When we students arrive in Walla Walla in late August, wander around the Activities Fair and Poster Sale, tack pictures to our walls, stock bookshelves and complete web check-in, we are often oblivious of what goes on outside the collegiate realm.   We may venture to Staples, to the thrift stores or maybe down to one of the local favorite ice-cream spots (if you haven’t had a blackberry milkshake at The Iceberg on 9th, you are missing out), but we do not make it quite into what I’ve come to know as the heart of Walla Walla.   After spending the summer living here in town and working on an organic farm, I’ve realized that this time of year means more than Whitstock, Camp Whitman and advisor clearances.   This time of year in Walla Walla means HARVEST.   It means BOUNTY.

I come from the Bay Area, California, a sunny place where the growing season stretches almost the entire calendar year and you rarely need more than a sweatshirt and the occasional umbrella in winter.   At the end of May, after a Walla Walla farmers’ market consisting of asparagus, spinach and spring onions, I went home to California to find peaches, apricots, greens, strawberries, heads of lettuce larger than my head and even tomatoes at my local farmers’ market.   As a self-proclaimed lover of food, especially fresh fruits and veggies, I appreciate California in May, reveling in Arctic Star nectarines and plump golden apricots.   This year, however, after a few weeks at home, I zipped back up to Walla Walla to dedicate the majority of the summer to Gypsy Sally’s Produce Palace, a three-acre vegetable farm on the outskirts of town.

What I’ve learned is that although the growing season may be much shorter here than my golden state homeland, there is no shortage of incredible fresh produce.   And that’s the knowledge that I am going to try to share with you all through this weekly column, at least until the frost comes.   Here I will focus on local food and local producers to give you a sense of how easy and beneficial it is to buy food grown just a stones throw from Whitman.   I’ll share recipes, anecdotes and reflections on Walla Walla food.

So steer clear of supermarket produce aisles for the next few months.   You can find much tastier, fresher and cheaper (yes, cheaper) produce nearby.   Venture down Main Street to Farmers’ Market on Saturday morning.   Better yet, go on a little excursion to one of the many farm stands within just a few miles of town.

Now is a better time than ever to do a little taste testing. The sweet corn is on.   Renowned watermelons are carted up from nearby Hermiston, Ore..   The tomatoes here are plump and rich in vine-ripened flavor, and there’s plenty of basil around to accompany them.   Apples and pears are falling from laden limbs.   You see, there is much more than just asparagus and onions in Walla Walla.   Before the stupor of school hits you too hard and the weather turns frigid, take advantage of the bounty of goods nearby.