Not Your Average Bake Sale
In mid-October, 2016 if you had walked into our kitchen, you would have thought you were in a candle factory. For a week our camp became a production hot spot of bread, cookies, candles, balms, hummus, salsa, and any other creations we could muster up. You might be thinking this sounds like a challenge to pull off in a small kitchen on a remote island. You are correct. Not to mention, we were working full time leading snorkels, hikes, kayaks and environmental awareness programs for multiple school groups in our camp. However, against all odds, we succeeded and were able to sell our plethora of artisan goods at the fifth annual Fall Festival in Avalon.
Close to half of our staff made the two-hour journey to the “busy city” of Avalon to showcase their salesperson talents at our farmers market style booth. We sold out of almost every single product, raising enough money to make our bike tour possible! It was an exciting change of pace from our routine here at Howlands Landing, and it was a fantastic way for our staff to do some outreach to the surrounding communities here on Catalina Island. Every year our booth brings returning customers, who are excited to see what new recipes we have tried out. Our participation is not just about raising money, but also showcasing the accessibility of local, organic, and environmentally-conscious products. One of the core programs of our CELP curriculum is sustainable living and gardening, in which we strive to impart the importance of reducing food miles and promoting local food systems. Fall Fest is the perfect way for us to practice what we preach and make these sustainable concepts a reality.
