Member spotlight: locavore popup

Chef James Taylor has been working in kitchens for almost 2 decades, and for the past two years, he’s been building Locavore Popup and Catering here in Humboldt. It’s built on relationships, on knowing where your food comes from, and on showing up for your community through something as simple as a really good meal.

At its core, Locavore Popup is nourishing food made with local, seasonal ingredients you know. Rooted in a deep love for the farmers market, the kind where you can shake the hand of the person who grew your food, Chef James Taylor built this business around something simple: food that connects people to place.

James has been working in the food service industry for over 20 years, starting as a dishwasher and working his way through prep cook, line cook, and sous chef. This week marks two years of him officially being a business owner. When I asked him when he knew he wanted to be a chef, he didn’t hesitate. “Since I was a little kid,” he told me. “I have four brothers, and they would all be playing, and I’d be in my grandma’s room watching Food Network.” He got a job in a restaurant as soon as he was old enough, and he hasn’t left the industry since.

I met James years ago when we were working together at a ski resort in Pennsylvania. He was the sous chef, running a staff of over 30 people with a level of calm, respect, and kindness that’s honestly rare in kitchens. Everyone loved him for it. Fast forward to now, and he’s still that same chef. Often whistling, steady, and composed, even with a full ticket rail. 

Beyond Locavore Popup, he works as the Nutrition Outreach Coordinator for the North Coast Growers Association. There, he teaches people how to cook with local food and build confidence in the kitchen. He brings that same mission into his business, showing people that local, seasonal food doesn’t have to be complicated to be really, really good.

People often ask what “locavore” means. To James, it’s not about strict rules or perfection. It’s about eating locally grown and produced food as much as you can, supporting your neighbors and your community, and choosing fresh, accessible food when it’s available. Here in Humboldt, we’re surrounded by farmers and producers who care deeply about what they do, making it possible to source locally in a real, meaningful way. Between the farmers markets and resources like the Harvest Hub, access to local food is right at our fingertips.

James spent his first eight years in Humboldt building relationships with those farmers and producers. When he launched Locavore Popup, those relationships came with him. At any given event, he’s supporting 10 to 20 local producers, always with a sign at his booth showing exactly where your food is coming from. He even started his business working out of a shared kitchen with Ashley of Ashley’s Seafood, someone he first met as a customer of hers, standing in line for crab during the pandemic.

One of his favorite events since starting the business was the Arcata Bay Oyster Festival last year. If you’ve been, you know. It’s a wild day. Thousands of people, music, oysters, beer, and nonstop energy. When I asked him what stood out, he didn’t talk about the crowds. He talked about his team. “We were slammed all day,” he said, “but every time I looked up, I saw my crew around me just crushing it. It felt so good to have that kind of support.”

These days, James has regulars. People who seek him out at the Saturday Farmers Market for his breakfast sandwiches made with local eggs and house-baked English muffins, or who track him down at events like Oyster Festival, Fairy Festival, and soon, Eureka Friday Night Market.

When I asked James what people don’t see behind the scenes, he laughed. “The amount of work it takes to have a traveling kitchen. It’s nothing like showing up to a restaurant. I’m pretty sure I’ve forgotten something important at every popup. But I love bringing my food to the community.” 

When you support a business like Locavore Popup, you’re not just buying a meal. You’re supporting a whole network of people behind it. Farmers, fishers, producers. It all stays local, and you can taste that difference.