Livin' in the Blurbs: Good Causes, but Mostly Fun

Friends of Family Farmers (FoFF) is like my friend, a writer, producer and composer of music who's also been a financial analyst, acupuncturist, erstwhile yogi and is currently dean of a major national music conservatory. I'm sure he must have had an astronaut period in there someplace, but so far he's kept that mum. FoFF, in its many guises, works to support small family farms in Oregon committed to sustainable practices. It's done this by establishing a network of support for existing farms as well as a program to recruit young farmers, connecting them with mentors and avenues for marketing their products. FoFF has also been active in proposing and supporting legislation that affects farmers, advocating on issues and inviting the public to get involved. Consumers are another focus, exemplified by their popular monthly Infarmation (and Beer) gatherings and the Pro-Pasture Fridays campaign that I wrote about for the Oregonian.

All of this worthy activity deserves celebrating, and they're throwing a Farm to FoFF dinner and fundraiser to do just that on August 25th at Dancing Roots Farm. Tickets are $115 per person, which includes a one-year membership in Friends of Family Farmers, dinner prepared by Chef David Anderson of The Original Dinerant, as well as cocktails, mead, beer and wine, with a silent auction and live jazz entertainment.

Details: Farm to FoFF fundraiser and celebration for Friends of Family Farmers. Sun., Aug. 25, starting at 4 pm; $115 includes dinner, drinks and membership. At Dancing Roots Farm, 29820 E Woodard Rd., Troutdale. 503-759-3276.

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Area Whole Foods markets are dedicating the entire month of August to celebrating local producers, bringing them into stores for events they're calling "Meet the Makers from Around Here Taste Fair." The "Makers" include Country Natural Beef, Nancy's Yogurt, Pacific NW Kale Chips, Grandma Chongas Salsa and Heidi Ho Veganics, creators of a vegan cheese that actually melts, and many others. It's all to promote Whole Foods' program called "Eat as Promised," an effort by Whole Foods local forager Denise Breyley (right) to find and fill the shelves at local stores with what she says is "an eye toward bringing the products from local farms to shoppers via Whole Foods Market." It also includes the Local Producer Loan Program, which is committed to providing up to $10 million in small, low-interest loans. Seems like an effort worth supporting.

Details: Meet the Makers from Around Here Taste Fair. Portland area Whole Foods Markets throughout the month of August. Check your neighborhood store website for dates and featured vendors.

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And now for something completely different:

As a native Oregonian, while I consider myself fairly well-traveled, having been to bits of Asia, North America, Central America and Europe, I have no idea what it's like to move lock, stock and Corgis to a completely different country. Filmmaker Robin Willis, who dug up his roots here in Portland and transplanted them in the rich cultural soil of Barcelona, Spain, has been gathering American expats in his new home to tell their stories of what it’s like being over there when you’re from here, and vice versa. On Thursday, Aug. 29, Willis will return to his hometown to reel in a new net full of fish-out-of-water stories called XPatStories with a focus on expats from other countries sharing what life is like for them here in Portlandia. Singer-songwriter Richard Moore will open the show with a few of his very close-to-home songs about living in Portland. See your town described through the eyes of strangers? Count me in!

Details: XPat Stories: Tales From Beyond the Comfort Zone. Thurs., Aug. 29, 9 pm; $8, tickets available online or at the door. Mississippi Pizza’s Atlantis Lounge, 3552 N Mississippi Ave.

Livin' in the Blurbs: Friends and Benefits

The average American farmer is nearly 60 years old. For every farmer and rancher under the age of 25, there are five who are 75 or older, according to Agriculture Department statistics. Oregon, though, is bucking the trend. It's one of the few states in the country where the average age of farmers has actually started to decrease, thanks to efforts by the US government and local organizations like the Small Farms Program at OSU and, one of my favorites, Friends of Family Farmers. Through mentorships, support networks, education and advocacy, FoFF is working to promote and protect socially responsible farming in Oregon. It's throwing a fundraising concert on Sat., Oct. 11th, showcasing local bands, foods sourced from local producers and stories from Oregon farmers sharing the challenges and triumphs of farming in our region.

Details: Friends of Family Farmers Aid Concert featuring The Robinsons, Northeast Northwest and Max's Midnight Kitchen. Sat., Oct. 11, 8 pm; $10, tickets online (21 and over). At Someday Lounge, 125 NW 5th Ave. 503-759-3276.

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Coming up on the next episode of Portlandia: Carrie and Fred bike to their neighbors' urban farm where they take a class on how to espalier a fruit tree. Of course, Fred nearly lops off Carrie's arm—he swears it was just an accident—but she opts to play it safe and move in with the neighbors where she finds a new life tending to chickens and turkeys, gathering eggs and leading children on tours. Except for the Carrie and Fred part, this is exactly what you'll find at Zenger Farm, a 27-acre working farm in Southeast Portland with a mission to educate Portlanders about food and farming through hands-on classes, tours and a CSA. It also has an innovative garden program for immigrant families and helps food stamp recipients put fresh, local food on their tables. They're having their annual Farm to Table Dinner and auction on Sat., Oct. 20th, and you can come help support this terrific (and very Portland) urban farm.

Details: Zenger Farm Annual Farm to Table Dinner and Auction. Sat., Oct. 20th, 6 pm; $100 ($35 tax deductible), tickets online. University of Portland Bauccio Commons, 5000 N Willamette Blvd. 503-282-4245.

Update: The dinner has sold out, but contact them to get on the list for next year!

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My dad's father came to this country from Germany in the early part of the 20th century, so despite the fact that my dad preferred meat-and-potatoes to sauerbraten-and-cabbage, she would on occasion feel that she should feed him food from the fatherland. To my mother, who was raised in a tiny town in far Eastern Oregon, that meant dumping a jar of store-bought sauerkraut into a pot with a package of hot dogs, heating it up and calling it dinner. When I eventually made my way to France, I discovered the joys of choucroute, the long-braised sauerkraut-and-meat dish that bore no resemblance to those childhood dinners. These days there's hardly a foodie household in the Northwest without its own crock of shaved cabbage bubbling away in some dark nook. If you've been pining to try your hand at home fermentation, Cathy Smith, whose Curious Farm pickles, kimchi and other preserved products you've become addicted to at the Beaverton Farmers' Market or on New Seasons shelves, is teaching a series of classes on making sauerkraut, the easiest of easy home canning projects. And I can guarantee you'll be a convert from store-bought.

Details: Learn to Make Real Sauerkraut with Cathy Smith of Curious Farm. Classes on Oct. 23, Nov. 6 and Nov. 13; 6-9 pm; $75 includes equipment and ingredients. Preregistration online or by phone. At Curious Farm on NW Leahy Rd. 971-248-0717.