Welcome to the Slow Food Eugene website! Our mission is to support food that is good, clean and fair. Check here often for news about Chapter events and volunteer opportunities.
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Slow Food Eugene’s most popular event is just around the corner. On September 11, we will be visiting Paul Atkinson’s Laughing Stock Farm. The food will be great and the company even better, because you are joining us.
This year we are offering a discount for the early planners. Starting on August 1st for 10 days only, $30 adult tickets will be available at Long’s Meat Market, 81 E. 28th Ave, Eugene, and Newman’s Fish Company, 1545 Willamette St, Eugene, until August 10th. Bring cash or a check. No credit cards accepted.
Beginning August 11th, tickets will only be available online at brownpapertickets.com. Adult tickets will be $35. Tickets for children 6 to 12 are $5. Children 5 and under are free.
Only 125 tickets are allocated for sale this year so don?t hesitate or you?ll be too late.
Remember to bring your own plates, cups, and flatware.
Important Details:
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: Volunteering is a great way to help Slow Food and meet people who want to build a better world through the food we eat. If you are attending this year’s One Field Meal and want to help, contact Bev Mazzola, Lois Safdie, or Judy Stickney.
Next Sunday’s Ninkasi Brewery: Carts And A Cold One–Sunday, July 31, 2011
Come celebrate summer at the excellent Carts And A Cold One at Ninkasi Brewing Company. The event is an evening of delicious food, live music and select brews. Your participation supports the School Garden Project and the Farm To School Program. How cool is that?
Ninkasi will pair the dishes with one of their ales. These carts are competing for a grand prize on which one best highlights the local ingredients. Participant’s tickets can sample the menu item (3-4 bites per small plate) and the accompanying brew.
If you buy a 6 ticket packet, you will get to cast your vote for your favorite cart. Ninkasi is donating a grand prize for the winning food cart.
DATE: Sunday, July 31, 2011
TIME: 5:00pm to 8:00pm
PLACE: Ninkasi Brewing Patio, 272 Van Buren Street, Eugene, OR 97402, 541-344-2739
COST: $15 for a 6 taste packet (in advance); $18 at the door. OR, individual tastes for $4 (only available at the door. Cash only at the door. No checks or debit. Buy your tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/
Come to a happy-hour event on the last Tuesday of May. Julie Feather from the Lane Community College Culinary Arts Program will make a short presentation discussing how to make the farm-to-restaurant ideal a reality for aspiring new chefs. The remainder of the time will be open for talking with friends or meeting new folks.
Date: Tuesday, May 31st
Time: 5:30 – 7:00 pm
Place: Excelsior Inn, 754 E 13th Avenue, Eugene
Cost: Food and drinks are available for purchase.
Spring is here, and the Slow Food Eugene events calendar is filling up! Check out the March 2011 Newsletter for details:
Spring Bean Cleaning with Hummingbird Wholesale –April 2
Hummingbird Wholesale and Slow Food Eugene Invite You To The Spring Bean Cleaning Spree–April 2nd
It’s your turn to help build our local food system and enjoy yourself doing it. There’s a whole hill o’ beans and they need to be sorted!
Hummingbird Wholesale is helping out a local farmer who delivered some beans that were not in salable condition. Slow Food Eugene is helping sort and clean those beans so they can be put up for sale. This is one of those projects that require a community to help out in the beginning stages of a new agricultural product in the Willamette Valley.
The task is easy, but hugely important in making locally grown legumes a reality in our area. So come on out after your trip to the Farmers Market and enjoy the good company that getting something done together creates.
We need able hands to commit to at least two hours of bean cleaning, during the rest of the time you are welcome to munch on some food and make some new friends. We are also planning a few distractions to mix up the bean cleaning and keep things rolling.
Kids are welcome at this event, but please do keep in mind that we have a mission to get these beans sorted, so it will be a working good time.
Of course, this is a Slow Food event, so there will be some tasty things to keep us fueled while we do our sorting.
DATE: Saturday, April 2, 2011
TIME: 2-5 pm
PLACE: First United Methodist Church, 1376 Olive Street, Eugene
COST: FREE
RSVP: We need to know ahead of time if you will be able to join us! Please let us know by contacting Erin Walkenshaw:
ewalkens@yahoo.com
Space is a bit limited, and we know that there are lots of eager bean cleaners out there, so please do not wait to get back to us.
OTHER COMING ATTRACTIONS:
Helios Spring Party…Saturday March 26
Spring Propagation Fair–March 27
U of O Cinema Pacific Film Festival–April 9
and much more…
The University of Oregon is sponsoring the Food Justice Conference this month. The 3 day event will be held on Feb 19-21.
Food Justice explores the history and future of our food system with a focus on three themes: community, equity and sustainability.
Food Justice will feature a unique forum called the Food Fair & Conference Exhibition Hall. The fair will take place during the final day of the conference and will highlight the work of local as well as national nonprofits, farms and food purveyors. Participating organizations will set up a poster display or hands-on demonstration about their work and will be available to interact with conference goers throughout the day.
Slow Food Eugene will participate with a table at the Food Fair on Feb 21. The fair is located at the Erb Memorial Union (EMU) from 9am to 3pm. It’s free and open to the public. We hope to see you there!
For more info on the Food Justice Conference visit their website at http://waynemorsecenter.uoregon.edu/foodjustice/
October 10, 1-3pm–Bubbles, Bivalves, Birds and a Bake Sale @ Meriwether Wines. Don’t miss this opportunity to share an afternoon of jazz and great food at Domaine Meriwether in Veneta. We’ll be drinking their renowned bubbly and eat oysters prepared by Adam’s Sustainable Table restaurant. Music will be provided by Ken Luker and Paul Biondi Jazz.
You’ll be able to satisfy your sweet tooth at our Bake Sale. Our theme is pies and tarts. Local bakeries will be highlighted, but you can contribute, too. Email Florence Luker for information. You can also call 509-680-1547.
For those who fancy our fine feathered friends, there will even be a pre tasting bird walk with Davey Wendt–”Birds of the Winery Walk & Identification” from 10am – 12pm.
The price for all this is $25. Tickets are available at Brown Paper Tickets. Search for Slow Food Eugene.
This is a fundraising event to benefit our Terra Madre delegates, the School Garden Project, and the Farm To School Program.
Here’s the schedule for the day:
10am-noon Bird Walk with Davey Wendt
Noon-1pm Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the lovely vineyard
12:30-3pm Jazz with Ken Luker and Paul Biondi
1-3pm Oysters paired with Domain Meriwether Sparkling Wines and talks by Buzz Kawders from Meriwether and Adam Bernstein from Adam’s Sustainable Table
1-3pm Bake Sale
Important Details:
DATE: Sunday, October 10, 2010
TIME: See above
PLACE: Meriwether Winery, 88324 Vineyard Lane
Veneta Oregon 97487. Meriwether is 5 miles west of Veneta on Highway 126.
COST: $25 per person. Tickets are available at Brown Paper Tickets. Search for Slow Food Eugene.
What an opportunity to taste 20 or more pears that are little known to our commercial markets, enjoy a sweet or savory dish made from pears and help select a pear candidate for the Slow Food USA Ark of Taste!
Slow Food Eugene Pear Tasting at Univ. of Oregon Urban Farm 1475 Franklin Blvd. Eugene, OR September 11, 2010 2:00 – 5:00 PM More info and tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/126495
Food lover trivia question: Where is the most diverse collection of pear cultivars on earth? If you answered, “Right under my nose,” pat yourself on the back. If you answered, “No clue,” you are in for a treat. Join Slow Food Eugene and Slow Food Corvallis in discovering and tasting a sample of the more than 2,000 varieties of pear cultivars lurking unnoticed and unrecognized in the USDA’s Pear Genebank in Corvallis. Our efforts will be used in the search for Ark of Taste candidates. Assisting our exploration will be USDA Corvallis staff members and an appropriate representation of wines, cheeses, and chocolates. Brindiamo Catering & Ciao Restaurant will provide special sweets and savories featuring the pears.
The Genebank’s goal is to promote cultivation of fruit beyond the mere six varieties which now account for most of the commercially grown pears in this country. This effort dovetails with Slow Food USA’s efforts to collect heirloom species of foods which are submitted to the US Ark of Taste. The Ark is an international catalog of foods that are threatened by industrial standardization, the regulations of large-scale distribution, and environmental damage. Along with tasting, USDA experts will describe each of the species and its specific history as well as the current effort to promote their sustainable existence. Although the tasting is important for submitting a species of pear to the Ark, other key factors might come into play in selecting a candidate. Your vote will be important when deciding whether to submit a candidate for the Ark.
This event will take place at the University of Oregon Urban Farm. The Farm is an acre and a half garden/farm located just north of Franklin Boulevard on the bike path to Autzen Stadium. The Urban Farm is an outdoor university classroom where students learn to grow their own food organically and sustainably. The Urban Farm is enjoying its’ 26th anniversary this year.
Important Details:
Where: University of Oregon Urban Farm, 1475 Franklin Boulevard, Eugene. The Farm is between Onyx and Agate Streets and is behind Looking Glass School. Park in the Looking Glass lot or in UO Parking Lot 5a, just to the west.
Date: Saturday, September 11, 2010
Time: 2-5 pm.
Tickets: $8 adults, kids under 12 are free; Wine will be available for purchase by the glass. Tickets are available at Brown Paper Tickets. Select “Search Events” and enter Slow Food Eugene. Please help Slow Food Eugene fund our important community projects. We have provided special pricing at Brown Paper Tickets so you can add an additional $10 per ticket. Your support will go to the School Garden Project, the Farm to School Program, and our Terra Madre delegates.
Contact: Slow Food Eugene Jim Crane jcrane11@hotmail.com
P.O. Box 5346 Eugene, OR 97405 United States
Pear images courtesy of Slow Food USA. “Clapp’s Favorite” photo by Ben Watson.
 One Field Meal 2010 Tickets are now on sale for the fourth annual One Field Meal–August 22 at the Polyrock Ranch and Lost Creek Farm.
We are limiting ticket sales this year, so be sure to get your tickets early.
The host farm this year is the Polyrock Ranch and Lost Creek Farm on Territorial Road. Alan and Deborah Mattson produce beefalo, beef and dairy products. David Desmond of Lost Creek Farms grows a great variety of organic produce on their land. And the ranch is drop dead gorgeous. You’re gonna love this place. All of the food will come from this one farm. The meal will be truly delicious and the company (you and your friends) will make it even better.
The meal will feature Beefalo. The hybrid breed of Beefalo combines the best qualities of bison and beef cattle. Beefalo offers the hardiness of bison with the quality beef of cattle that results in the leanest, healthiest meat around. We’ll send you a complete menu soon.
This year we have two chefs—Shane Tracey of Nib and John-Patrick Downey-McCarthy of Devour. Shane and his wife Tiffany have quickly become leaders in Eugene food culture. Their exquisite dessert creations are bite-sized pieces of art. And their savory menu at Nib is a great companion to their thoughtful wine pairings.
http://www.nibdesserts.com/
John-Patrick Downey-McCarthy has made Devour one of the freshest, most interesting restaurants in Eugene. I can only give you his web address—because he has no street address. His refurbished 1971 VW micro bus is on the prowl everyday throughout Eugene and Springfield. And don’t be fooled by the bus. J.P. is an accomplished chef with formal training and extensive restaurant experience. Preview his cooking by checking out his roaming schedule on his blog and get a sandwich. http://devoureugene.blogspot.com/
Of course, we’ll have music. The Conjugal Visitors will bring their unique mix of Mountain Dance music, bluegrass, jazz, old-time country and jug/folk out for the afternoon.
Our friends at Sweet Cheeks Winery and Oakshire Brewing Co. will provide wine and beer for an additional charge.
Bring your kids. This is an event for the entire family. Everyone will be invited to walk through the garden and see the animals. Please be aware that this is a working farm and you will have to supervise the kids that you bring along.
And one more bit of news. Through a great partnership with Megan Kemple and the Farm-to-School program two second grade classes from Bethel Schools helped plant some of the vegetables we’ll be having for dinner. Megan took them on a field trip to the farm in June to plant some seeds and help out on the farm for the day. Some of them will come back with their families to join us for the One Field Meal. I’ve always wanted to use this event to show kids that food grows out the dirt. This year we’ll make it happen.
Important Details:
Where: Polyrock Ranch and Lost Creek Farm, 84402 Territorial Hwy, Eugene OR (get map)
Date: Sunday, August 22
Time: 4:30 to 7:30 pm. $25 adults, $5 kids under 12;
Tickets are available at Long’s Meat Market , 81 E. 28th Ave., Eugene, Newman’s Fish Co., 1545 Willamette St, Eugene, and Brownpaperticket.com.
Coming Right Up At Ninkasi Brewery–Sunday, August 1, 5pm to 8pm.
Every wonder which of our local food carts offers the best meals? Ever yearn for a cool beer to help wash down that freshly prepared sandwich just emerging from the dark recesses of the food wagon?
Here’s the answer to your deepest desires–Slow Food Eugene and Ninkasi Brewery bring you “Carts and A Cool One.” This is a cook off between cart vendors from all over the area. The vendors’ dishes will consist of at least 75 percent locally grown products. Proceeds of the event go towards the School Garden Project, the Farm to School Program, and sending local delegates to Terra Madre.
Each tempting 3-bite sample will be paired with an ale carefully selected by Ninkasi’s experts. You will be able to note how the distinctive melange of malt and hops in each ale interacts with the subtle nuances of the cart vendor’s delicacies.
Or, you can plunge in, eat your fill, sip a cold one, and find a shady spot to enjoy the fine summer Sunday evening.
The choice is yours.
Your only task will be to vote for your favorite cart. Ninkasi has donated the grand prize. The winner of this cut throat, no holds barred, slam down is an ad in the Eugene Weekly. There will be claw marks everywhere.
Here are the details:
DATE: Sunday, August 1, 2010
TIME: 5pm to 8pm
PLACE: Ninkasi Brewing Patio, 272 Van Buren Street, Eugene, Oregon 97402 · (541) 344-2739
TICKETS: $15 packet–in advance from Brown Paper Tickets. Tickets will be available Friday, July 23.
$18 packet–at the door
$4 for individual tastes (only available at the door). Only packet holders will be eligible to vote.
Please bring cash for ticket purchases at the door. No checks.
  
During my recent trip to Ann Arbor I found that Slow Food concepts are alive and thriving in Michigan. My visit to the Saturday Farmers Market located in historic Kerrytown was an eyeful of seasonal flowers and veggie starts, organic dairy products, farm raised meats, and fresh baked goods. That’s right, I felt right at home. The marketplace was bustling with folks of all ages and persuasions selecting bedding plants for the season, sampling Zimmerman’s cheese, smiling at babies and feeling blessed that the last frost date of the season was only a week away. I followed up my Saturday market day with a Sunday cooking class. What a treat to spend a few hours with the highly talented chef Eve Aronoff of eve the restaurant, which is located around the corner from the farmers market. At her restaurant Eve focuses on local and seasonal ingredients combined with an accent on bold flavors that are full of contrast and surprise. However this class presented a more herbaceous palette of pesto risotto with seared halibut and English peas. The class was titled “An Early Spring Seasonal Menu”. It was inspiring, insightful and delicious. If you make it to Ann Arbor you MUST have dinner at the restaurant eve. If you can’t make dinner then consider investing in Eve’s cookbook which features recipes from the restaurant. Alice Waters offered this endorsement on the book “Eve Aronoff is deeply committed to the Slow Food movement. She buys the freshest, liveliest ingredients from local, organic farmers and cooks with simplicity and spice.” Or perhaps just stop by the local farmers market to peruse what’s fresh and prepare a creation of your own. And next time you’re at our Saturday Farmers Market here in Eugene stop by the Slow Food table and say Hi.
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New Website!We are in the process of updating the Slow Food Eugene website. Please let us know what you think, and feel free to suggest additional features. Thanks to EFN.org for their excellent *local* web hosting service.
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