It's the dead of winter and local food is a little harder to come by, save for what you have preserved in mason jars and stashed in your pantry. But admit it, you're a little tired of the same old. So come to Niagara in Jars and swap your home preserves for someone else's. 

The event is at Rise Above Bakery from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. so there will be some amazing vegan treats to snack on as the sizing up and trading happens. 

After much deliberation about how this swap should work because apparently there are many ways to prevent chaos from ensuing among canners, here's the deal:

Please label your jars. Just a name of what's inside is fine unless there are any common allergens, so people can have the heads up. So dairy, nuts, wheat flour -- the usual suspects. 

Bring as many items as you want. It doesn't just have to be canned goods. If you dried tomatoes or hot peppers — or anything else — and have tons to spare, bring those. You're a soap maker, great! Folks have to eat but personal hygiene is also a tradable commodity here :)

You will be given a ticket for each item that you bring to swap and that ticket is your currency to choose something someone else brought.

Hope to see you there.