As Chefs Collaborative members, we are active participants in our community. We can be found teaching the importance of regional, sustainable, and seasonal food at both farmers markets and in elementary schools; donating ready-to-eat foodstuff for events and fundraisers; as well as, participating in meetings and conferences.

The Farmer-Chef Connection

The Portland Chapter of the Chefs Collaborative hosted The Farmer-Chef Connection, a day-long conference that was held on March 12, 2001. It was designed to foster collaboration between local farmers and chefs committed to expanding and strengthening local, seasonal, and sustainable food networks. This conference offered over 100 participants from Oregon an opportunity to build relationships, share ideas, address current challenges, and define a shared vision for a regional food system.

A primary goal of the conference was to explore ideas for linking the supply and demand for local produce through the creation of a chef-farmer directory or distribution system; thus, strengthening the connections between chefs and small-scale local farmers. In addition, environmental and agricultural lenders described potential financing sources for farm equipment, value-added processing facilities, farm expansions, etc.

This first conference, with a focus on chefs and vegetable growers, is intended to spawn a series of gatherings to link chefs with local livestock producers, seafood businesses, and other products. In addition, the information gathered will be useful in an upcoming publication.

Download a complete copy of the Farmer-Chef Connection proceedings.

Information regarding the conference can also be found in an article by Gretchen Lehmann of Oregon Public Broadcasting called "Linking Local Chefs and Growers" .

Chefs in the Community: The Adopt-A-School Program

Imagine the warm smell of garlic and butter trailing down the halls of a local school. Student’s hands brown with rich soil and the smell of fall in their hair. A group of fourth graders wheel barrel race across the fields and start a water fight on a hot July afternoon after shoveling 16 yards of soil. Newly built raised beds at an inner southeast community garden are planted and cared for over a shortened summer break.

These scenes are a few of the rewards students, teachers, and parents at Edwards Elementary School in Portland, Oregon are enjoying by participating in Adopt A School. This program, developed together with Oldways Preservation and Exchange Trust, has been educating students for two years across the nation.

The Adopt A School program addresses a number of concerns the Chefs Collaborative and Oldways have about how children see food, where it comes from, how to cook with it, and it’s relation to our environment. Our goal is to give a rich and diverse account of the cultural and agricultural histories that have shaped much of the foods we still eat. Our goal is to keep these stories alive and the appreciation growing.

The Portland Chapter of the Chefs Collaborative has taught in eleven schools over the past two years. Sometimes the goal is to teach students about specific cultures and how food is a part of that culture. Sometimes, we provide the resources for a group of elementary students to spend the day at an organic farm and learn how the farmer utilizes and manages his resources. Sometimes, we cook up a batch of squash risotto and let the students explore the varieties of squash. In the end, it is our mission to educate the growing generation about the importance of responsible resource management from source to plate, and the importance of a healthy appreciation for our food.

For more information regarding the Adopt A School program, contact: Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust.

Organizations in the Community

The Coalition for a Livable Future
The Coalition for a Livable Future is a network of 52 non-profit and community-based organizations working together to create a more equitable and sustainable Portland metropolitan region.

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon
The Interfaith Network for Earth Concerns has released “Portland’s Bounty: A Guide to Eating Locally and Seasonally in the Greater Portland Region,” a book that will please gardeners, cooks, environmentalists and community activists, and also improve the quality of life in Oregon. Portland’s Bounty provides an attractive, user-friendly framework for making wise food choices that support local agriculture, build community, promote health and foster justice.
Get a copy of "Portland's Bounty", a comprehensive guide to eating more sustainably in Portland from Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon by calling (503) 221-1054.

Portland Public Parks
Visit the Growing Native webpage for an extensive list of native plants – some of which are edible – and links to help you source them. www.portlandparks.org/GoNativeFolder/gonative.htm.

Notable Quotes

Oregon, along with the rest of the nation, has experienced one of the longest economic booms in history. The benefits of that growth have not reached all levels of our society. Even though food is cheap in the U.S. – on average people spend less than 10% of their income on food – there are widespread problems with nutrition and hunger.
-Deb Lippoldt, Coalition for a Livable Future, Food Policy Working Group

“Constant promotion of ‘fast foods’ and ‘convenience foods’ in the United States has led to a population that is undernourished. In addition, less nutrition and food preparation education in schools have left many people without the ability to prepare less expensive and more nutritious meals at home.”
-Amelia Hard, Share Our Strength