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  • BC from Portlandfoodexchange.com

So, let's say I planted cucumbers in my garden (I didn't because I was too lazy to garden this year, but for the sake of illustration…). Due to my amazing green thumb those cucumbers go bazonkers and I've got more than I could possibly pickle or eat in salads or use as an ingredient for what-have-you.

The problem is when it comes to pickling those cukes, I have zero dill. But YOU! You have dill coming out of your freakin' ears, but no cucumbers. What do we do? Well, if we've logged on to Portlandfoodexchange.com and posted about wanting to trade our surplus bounty, we just send one another an e-mail, get connected, make the trade, and live happily ever after.

Portland Food Exchange is a new website created by Brian Connelly and friends, which seeks to help those overburdened with produce and such trade with other home gardeners. Here's the gist from a recent press release:

The site currently has five main categories; Vegetables & Fruit, Seeds & Starts, Herbs, Eggs/ Cheese/Milk, and Other. Your listing includes up to four photos and the best part is that it is free of charge. The site also has plans to partner up with a local food bank to help people find the best place to donate food if they can’t work out a trade on the website. “The site is about building a community. Our mission is to maintain a community based food exchange focused on natural, organic and sustainable farming practices. We invite everyone to join us on this exciting journey to promote a longer, healthier and more positive lifestyle,” says Connelly.

The whole thing makes me wish I'd planted this year. Drats! Go, share, eat, enjoy!