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ROOTS REVIVAL
Home producers in the Reno-Tahoe area are connecting to food and drink heritage by fermenting, dehydrating, and mixing up nourishing and delicious concoctions. And they reap the benefits of their efforts all year long. We hope this package of DIY stories inspires you to get creative in the kitchen this fall.
WRITTEN BY SUE EDMONDSON
PHOTO BY JEFF ROSS
If you believe there’s something special about creating your own food and drink, you’re not alone. Of all of the categories on Pinterest, DIY food and drink items hold the No. 1 spot for the millions of men and women who visit the site.
The reasons to do it yourself are many. For some, it’s not inconsequential that making food at home saves money. Tom and Iris Stille’s only expense for the kombucha they enjoy daily is a bit of tea and a little time. Flavoring comes from the flowers and herbs they grow at their River School Farm in west Reno. There’s also no need to join a gym — tending to their gardens, chickens, and bees is exercise enough.
Money savings are a benefit, but they’re not the driving force. Control over the ingredients in food is important to those such as Reno blogger and homeschooler Jessica Locke because she’s particular about what she feeds her children.
For executive director of Urban Roots, Jeff Bryant, who often heads to the garden after work to find a vegetable he can pickle, the relaxation derived from gardening and cooking is key. Plus, having a pantry stocked with homemade food that lasts a year or longer is satisfying, home producers say.
And don’t discount the fun of experimenting with new foods or drinks — everything from the garden can find its way into something that’s canned, fermented, pickled, brewed, baked, or dehydrated.
“There’s nothing like it to bring out your inner child,” do-it-yourselfer and Reno resident Richie Bednarski says.
Still, those advantages aren’t the main draw. Universally, home producers say the biggest benefit is far more profound.
“It’s so rewarding to create something delicious out of my garden,” says Reno resident Leah Madison, who’s dedicated to making her own goods. “I feel a connection to my food and the land on a deeper level than I ever expected.”
Freelance writer Sue Edmondson is an avid gardener. She loves doing things that bring out her inner child.
