About us & Etiquette
Pikes Peak Community Cupboard was "born" in late March 2011, and organized by our founder, Kat Ethington. In April 2012, we affiliated with Mile High Swappers. We are a free community
event that meets about once a month to “swap” items. No money is
exchanged, just think of it as a DIY potluck party! Bring at
least 3-5 items to swap, but they don't all have to be the same thing.
If you plan to bring canned items, please take a moment to look through the National Center for Home Preservation website. Be aware that many canning recipes on line may not be safe! List of Canning Books That Our Swappers Recommend: Canning for a New Generation, The Complete Book of Canning, Preserving Summers Bounty, Ball Blue Book, Williams-Sonoma's "The Art of Preserving," So Easy to Preserve by the Cooperative Extension: The University of Georgia, The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving.
Example of items to bring for bartering:
•Fresh produce, fruit, sprouts, and herbs from your garden.
•Backyard/Farm fresh eggs, cheese, baked goods, savory snacks
•Preserved, pickled, fermented items, vegetarian soups, stocks
•Homemade condiments, dips, spreads, and toppings
•Handmade soaps, lip balms, lotions, and other beauty products
•Crochet/knitted items, handmade jewelry, handmade cards, etc
•Useful garden tools, household and camping/backpacking items
•Homemade flavored salts, spice blends, seasonings
•Seeds, seedlings, compost, soil
•Homemade soda pop, fruit juices, drink mixes
Etiquette -
Out goal is to build community and friendships. We don't actually have "rules," but here are a few things to keep in mind!
• No money. Remember this is a free community event!
• Please do not bring any homemade alcoholic beverages to swap! According to the Colorado Department of Revenue's Liquor Enforcement, it is legal to make beer, wine, and liquor at home in Colorado but not legal to sell alcoholic beverages without a license. Bartering is defined as selling here, so swappers can be ticketed for swapping liquor.
• If you don’t want to “swap,” gifting is also encouraged.
• We use "swap tags." Basically you write down your name and item on the tag and there is a space for people to write down their bids below. We ask you to print your own tags since this is a free event, we want to save on ink and paper. Link to download the sheet (there are four tags per sheet, you'll need to cut them yourself) here. Please use 1 tag per item that you bring!
• If you bring a food item with multiple ingredients, please label the item with all ingredients.
• It would be nice to know who brought what, so also try to label your items with your name and/or Twitter handle.
• Try to bring a cooler (ice chest). There are usually a few things that are brought that need to be kept cold.
• Canned items should have the date the items were canned. It's really important that you are experienced with canning, we recommend that you refrain from bringing canned meat items. If you are not experienced with canning, please read important information here! If you bring something that is not canned using a water bath or pressure cooker, please make a note of that on the items!
• Be careful swapping for future items or work! You may have an easier time swapping if you have something tangible to offer.
• If possible, bring samples for people to try.
• Fresh and homemade items will be easier to swap. Please avoid bringing store-bought items, unless you need something for samples (ie. crackers for homemade hummus).
• Package your items in a useable size!
• Since this is a free social gathering, there are no government safety regulations for items being swapped. Everyone attending is responsible for themselves, Pikes Peak Community Cupboard is not responsible for any issues caused by swapped items. Please swap responsibly!
• HAVE FUN!
Inspired?
We were inspired too! If you are thinking of starting a "swap," we'll be more than happy to help you out as best as we can! If you're in the Pikes Peak region, come to one of our events.
Also, please refer to a great post on The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking blog about "swap" groups around the US (and other parts of the world) here! That has been an excellent guide to "swaps" and there are some amazing community oriented people out there. Also, there is great post on Chow about effective swapping here. "Swaps" are sprouting all over the country (and world!) like crazy, which is a great thing. Start one in your community! Check out the Food Swap Network as well to find a swap near you or how to start your own.
If you plan to bring canned items, please take a moment to look through the National Center for Home Preservation website. Be aware that many canning recipes on line may not be safe! List of Canning Books That Our Swappers Recommend: Canning for a New Generation, The Complete Book of Canning, Preserving Summers Bounty, Ball Blue Book, Williams-Sonoma's "The Art of Preserving," So Easy to Preserve by the Cooperative Extension: The University of Georgia, The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving.
Example of items to bring for bartering:
•Fresh produce, fruit, sprouts, and herbs from your garden.
•Backyard/Farm fresh eggs, cheese, baked goods, savory snacks
•Preserved, pickled, fermented items, vegetarian soups, stocks
•Homemade condiments, dips, spreads, and toppings
•Handmade soaps, lip balms, lotions, and other beauty products
•Crochet/knitted items, handmade jewelry, handmade cards, etc
•Useful garden tools, household and camping/backpacking items
•Homemade flavored salts, spice blends, seasonings
•Seeds, seedlings, compost, soil
•Homemade soda pop, fruit juices, drink mixes
Etiquette -
Out goal is to build community and friendships. We don't actually have "rules," but here are a few things to keep in mind!
• No money. Remember this is a free community event!
• Please do not bring any homemade alcoholic beverages to swap! According to the Colorado Department of Revenue's Liquor Enforcement, it is legal to make beer, wine, and liquor at home in Colorado but not legal to sell alcoholic beverages without a license. Bartering is defined as selling here, so swappers can be ticketed for swapping liquor.
• If you don’t want to “swap,” gifting is also encouraged.
• We use "swap tags." Basically you write down your name and item on the tag and there is a space for people to write down their bids below. We ask you to print your own tags since this is a free event, we want to save on ink and paper. Link to download the sheet (there are four tags per sheet, you'll need to cut them yourself) here. Please use 1 tag per item that you bring!
• If you bring a food item with multiple ingredients, please label the item with all ingredients.
• It would be nice to know who brought what, so also try to label your items with your name and/or Twitter handle.
• Try to bring a cooler (ice chest). There are usually a few things that are brought that need to be kept cold.
• Canned items should have the date the items were canned. It's really important that you are experienced with canning, we recommend that you refrain from bringing canned meat items. If you are not experienced with canning, please read important information here! If you bring something that is not canned using a water bath or pressure cooker, please make a note of that on the items!
• Be careful swapping for future items or work! You may have an easier time swapping if you have something tangible to offer.
• If possible, bring samples for people to try.
• Fresh and homemade items will be easier to swap. Please avoid bringing store-bought items, unless you need something for samples (ie. crackers for homemade hummus).
• Package your items in a useable size!
• Since this is a free social gathering, there are no government safety regulations for items being swapped. Everyone attending is responsible for themselves, Pikes Peak Community Cupboard is not responsible for any issues caused by swapped items. Please swap responsibly!
• HAVE FUN!
Inspired?
We were inspired too! If you are thinking of starting a "swap," we'll be more than happy to help you out as best as we can! If you're in the Pikes Peak region, come to one of our events.
Also, please refer to a great post on The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking blog about "swap" groups around the US (and other parts of the world) here! That has been an excellent guide to "swaps" and there are some amazing community oriented people out there. Also, there is great post on Chow about effective swapping here. "Swaps" are sprouting all over the country (and world!) like crazy, which is a great thing. Start one in your community! Check out the Food Swap Network as well to find a swap near you or how to start your own.