Although Facebook and other online communities have several groups that are set up for bartering or can be considered “buy nothing” groups, one community emerged earlier this year that’s taking the idea of swapping goods with people in your community one step further.
On the last Saturday of each month, a group of people get together at the Scenic Regional Library’s Owensville Branch to trade homemade and homegrown goods with one another.
In June, Owensville resident Taylor Miller decided to create The Homemade Exchange based on an idea she’d seen online. These monthly meetups offer people based in the Owensville area an opportunity to connect with others, chat, and exchange items on a free, one-for-one basis.
Items can range from homegrown flowers, herbs, and vegetables, to baked goods, and handmade items. Other edible items at past events have included home canned goods like salsas, jams and jellies, spices and seasoning blends, as well as eggs, homemade teas and homemade apple cider vinegar. Non-food items are also welcome, like handmade art, homemade soaps, or similar items.
“We’ve had an average of about 10 people show up each month,” Taylor says.
The growth has been mostly organic, although Taylor has shared a few Facebook ads to help spread the word about the events. The meeting space inside the library has capacity for just over 30 people, so there’s room for the events to grow.
Although it’s still early days, she can see how The Homemade Exchange might grow beyond its current iteration, and is open to the possibility of holding the exchange meetups in additional local communities. And since the exchanges center around anything homegrown or homemade, Taylor plans to keep the exchanges going throughout the winter.
“I think it gives people something to do and a little socialization to look forward to throughout the winter, too,” she explains.
While Taylor’s been happy with the growth of the event and the variety of items brought to the monthly meetings, some things she’d love to see at future gatherings include homemade woodworking pieces, homemade cheese, and non-food items like fiber arts, such as crochet and knit pieces.
There’s a Facebook group for the meetups, but Taylor says that people don’t have to connect in that way in order to attend the monthly events.
“People can just show up,” she shares.
The next Homemade Exchange event is happening Saturday, Nov. 29 at the Scenic Regional Library Owensville Branch from 11:15 a.m. – noon. Follow The Homemade Exchange on Facebook to stay up to date with the monthly meetups.
Small Town Socialite 