For the second year in a row, we’re joining forces with the smart ladies from American Association of University Women (AAUW) to host a lecture called “Food Culture of the Lower Columbia: the growing Farm to Table Movement” in February. Farmers and chefs will make up a panel that will discuss the opportunities and challenges of sourcing fresh local food on a commercial scale. The panel includes Eric Bechard of Albatross, Marco Davis of the Columbian Café, Johnny Besch of Pickled Fish, Fred Johnson of Fred’s Homegrown and Teresa Retzlaff of 46 North Farm.

AAUW will lead the discussion in a question and answer format that the group traditionally uses at its candidate forums. Meredith Payton of AAUW came up with the concept of featuring local food culture in an educational way and asked if the Co-op would like to be involved. Last year the duo teamed up to do a lecture on local food culture, and this year’s theme places an emphasis on the growing farm to table movement.

“When Meredith Payton from AAUW and I talked about a theme for this year’s lecture, the farm to table movement made a lot of sense because there has been an increased interest regarding local sourcing at restaurants in the area, and we at the Co-op are lovers of local food,” our marketing director, Zetty Nemlowill said.

The Co-op offers monthly food and wellness lectures at Fort George Brewery called “Beers to Your Health”.  Every second Thursday of the month the good folks at the brewery let us use their events space in the showroom (a former Cadillac dealership located in the Lovell Building) on 14th and Duane Street, which is less than a block away from the Co-op. We join the ranks of the Maritime Museum, Clatsop Community College, and Lewis & Clark National Historical Park in organizing these Thursday evening talks for the community. These are fun and casual events where you can order a craft beer and food to munch on from the taproom.

When: Thursday February 12, Doors open at 6 p.m. (food and drinks available for purchase) Presentation 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Where: Fort George Lovell Showroom, 1483 Duane St. Astoria

We met our goal to provide 15 local domestic violence survivors the gift of good food from the Co-op. With your generous donations, we supplied the Harbor (Clatsop County Women’s Resource Center) with $50 Co-op gift cards. Staff there picked a set of folks who especially needed some help and hope during the holidays. It all started with a guy who won a $100 Co-op gift card for taking our survey in the fall. He decided to give it to a few people who might need it more than him. Then we started collecting money from shoppers at the registers. This is a great support to your local Co-op too. Thanks so much for your generosity!

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED DUE TO EXTREMELY HIGH WINDS IN THE FORECAST.  STARVATION ALLEY WILL SPEAK AT OUR APRIL 9 LECTURE AND HAVE SAMPLES OF THEIR JUICE FRIDAY DECEMBER 12, 11-1.

We’re excited to have the farmers of Washington state’s first and only certified organic cranberry farm at our next monthly lecture Beers to Your Health at Fort George Brewery. Jared Oakes & Jessika Tantisook of Starvation Alley Farms will tell their story of transitioning their bogs to organic and helping others do the same.

Starvation Alley encompasses a total of 10 acres in Seaview Washington and Long Beach. The couple took over the farm where Oakes grew up in 2010. They wanted to farm cranberries organically, but were told by farmers and other experts that it wasn’t possible. They explored that assumption and eventually gained organic certification for their farm.

“It is hard, especially in the beginning because we didn’t have any support. If you want to learn to grow organic apples you could probably find enough stuff on line, call universities, or get advice from professionals. That wasn’t available for cranberries. As new farmers transitioning to organic we lost a lot of production for the first two years, hence the value added products,” Tantisook said.

Starvation Alley created a brand of juice that attracted the attention of the emerging craft cocktail industry. The farmers sell their product to 70 accounts, mostly bars in Portland and Seattle. They sell their juice and cranberries at farmers markets and locally at Astoria Co-op. The juice is raw, unsweetened and undiluted cranberries. It is not heated or pasteurized which Tantisook says enhances the health benefits and taste.

Starvation Alley Farms is building its research database with a goal of spreading sustainable farming and educating consumers about the food system and the importance of supporting local farmers. They are working with two other cranberry growers on the Long Beach Peninsula to transition to organic certification. There are currently only about 300 acres of organic cranberry farms in the U.S. out of 39,000 total acres of producing cranberry bogs.

Tantisook and Oakes will be here at Astoria Co-op Grocery on Thursday December 11, 4-6 p.m. offering free samples of their juice. Anyone from the public is welcome to stop by and meet the farmers and sample their products. They will then present at Beers to Your Health at the Fort George Lovell Showroom (14th and Duane St. in Astoria) starting at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. The talk is free and open to all ages.

Artisan Cheese-maker Cynthia Clark admits her business, Crooked Cow Cheese in Naselle, WA, is a way to pay for what she calls her cow habit.

“Most little girls want horses and I always wanted soft brown cows,” Cynthia said.

The Co-op recently started carrying Cynthia’s raw cheddar. Cynthia says she is passionate about caring for her cows, feeding them the best food she can afford, and treating them well. For example, she milks them just once a day, resulting in less stress for the animals. The end result is happy cows and a quality product.

The name, Crooked Cow, comes from the name of one of her three cows. Crooked, is a gigantic Brown Swiss cow. Cynthia says her milk has the right balance of fat and protein, making it ideal for cheese. Cynthia makes wheels of cheddar cheese from her cow’s milk and ages them in a temperature controlled cave for more than 90 days, creating a phenomenal flavor.
On the weekend prior to Thanksgiving, Cynthia will be at the Co-op offering samples of Crooked Cow Cheese. Stop by on November 22 from 11-1 to meet Chythia and taste her delicious cheese.

And we’ll also be having our monthly free tour, talk and taste class during the tasting.  This event focuses on the local and regional artisan cheeses the Co-op carries.  Sign up in advance.  The tour happens November 22 from 11:30-noon.

Astoria Co-op offers food education for the community

These monthly 30 minute class and store tours lead you through the aisles of Astoria Co-op Grocery to learn about the many options in organic, farm direct, bulk foods, sustainably-raised products, and more.  The classes are led by store managers, staff, board members, and other community wellness educators.  Taste food you haven’t tried before and learn about how it was produced, nutritional benefits, and cooking ideas including recipes.  This is a great way to increase knowledge about the food you eat, sample new products, and have fun!   Each class participant will receive a $5 off coupon to use at the Co-op.

Upcoming Classes Calendar:

October 24, 5-5:30 p.m. Shopper’s Guide to GMO’s with Co-op GM Matt Stanley

With genetically modified organism labeling on the Oregon ballot this election, there’s been a lot of talk about this controversial subject in the news.  This is a great opportunity for those wanting to learn more about GMO’s and food.  The class will include information about the different types of labels, how to know if the food you eat contains GMO’s and the highest risk foods.

November 22, 11:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Artisan Cheese with Brandon Massey (Co-op Cheesemonger)

The holidays are a great time to indulge in artisan cheese platters with friends and family.  This class will include information on local and regional artisan cheeses, cooking and cheese pairing ideas, plus a cheese tasting with the maker of Crooked Cow Cheese from Naselle, Washington.

Who: Open to everyone in the community (you do not need to be a Co-op owner)

Cost: $0

To register: call 503-325-0027 or email [email protected]

Fall is in the air and Chef Marco Davis is coming up with a menu using the freshest local ingredients around.  How to cook using fall foods from local farms is the focus of our fall farm to fork cooking class in Astoria.  We’ve been teaming up with Columbia Memorial Hospital to produce a series of these classes, and this is the third.

Foods are harvested just before the class and the menu is designed based on what’s freshest and in season.  Chef Marco’s preliminary plans for the evening include a grilled carrot and radish appetizer, soup, root vegetable layered lasagna dish, as well as homemade gingerbread and sweet corn ice cream for dessert.  Anyone who’s had Marco’s cooking at the Columbian Café knows how great his food tastes, and this is an opportunity to learn from him as he prepares dinner before your eyes.

“Cooking local and seasonal can be simple, easy and tasty.  With patience, anyone can cook a meal that fills the belly and warms the heart.  Food should be shared and preparing meals together is the best way to learn and grow as a family and community,” Davis said.

Local produce will be incorporated into the dinner as well as locally-caught fish.  The Co-op will use its relationships with local farmers and ability to source directly from Bornstein Seafoods in Astoria to provide local and organic ingredients.  The farmers will be in attendance at the dinner and will talk about their farms, growing food, and how to source it.  The four course meal will also include wine pairings from regional wineries.

The class takes place at CMH’s Columbia Center Coho Room on Wednesday October 1 at 6 p.m.  To sign up, stop by the Co-op.  Do it soon, as space is limited.  If you wish to have a more hands-on experience, Chef Marco encourages you to come early to help in the kitchen.  Just let a cashier know you’d like to do this when you sign up.  The cost is $50 for individuals or $85 for two people.  Proceeds will go toward North Coast Food Web’s Fruit Box Project, which aims to get more fresh food into local schools.