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Tabitha Stroup said she was heartbroken by food waste, so she took action to help stem losses for farmers and create a “sense of place” in the products she makes. Today, Terroir in a Jar, based in Soquel, develops jams, sauces and a plethora of one-of-a-kind items for farmers to sell using their imperfect or excess produce. You have a background as a pastry chef and wine and cheese teacher. How did you find yourself in the jam-making business? My lifetime passion came frommy grammy and great-grammy. Their past in homesteading ranch kitchens, victory gardens during World War II and their love of preservation inspired me to start Friend in Cheeses Jam Co. in 2011. Today, those products are distributed nationally. Last spring, I got an idea: What if I took farmers’ unsellable produce and made shelf-stable, legal-to-sell, unique-to-the-farms products with a “sense of place”? I can then sell those products back to the farmer at a rate that they can in turn sell for a retail profit and bring what would otherwise be a loss to a gain for the farmer and our community. That crazy path brought me here to Terroir in a Jar. It was lightning in a bottle. How did you settle on the name Terroir in a Jar? It is a nod to my wine background (“terroir” refers to the complete natural environment—including climate, soil and topography—that influences wine production) and a wink of respect to my farm partners as I create their sense of place. How have you seen jam-making improve the situation for the farmers you partner with? Despite the name, we are well beyond jam. We create everything from jam, jelly, marmalade and shrubs (drinking vinegars) to syrups, hot sauces, margarita mixes and culinary vinegars. We recently acquired a commercial freeze dryer, which will change the game. We are creating a new revenue stream with years of shelf life: winter farm pantries chock full of provisions for the pantry to become a terroir-driven, edible lifestyle. It not only enriches the community’s ties to its farmers, but creates a revenue circle to build a better place to live. It also keeps the carbon footprint of one’s pantry reduced. I could go on forever. What is your favorite food preservation story? Every time a farmer picks up or we deliver a batch of product is a special moment. I love seeing the look on their faces when they open the jar or bottle and taste my interpretation of their farm. I’m creating jars and bottles of possibilities. Terroir in a Jar founder preserves more than imperfect fruits
MORE ONLINE Visit www.californiabountiful.com for Stroup’s tips for stemming food waste, and to read the entire interview.
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