Out the kitchen window, 40 mile-an-hour gusts rip dry, brown leaves from the cottonwood branches. Beyond them, snow covers my garden. The oven has warmed the house, and steam rises as I rake a fork across golden strands of spaghetti squash.

I’ve only recently discovered climbing, but I’ve been eating my entire life. My story is similar to so many other climbers who see the inherent connection between our love of climbing and the outdoors, and our love for the food that fuels our bodies. We understand the responsibility we have to care for both our bodies and our planet. As an inherently outdoor sport, climbers are integrally connected with nature.

Chris Petry, owner of Oh Yeah! Farms, is quickly gaining fame in the Farm To Crag community for coining the phrase “GET RAD FOR FOOD,” and for good reason.

There’s no doubt about it: it’s summer. It’s the season of eating luscious, sun-ripened tomatoes with nothing but a pinch of salt and a napkin for the sweet juice that inevitably drips down your chin. We devour raspberries by the handful, and eat our food raw or cooked outside on a fire, preferring casual picnics and simple meals that complement summer schedules and hot days.

I have been daydreaming about homesteading since I was a kid. Three years ago it happened; I was a couple years into my thirties, mid-career at the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center, and about to lose my apartment. I bought a 4-acre piece of land in Marblemount, Washington. On the property was one shoddy old cabin and a woodshed. Along the swift, green Skagit River, I put down roots for the first time in my adult life.

Spice blends are an easy way to turn simple, whole food ingredients into a delicious meal without having to add prefabbed sauces that are expensive, perishable, and often filled with ingredients that don’t support our bodies. Spices typically come from the roots, leaves or seeds of plants, making them so much more nutritious than artificial, sugar-packed factory-made seasoning.

Spring is in the air, and it’s an especially dramatic shift here in the Northeast. If you are living in the Northern Hemisphere, you too are likely experiencing the reemergence of the color green: a vibrant version unique to this time of year — so tied to spring’s unfolding food palate and the feeling of hope and new beginnings that accompany it.

All of us here at Farm To Crag are eager to get out climbing… we know you’re all eager too! But just like unexpected rainy days, long winter seasons, or life priorities that temporarily distract from our favorite sport, now is also a great opportunity to hone your skills in the kitchen and stock your portable pantry so you can have healthy, travel-friendly meals and prepared ingredients at the ready.

In partnership with the generous folks at Patagonia and Patagonia Provisions, Farm To Crag brought together surrounding farmers and climbers in our first-ever Community Gathering outside of iconic Yosemite National Park! We attracted advocates from all sides who wanted to learn more about regenerative agriculture; nutrition and fermentation; community supported farming; making change with your fork, your wallet, and your voice; and how soil health has the potential to reverse human-led climate change.