Swap and Barter without money (May)

I was really worried about going to the swap this month. The temperatures are on the rise here, and my energy levels and my stamina have taken a huge step backwards. A friend and I car pooled and she was a big help loading and unloading all of our swap stuff. The area were we set up is shaded, but when it is 90+ that is still hard for me.

I had been making soap like crazy to try to stay ahead of these swaps. They are spread 4 weeks apart and that just isn’t long enough (for me) to cure soap. I prefer longer, especially as the temps heat up because it takes longer for the moisture to dry out of the soap to make a nice hard bar. So as I was making soap this past month I made 2 and 3 batches of everything. That way they will have more curing time and be ready for the swaps as they come each month. This month there were A LOT more people that came to participate. More people to swap with meant more things to swap for and I came home with more great things.

What did I bring home:

• 2 quarts of beautiful canned tomatoes
• Fresh eggs
• salsa
• canned carrots
• yellow squash
• some mystery red flowering bulbs & aloe
• 2 loaves of zucchini bread
• whole wheat bread
• goats milk (going to make goats milk soap!)
• sprouting seeds (clover and broccoli)
• Cookies
• a rock (beautifully painted by a 5 yo boy)
• Celery Leaf
• 2 fly fishing lures
• a coffee grinder
• dishwasher powder
• a notebook and book markers
• 2 purple tomatillo plants
• fresh Mexican oregano and Greek oregano
• Blueberry coffee cake

What did I take to swap:

• Soap, soap and more soap!
• Whole Grain Mustard
• Zucchini Relish
• 4 mint plants

My soap was very popular again this month and so was the whole grain mustard and mint plants. I have more mint rooted and ready to pot up and I will be making more whole grain mustard and some Dijon to take in June. Other things I am thinking of taking are: granola bars, bottled ginger beer, and rosemary/black olive bread.

The swap went great. I paced myself and sat down when I needed to. I also took a box that I could load with a few of my items and carry with me to swap so that I walk table to table to see what people had. If I saw something I was interested in, I could ask them right there, show them what I had in my box and not have to take them back to my table to see if there was something they wanted so we could swap.  I met more great people and look forward to the swap in June.

Sincerely, Emily

 

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