing it up so early, and I think you will when you find out why. Melissa Borsting from Eat Local Network has turned a good idea into a reality and is sharing the goodness with you.

The idea for the Eat Local Network Thanksgiving Box came to me last fall when there was a lot of buzz about eating local for Thanksgiving. Living in the Snoqualmie Valley, surrounded by small farms, the idea sounded great. But a week before Thanksgiving I wasn’t about to run around to find all the veggies I needed – especially when the farmer’s markets near me had all finished for the season back in September. So I started thinking about planning ahead to make our family’s 2011 Thanksgiving as local as possible. The idea snowballed into this project – I was doing so much research and footwork, why not share it with others? At first it was going to be informational and then I decided to jump in with both feet and actually round up the produce and other extras from local farmers. ~ Melissa Borsting

Beets and Carrots ~ Photo by Melissa Borsting

By networking with local farms, Melissa and Eat Local Network have created a box of ingredients for consumers to cook a fresh and local Thanksgiving meal. All of the ingredients are from within 125 miles of Seattle, and many are from the Snoqualmie Valley.

Carrots ~ Photo by Melissa Borsting

For a cost of $90.00 you can reserve a box that includes enough potatos, beets, carrots, parsnips, brussels sprouts, kale, winter squash, pie pumpkin, whole wheat flour, bread for stuffing, hazelnuts, cranberries, butter, and fresh herbs to serve 6-8 adults. Recipes are included to assure that you get the most flavor out of your ingredients.

Thyme ~ Photo by Melissa Borsting

For a $20.00 deposit you can add on a locally raised pastured turkey for $3.00/lb. The turkeys are pastured (so they eat lots of bugs), broad breasted, bronze turkeys with plenty of juicy white meat.

Oh, and did I mention that Oxbow Farm is one of the farms providing the produce? You forgive me now, right? Reserve yours today. I have a feeling they aren’t going to last long.