Our Sequim Farmer’s Market is open and running for the summer. We’re so excited to try out our new location! During the last year, the city built a new civic center featuring a beautiful plaza and a true work of art – a totem pole which tells the story of "Why the Sun Always Shines in Sequim." We’re thrilled to move from our former location in the dirt lot adjacent to “Over the Fence.” Added pluses are that all the market vendors are now together in one location, which also accommodates folks who need assistance in getting around, via canes,...
Ah the winter season....here it is mild compared to most parts of the country. Sure we have our rain and wind, but for us at Dungeness Gold it is a wonderful peaceful time of quiet and renewal. And yet, things are waking up. We've begun our post winter cleaning and inventory. Out with the old, scrub those shelves, get those bottles, dry those spices, don't sneeze....wait, that was my outside voice. The time has come to get into the joy of wonderful mixes, smells and vibrant colors again as we get ready for Spring. Our first event will be here...
Thanksgiving is here, and over the weekend, it’s Shannan’s birthday. We’ve got great plans including me cooking Thanksgiving dinner for 6 of us, then on Friday, driving to Kalaloch Lodge on the Pacific Coast (which carries our spices in their gift shop) to celebrate. We’re taking a bit of a break from Dungeness Gold this weekend, but we’ve got more to come. We’ve got two holiday bazaars under our belt so far; one at Jefferson County Fairgrounds, and last weekend at Greywolf Elementary School. When I last wrote, I talked about how much we’d learned, but I can safely say...
Now that we’re experts at cooking FIVE + GALLONS of Smoked Salmon/Mushroom chowder and serving it in 2 ounce cups to hundreds, we’re ready to tackle anything! Yes, our experience at the Chowder Cook-Off proved that we can do it all. Or at least Shannan a/k/a #1 can! She did the cooking while I cut, sliced, dipped, and otherwise filled the gaps. Truthfully we had a ball, no one got ill, and we won 1st prize for the best-decorated booth. What fun… but never again! Ironically, my husband, Jim, just came in to tell me that he ran into a...
Fall is fast approaching and with it, a touch of insanity for at least one of the spice girls. But let me explain… A few weeks ago, we set up our booth at the annual Sequim Air Affaire - a small airshow/antique car/wing walking/spice selling event held at our local airport. Lots of new people to meet, and one of them happened to be Betsy of the Captain Joseph House Foundation, a non-profit created to support Gold Star Families. As we talked, we discovered that Betsy has a huge heart and a wonderful cause which we were eager to support....
July 15-17th was the Sequim Lavender Festival. It’s the culmination of a spring filled with growing things that turn into sheer beauty. I love lavender, but I never knew that, in profusion, it can take your breath away. Shannan and I spent the weekend at our neighboring farm, Jardin du Soleil, where we set up our newly decorated booth and met many new customers. Our booth has some extra pizazz, thanks to my photographer spouse who illustrates the beauty around us in his own inimitable way and allows us to display his work. (See jimwoodphotos.com) Having blooming lavender as our...
Winter’s over. We’d better get to it.” Thus begins the saga of how Dungeness Gold is evolving. Starting with the idea for new labels for our product, we both stirred up our creative juices and met with the really creative person, Jessica, a graphic artist who guided us down the path of our “new look.” It’s clean and simple, with lots of clear space so our customers can see the yummy spices in the bottle. We’ve even got our own logo, which, I must say, is pretty cool. On to how we’re going to display our stuff on the tables...
"Are you sure you want to work with your Mother every day?" So went the question asked of my daughter by her many friends. Fortunately for us, my daughter and I enjoy a relationship that thrives on close contact and collaboration. Thus, after our move from Alaska to Sequim, WA, we sought a way to put our creative juices to work with a small business that would allow us some flexibility, while challenging us to learn new things. The story of how we came to own an already successful business, Dungeness Gold Spice Blends and Sauces, is one for the...