Leftbank has loads of inspired space.   Come join us and start something here.   Follow this link to see a slideshow of some of the currently available spaces - or click the ‘leasing’ tag to the left for more information… more

We are rolling through the Portland Farmers Market high season with hardly a breath between markets. The harvest is here in splendid abundance, the farmers are tired from long days (and nights) of labor, and Portlanders are awash in the edible rewards of backyard gardens and local farmers’ markets. Everyone, from the bees to the squirrels, is hard at work with an eye towards the cooler, darker days of fall.

Before the rains arrive though, we’d like to spend a little more time reveling in the peppers, melons, tomatoes, stone fruit and squashes of the full summer sun. An easy way to do that is by enjoying a humble workhorse of the vegetable world: zucchini. By virtue of its easygoing nature and prolific production, zukes are omnipresent this time of year and under appreciated by (almost) all the food lovers we encounter. One exception to the zucchini naysayers crowd is PFM volunteer Nicolette Smith. She has lately been singing the praises of zucchini on our blog. Check out what she has to say and see if you aren’t newly converted!

See you at the market!

I’m working hard to teach my littles about riding bikes. And sharing. Right now the people at Lloyd TMA are thinking a lot about bikes and sharing, too. In fact, they want your feedback about a bike sharing program in the district. In their words:

Bike share systems provide short-term bike rental through a series of automated bike kiosks. Paying members check out a bike to ride short distances and then return it to any other kiosk in the system. Rates are set to encourage short-term use and quick turnover. Bike sharing increases mobility by providing an additional, flexible transportation mode. It has the potential to introduce new people to urban bicycling, reduce peak-hour pressure on transit, decrease automobile trips, and improve livability.

Those are some lovely potential outcomes. Is a bike sharing program something you’d like to see in the neighborhood? Something you’d use? Take a 2-minute survey and tell TMA what you think.

In the coming year, we will see big changes in the way food reaches our plates. These changes will be provoked by Senate Bill 510 - a.k.a. the FDA Food Modernization Act - which is intended to safeguard our food supply and provide a safety net for eaters as our food distribution system grows ever larger. The only trouble is SB 510 places a farmer working a ten acre plot in Woodburn, Oregon in the same category as multinational farm conglomerates. Portland Farmers Market knows this is not good news for the family farmers, ranchers, and small business owners who labor to provide our community with safe, quality food. That’s why we encourage you to head over to this post on our blog to learn more about the bill and its implications for sustainable food production. We need to speak up for those in the fields and make sure the voice of local food is heard in the halls of Congress - because we all have a stake in this particular food fight.

See you at the market!

Well, did you know that there’s a Yelp Elite? I didn’t either. But there is. And recently there was a Yelp Elite Event at Leftbank. I’m not sure what defines an individual as part of the Yelp Elite, but among other things, apparently they go to lots of parties. And write reviews.

On July 1, they got together here at Leftbank for cocktails by Organic Nation, party food by Bon Appetit, and (huge hit) beer and brewery tours from Upright. They then went on to do what Yelpers do, and write about it. Then Josh?, of PDXploration, posted these irresistible photos.

Dang. Now I’m sorry I missed the night, myself. And I want to be part of the Yelp Elite. Guess I ought to get busy writing some reviews.

Photo credit: Josh?, PDXploration

In true Portland Fashion, the FMYI team hit the opening day of Oregon Brewers Fest using the only acceptable mode of transportation for such happenings: BICYCLES!  We figured there is no better way to enjoy the summer and facilitate a “team building meeting” than with bikes and brews. To that - we say cheers!

NuMark landed at Leftbank in May.  They put up those glorious lights in the old ballroom and got right to work.  What have they been working on?  Putting together a roadshow among other things, apparently.  On July 23^rd from 8:00am-12:00pm, NuMark’s bringing a big truck to the front lot.  Stop by for refreshments, and an opportunity to sit in and touch “the best seating in the market today.”

If you have lived in or visited Portland for more than twenty-four hours, you know it’s a serious food town. Beyond “local, seasonal, sustainable” restaurants and backyard gardens aplenty, this is a town that knows what to look for in a good olive oil, how to tell sylvanberries from blackberries, and the pleasure to be had in whipping up an impromptu feast from the farmer’s market.

It’s the celebration of ingredient-driven cooking with the freshest produce that inspires much of the culinary programming at Portland Farmers Market. When it’s warranted, we do our best to nudge customers in the direction of improvisational cooking, rather than relying heavily on recipes or exotic ingredients. Chef in the Market demonstrations at the flagship PSU market, Taste the Place recipe samplings at neighborhood markets, and Kids Cook at the Market classes all pay homage to the joy of creating simple, delectable dishes from seasonal bounty.

We have many terrific partners in our quest to nurture edible creativity. One such gem is Katherine Deumling, proprietor of the home-based cooking school Cook With What You Have. Katherine is as passionate as we are about spontaneity in the kitchen and we invite you to see for yourself when Katherine joins us at the Buckman Market on July 22nd from 4:30-6:00pm to provide ideas for quick dinners and picnic foods. The cooking demonstration is in support of our Fresh Exchange market money match program for SNAP recipients.

If you can’t meet us at the market next Thursday, explore Cook With What You Have upcoming classes here.

Join us at the market this summer and get started on your next flavor adventure!

From FMYI’s blog:

At a reception held last [Thursday] night, the Portland Business Journal unveiled its 2010 Top 100 Fastest Growing Private Companies in Oregon. “Like a mighty salmon, these 100 businesses are King of the River and successfully made it upstream in this challenged economy,“ said Craig Wessel, Portland Business Journal Publisher. (more…)

Two of the Portland Business Journal’s Top 100 Fastest Growing Private Companies in Oregon are members of the Leftbank community. Sockeye came in at 57, and FMYI ranked lucky 13. Congratulations to both! Keep swimming upstream, you kings of the river. We’re cheering you on, here from the Leftbank.

Joe Smith, a reporter from Portland’s KGW Channel 8, recently stopped by the MDiTV studios to see what this little start-up with big ambitions has been up to. As any small business knows, it comes with great joy when everyone’s hard work starts to get recognized. The full report can be viewed here: http://www.mditv.com/blog/2010/06/21/mditv-featured-on-kgw-business-report/