Upcoming Central Oregon Food Summit

See website for more information!

Central Oregon Food Network Launch this Saturday!

Local Foods Market, Potluck, & Music
in celebration of the launch of the new Central Oregon Food Network website.

Check out the new site here: http://centraloregonfoodnetwork.com/

Who: Consumers & Producers
What: To Celebrate our LOCAL FOOD!
Why: The launch of a new website dedicated to building and facilitating a local food economy

PLEASE BRING YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL DISH!

SATURDAY, JUNE 5TH
NOON-5PM
ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER
16 Northwest Kansas Ave.
Bend, OR

Community Foods Survey

Over the past few weeks, with help from volunteers in the community and the Community Food Assessment Advisory Committees, a "Dot Survey" has been conducted at public events around the region. In order to reach a larger audience this short, four question survey is now available online.

TAKE THIS SURVEY HERE

Help get the word out!
Post this link
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/communityfoodsurvey
on your website, blog, or send it to family, friends and co-workers through listservs and email.

NEW SITE LAUNCHED TO CONNECT CONSUMERS and LOCAL PRODUCERS

The Central Oregon Localvore site has been launched!This is a great new resource for producers and consumers alike.

Central Oregon Locavore is an organization dedicated to creating a healthy and vibrant local food market and local economy in Bend, OR. Our website is www.centraloregonlocavore.com.

For Consumers:

Central Oregon Locavore is an online local food marketplace where you can purchase direct from local farmers from the convenience of your own home, office, car, while on vacation, from an airplane, or pretty much from wherever these days.... All of the farmers/producers featured on the website at this time are based in Central Oregon. Our goal is to support and strengthen our local economy and food resource network.

We will begin with two-week ordering periods and as volume increases we will progress to weekly ordering periods. You will soon be able to purchase local items using the Central Oregon Locavore website (once the farmers/producers upload their products). To shop you will place items in your cart, check-out, pay using a credit or debit card (secure server) and recieve a reciept. The farmers/producers will receive your orders and on delivery/pick-up day they will deliver the items to the "drop-point" at the Cascade Living Water Store, located at 2146 NE 4th St (near the main post office in Bend). The employees and volunteers for Central Oregon Locavore will then sort the orders and you, the buyer, will pick them up between 4-7pm on the designated day. Thursdays will be the designated delivery/pick-up day. Please see the calendar (soon to be added) on the website to stay current. The first pick-up event is Thursday April 22nd.

For Producers:

You will have the ability to post what items you will have available each week and the price you want for each item. Rather than receiving many small, individual orders from many consumers, you receive one large order on a weekly basis and drop it off at one location in Bend. This location is commonly referred to as the “drop site”. The site will be located on Bend’s East side at The Cascade Living Water Store (2146 NE 4th Street, by the main post office). This way you can save lots of time and energy, which you can then put back into your farm or business. We will be starting off with every-other week deliveries and moving to weekly once the volume has increased. The first order will be due at the drop site on April 22nd so please get those items posted!

We are describing the site as an online farmers market, very similar to a regular farmers market but without the stand, other related overhead expenses and unsold products at the end of the day.

Getting started is really simple. It’s a matter of registering your farm on our website, providing a short farm or business description, and then adding what products you sell. I will contact you after you register to explain the process and answer any questions you may have.

Meeting in Fossil Re: Developing Direct-Market Opportunities for Local Food in Wheeler County

Those of you located near the border of Wheeler County might be interested in attending this networking event for local food buyers, sellers and producers:

Monday, April 5th
4-6pm
Wheeler County Family Services Conference Room
401 Fourth St.
Fossil, OR

This meeting will provide food buyers and sellers the chance to network, share information and discuss the upcoming growing season and direct-market opportunities.

Producers and processors of all agricultural products (vegetable, grain, fruit and livestock) are invited to attend, as well as buyers for grocery stores, restaurants, schools, caterers, hospitals, bakeries and other institutions. Please spread the work if you know of anyone in the region that would be interested!

There will also be an opportunity for discussions around other community interests and food projects—gardening, community and school gardens, farmers’ markets, nutrition, educational opportunities, etc.

Call For Local Photos

Photo by Judith O'keefe

Seeking Local Food, Farm, Nutrition Related Photos for Inclusion in the Central Oregon Food Assessment Report:


Do you have pictures of our local farms/farmers, restaurants, grocery stores, farmers' markets, food bank volunteers, farm/garden workshops and classes, community gardens, etc. etc. etc. that will help tell the story of food in our community?

If in digital format they can be emailed to sydneyl@neighborimpact.org

Upcoming Food, Farm and Garden Events!

With Spring finally here, there are many exciting food, farm and gardening events coming up!

Community Garden Plot Sign Ups

Saturday, March 27th
Get a Community Garden Plot at the Willow Creek Community Garden, Madras
10AM
Willow Creek Garden
NE 10th and B st. Madras
Questions? Contact:
Beth Ann Beamer 460-4023 bbeamer@mvhd.org
Annie Ayres 390-0487 aayres@mvhd.org

Saturday, April 17th
Prineville Community Garden Plot Sign-Up
9am-11am
Prineville Presbyterian Church
1771 N. Madras Highway

Please come and enjoy garden preparation day and

reserve your plot. Small plots are $30 and large plots

$40 for the season. Your fee covers water and soil amendments.

Our garden is organic and some seeds and starts will also be

available for free.

We are in our 6th year and our orchard had fruit last year. We have 40 plots, good water, a secure deer fence, and have worked hard this spring to remove the gophers. The garden is organic and the soil has been well amended.

First come, first served.

No plots may be reserved prior to April 17^th.

If you have questions, please call Kim Kambak (541) 771 1923.

Classes, Workshops, and Events

TOMORROW (Wednesday, March 31st)
Vegetable Gardening in Central Oregon
Bend Public Library
FREE
5:30-7:30pm
Want to lower your grocery bills? Growing your own vegetables is fun and economical way to help during these tough financial times. Learn how to grow your own healthy produce from Cindy Jeffers in an informative session

Saturday, April 10th
Edible Landscapes
10am-Noon
CHS Garden Center, NW Depot Rd. Madras
Edible Landscapes will focus, on fruit trees. Scott Duggan will teach about soil preparation, selection of trees for Central Oregon and how to protect trees for disease and insects.Bring a coat to take a short outdoor tour and learn about pruning techniques as well. Bring a pair of pruners and give it a try.
To register, call 541-383-7270.

Saturday, April 10th
Composting and Organic Gardening Made Easy
Bend Public Library
FREE
1:00-2:30pm

Tuesday, April 13th
Community Food Systems Gathering
Ascension School & Conference Center
1104 Church St.
Cove, Oregon
10am-3pm
A gathering of groups and coalitions working to improve community food systems throughout Oregon
For more information contact Sharon Thornberry, Oregon Food Bank sthornberry@oregonfoodbank.org

Saturday, April 14-17th
The Small Farmer's Journal Horsedrawn Auction and Swap Meet
Jefferson County Fairgrounds, Madras
Free Admission; Charge for Fairgrounds Parking
More info and schedule here.

Saturday, April 24th
OSU Master Gardener Spring Gardening Fair and Garden Market
8am-4:30pm
Redmond Fairgrounds
$10 per class (pre-registration); $15 per class on event day
Special General Session: Gail Langellotto-Rhodaback speaks on Genetically Modified Foods
Classes Offered On: Vegetable Gardening, Food Preservation, Raising Chickens, Hardy Perennials, Using Conifers in C.O., Growing Apples, Hobby Greenhouse
More info here.

COCC Community Ed Home and Garden Courses
More info here.

Saturday, June 5th
Local Food Network Website Launch
Environmental Center, Bend
Noon-5pm
For more info email sarahlee.lawrence@gmail.com


Call For Volunteers!

Fields Farm intern, Jeremy Fox has set up a series of farm tours throughout the month of May for local elementary and middle schoolers.

The goals of these trips is to expose kids to who farmers are and where food comes from, as well as have a fun time meeting goats and chickens and greenhouses.

If you're interested in volunteering to give guided tours of the farm for a morning or two contact Jeremy at: zorndylan@hotmail.com

No experience necessary, just an interest is teaching kids about food!


WIC (Women Infants and Children) Fruit & Vegetable Voucher Trainings for Producers

Starting 2010, farmers who sell their fruits and vegetables directly to consumers at farm stands or at farmers’ markets may sign up to participate in the existing Farm Direct Nutrition Program (FDNP) and/or a NEW program called the WIC Fruit & Veggie Voucher Program.

The Fruit & Veggie Vouchers will not replace the seasonal Farm Direct Nutrition Program Checks that some WIC families and seniors already receive, but will provide an additional benefit for WIC families.

The WIC Fruit & Veggie Voucher Program will operate year-round, thus providing farmers with an opportunity to generate additional income. Potential WIC Fruit & Veggie Voucher sales, including those from WIC-authorized grocery stores and farm-direct venues have been estimated at $8.6 million per year for the state of Oregon.

All farmers who want to accept the new WIC Fruit & Veggie Vouchers need to attend a 75-minute “face-to-face” Training Session as part of the authorization process, since the requirements for this program are different from the FDNP Program.

To encourage farmer participation in this new program and to facilitate the authorization process, a WIC Fruit & Veggie Training Session has been scheduled in your area:

Thursday, April 29th
MADRAS
3:30-5pm
Jefferson Co. Health Department

Friday, April 30th
PRINEVILLE
Noon-1:15
OSU Extension Service Office
502 SE Lynn Blvd, Prineville, OR

Saturday, May 1st
BEND
9am-11am
St. Charles Hospital
Training Room "E"
Training room E is located between the volunteer desk and the former health and care store near the front entrance.

For more information contact Kelly Streit at eatsmart@onnutritionstreit.com