Community Food Resources

Nonprofit organizations and government agencies throughout the Wood River Valley are working to address issues from soil health to food security.

Featured – SUN VALLEY CULINARY INSTITUTE

The Sun Valley Culinary Institute is the culinary hub of the Wood River Valley, offering classes for cooking enthusiasts and a one-year professional culinary arts program for individuals looking to enter the food service industry. Our program combines intensive practical classes and externships at local restaurants. SVCI partners with local restaurateurs, food artisans, retailers, caterers, growers, private chefs, and hospitality industry personnel. Our location on Main Street in the heart of Ketchum provides state-of-the-art kitchen facilities, as well as public and private event space and other amenities. Visit us on Main Street in Ketchum. Take a class. Volunteer.

ADDRESS
211 N. Main St., Ketchum, Idaho

WEBSITE
sunvalleyculinary.org

BLANE SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICT

Blaine Soil Conservation District (BSCD) is a governmental subdivision of the State of Idaho. Since 1954, BSCD has supported local landowners with financial and technical assistance, along with public outreach to Blaine County residents on overall conservation efforts. BSCD is available to do soil and alfalfa testing, and has a no-till drill.

ADDRESS
24044 Main St., Carey, Idaho

WEBSITE
blainescdorg.com

THE COMMUNITY LIBRARY

The library serves the Wood River Valley in ways beyond those of a traditional library by engaging individuals through its library services, contemporary programming, and museum resources. It encourages educational and personal growth through its collections, its reference resources, its technological options, and its personal approach to 21st-century library practices. It engages in meaningful partnerships with other nonprofits, including The Hunger Coalition on the Bloom Truck for the benefit of the entire community. We offer free access to all of our services

ADDRESS
415 Spruce Ave., Ketchum, Idaho

WEBSITE
comlib.org

FARE IDAHO

FARE Idaho means Food, Agriculture, Restaurant, Beverage Establishments. We unite our Idaho food and beverage communities to ensure that independents get a seat at the table with an opportunity to impact positive change within their industries. We advocate for Idaho’s independent restaurants, family farms, retailers, and food and beverage producers. Our mission is to connect, align, and promote the shared interests of those entities. Our goal is to advance independent businesses, increase our financial success, and improve the conditions of those who work in our industries.

ADDRESS
PO Box 7225, Boise, Idaho, 83707

WEBSITE
fareidaho.org

HAILEY PUBLIC LIBRARY

The Hailey Public Library inspires discovery, connection, learning, and growth in our community. We regularly offer gardening, pruning, history, herbalism, natural history, chicken raising, and other classes for adults and many programs for kids. The Library partners with The Hunger Coalition to offer Daily Bites, a free, kid-friendly, and healthy snack pantry. We are also a 5B Resilience Gardens Collaborator and house the Wood River Seed Library; actually, in one of our old wooden card catalogs!

ADDRESS
7 W Croy St., Hailey, Idaho

WEBSITE
haileypubliclibrary.org

THE HUNGER COALITION

The Hunger Coalition’s Bloom Community Center connects our community over the shared joy of growing good food. We offer volunteering and education, inspiring healthy, outdoor, and community-based experiences for all members of Blaine County. Fresh produce is available in exchange for volunteer hours! Come to public volunteer sessions at the Hope Garden or Bloom Farm in Hailey from June through September! Come to our Community Center warehouse and office any Monday through Thursday year-round.

ADDRESS
110 Honeysuckle St., Bellevue, Idaho

WEBSITE
thehungercoalition.org

THE NATURE CONSERVANCY

The Nature Conservancy works directly with local farmers to grow a sustainable future for people and nature in Idaho. TNC has partnered with local farmer Todd Ballard in Kimberly to create a 30-acre demonstration farm where farmers can learn more about regenerative agriculture and see proven methods in action, such as no-till and cover crop planting.

ADDRESS
Regenerative Agriculture Demonstration Farm, Kimberly, Idaho

WEBSITE
nature.org/idahoagriculture

nourishme

Our mission at NourishMe is to rehabilitate our planet’s topsoil in order to recreate nutritious and delicious foods. We do this by supporting Idaho’s organic farmers, gardeners, and ranchers and then connecting our customers with their amazing foods at our store/cafe by serving the tastiest soups, salads, and hot sandwiches and selling their products through our outlet. We also host a weekly year-round farmers market at NourishMe. We find that everyone loves to shop, meet, and catch up. The list of local foods is extensive. From eggs, raw milk, greenhouse greens, and mushrooms to beef, bison, pork, lamb, and ostrich from local families that spend their summers fishing Bristol Bay in Alaska. NourishMe has become a fun local social hub through the breaking of bread with each other. Come join us and experience the groove. See our listings on page xx [restaurants] and page xx [Retail Outlets] for more information.

ADDRESS 151 North Main St., Ketchum, Idaho

WEBSITE jjnourishme.com

SAWTOOTH BOTANICAL GARDEN

The Sawtooth Botanical Garden is a community resource showcasing native and cultivated plants that flourish at high altitude. The Garden connects people to the region’s unique beauty and fosters environmental stewardship through education, events, displays, and plant collections. Through its programs and services, the Sawtooth Botanical Garden provides information on plant cultivation and ecological principles relevant to the region’s climatic conditions and its plant and human communities. The goal of the Garden is to establish a place to build community through the understanding and exploration of both native and cultivated plants. Understanding the unique ecology of our extraordinary inner Mountain West region and exploring the wonders of plant cultivation and care provides a multitude of opportunities to “celebrate plants and inspire people.”

ADDRESS
11 Gimlet Rd., Ketchum, Idaho

WEBSITE
sbgarden.org

THE SENIOR CONNECTION

The Senior Connection mission is connecting seniors with essential services, meaningful programming, their peers, and the local community to foster purposeful and passion-filled lives. One of the essential services we provide is nutrition. Meals are available via our Meals on Wheels program, our curbside takeout, or in our dining room with friends!

ADDRESS
721 3rd Ave. S., Hailey, Idaho

WEBSITE
seniorconnectionidaho.org

SUN VALLEY INSTITUTE FOR RESILIENCE

Founded in 2015, Sun Valley Institute for Resilience (SVIR) is transforming our regional food system to increase our community’s resilience to climate change. We mobilize capital, develop markets, and educate through all of our programs to empower everyday climate action for all. Each of our programs complements and enriches the others to pull strategic levers of change and amplify the power of individual choices. Our work brings forth both a stronger, more diverse food system capable of import substitution and informed consumers who make food choices that benefit the environmental, economic, and social health of our community.

ADDRESS Hailey, Idaho

WEBSITE
sunvalleyinstitute.org

trailing of the sheep festival

The mission of the Trailing of the Sheep Festival is to gather, celebrate, present, and preserve the history and cultures of sheepherding in Idaho and the West. This unique, five-day October festival preserves and archives stories of ranchers, herders, and multiple generations before they are lost. The extended weekend features a full-day Sheep Folklife Fair with multicultural musicians and dancers, sheep shearing, handmade woolen creations, work skill demonstrations, and folk and traditional art. Also presented is a Wool Festival with classes and workshops and culinary events featuring chefs, restaurants, and American lamb. There is also the two-and-a-half-day National Qualifying Sheepdog Trials, storytelling, and the Big Sheep Parade with 1,500 sheep trailing down Main Street in Ketchum, Idaho.

ADDRESS Hailey, Idaho

WEBSITE trailingofthesheep.org

UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO EXTENSION

The University of Idaho Extension provides research-based information to Idaho citizens and communities. The Blaine County Extension Office offers programming and resources in agriculture and horticulture, 4-H youth development, community development, as well as Healthy Living curriculum and Farm to Early Childcare Education.

ADDRESS
302 First Ave. S., Hailey, Idaho

WEBSITE
uidaho.edu/extension/county/blaine

UPPER BIG WOOD RIVER GRANGE

The Upper Big Wood River Grange is a nonprofit organization that fosters local agriculture, local food economy, sustainable practices, gardening, seed saving, home cooking, sewing, and other practical arts. We offer various community events and our members are encouraged to do community service. The Grange is home to the Wood River Seed Library, has an educational Community Garden, provides a studio for dance and Tai Chi classes, and is used for meetings and events.

ADDRESS
609 S. Third Ave., Hailey, Idaho

CONTACT
upperbigwoodriverid192@grange.org

WOOD RIVER COMMUNITY YMCA

Bonni’s Garden, a state-of-the-art, solar-powered greenhouse, is a gathering place where people of all ages can learn and grow. It connects our community to nature and life, and serves as an ideal space for collaborating, growing, and learning. This beautiful space and outdoor garden offers classes and clinics and produces food and flowers year-round, impacting our community’s health and wellness needs. Community members can access Bonni’s Garden through the Wood River Community YMCA.

ADDRESS
101 Saddle Rd., Ketchum, Idaho

WEBSITE
woodriverymca.org

WOOD RIVER LAND TRUST

The Wood River Land Trust protects and sustains the treasured landscapes and life-giving waters of the Wood River Valley and inspires a love for this special place for generations to come. We assist landowners with agricultural conservation easements and connect them with resources for improving soil health and water conservation.

ADDRESS
119 E Bullion St., Hailey, Idaho

WEBSITE
woodriverlandtrust.org

WOOD RIVER SEED LIBRARY

WRSL is a community-based seed saving and sharing organization. Building community, educating, networking, and seed stewardship is our mission. Our purpose is to grow, save, and share seeds within the Wood River Valley. Our locally produced seeds are adapted to our local environment and weather. By preserving these seeds, our seed librarians maintain a diversity of open-pollinated varieties for the future. We strive to inspire growers to rejoin the ritual of seed saving.

ADDRESS
Hailey, Idaho

WEBSITE
woodriverseeds.net