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/

The Holy Day of Barbecue will soon be upon us. Are you looking to shake it up, get out from behind the grill, and do something different this year? How about joining us for our Build a Burger fundraiser BBQ at the King Market on Sunday, July 4th between 11-1? Build a Burger will feature market-fresh burgers (and Tofurky for the veggies among us) with all the fixin’s, courtesy of market vendors and area businesses. All proceeds from the scrumptious event benefit Foodshare Fund Northeast, a market money matching program for SNAP recipients (SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program) who shop the King Portland Farmers Market.

Find out more about Build a Burger here and our market money match programs here.

See you at the market!

Café front man (ok, I’m the only one who calls her that) Leah Wilmoth along with Sarah Naegelin and Taylor A. Young produce their contemporary dance collaboration at The Plant June 25-27. Tickets are $10-$15, available at Brown Paper Tickets and at the door. Go!

Want more information?

If you’re passing by the Leftbank Project, you’ll notice a pod on the triangle lot. For Leftbankers – look out your western windows. It looks like someone’s moving, I know. But really, the pod is a cleverly disguised traveling exhibition of an art initiative that has stolen my heart! It is Show + Tell – a compilation of artifacts from this year’s creative programming instigated by the Right Brain Initiative.

Rebecca Burrell kindly offered me a private tour of the pod yesterday. I confess that I was skeptical about the inspiration I might take away from a 12 foot moving crate sitting on the black top in the Annex back lot. Couldn’t have been more wrong. The tiny space draws you in and packs a punch. The walls are papered with children’s artwork. Kids’ voices in videos documenting joyful collaboration with community artists become this irresistible soundtrack. Found myself hoping the pod was a portal that would transport me into the classrooms. This life changing stuff is happening in ordinary schools, for ordinary kids, because of this partnership created by the Right Brain Initiative. In their words: “The Right Brain Initiative comes from a recognition that creativity is an aspect of human wellness – not a rare and unevenly distributed gift.”

2009-2010 was their first year working in the Portland tri-county area. In the first year, they reached 11,000 K-8 students in 23 schools! Their goals are long-term and far reaching. They intend to bring creative learning opportunities to all children in the 240 K-8 schools of the region. They’re working now to spread the word, increase support, and broaden their reach in schools.

From now through at least July 2nd, the pod will be on Leftbank’s triangle lot. Right Brain invites you (and I urge you!) to stop in and have a look around. You might come away with a creative spark of your own or see a way to add your efforts to the work. At the very least, you’ll have a lovely look around at what community minded artists and inspired kids can come up with together. Beautiful.

The pod is open for exploration by luck, by appointment, and from 4:00-6:00 on weekdays. Contact Rebecca Burell for more information and for scheduling.