Earlier this week, we invited a group of national, regional and local food writers to join us at our client Montinore Estate in Forest Grove, Oregon, to learn about the biodynamic agricultural methods that Montinore uses in the vineyards and the winery.

We spent six hours in education mode — touring the grounds, examining the vines, and yes, holding cow horns, with owner Rudy Marchesi and biodynamic soil consultant Philippe Armenier.  Armenier is the former owner of a winery in Chateauneuf du Pape and now works with wineries in Washington, Oregon and California.

We ate delicious food prepared by Kristin Marchesi of Montinore – drank wine, of course, including several from Montinore as well as biodynamic wines from some Old World wineries, in France, Italy, Germany and Austria.

The discussion bounced between Armenier’s deep-rooted philosophical beliefs in the biodynamic principles outlined decades ago by Rudolph Steiner and Marchesi’s practical “hey, I’m doing it and it works” explanations of the biodynamic methods used at the estate.

The day invited interest, curiosity, skepticism, wonder — and hopefully more interest in biodynamics as a whole.  At Watershed, we’re certainly intrigued and will be digging deeper into the subject.

Check back soon for more photos and a short primer on the basics of biodynamics.

Next Monday, Watershed will help bring together national and international experts and writers to demystify the often controversial and misunderstood methods of biodynamic agriculture.  Hosted by Montinore Estate, this event will include experts such as Philippe Armenier, a leading biodynamic agriculture consultant to more than 30 wineries in California, Oregon and Washington.

Interest in biodynamic methods is increasing in the media and positive articles like the recent Wall Street Journal story “Discovering Biodynamic Winemaking” definitely help the BD cause.  But rarely is the word “biodynamic” mentioned without controversy lingering around the edges. Take this reader response from the article’s comment section:

“It continues to baffle me how otherwise intelligent, thoughtful winemakers can subscribe to such bizarre and indefensible practices.”

At the boot camp, we’ll be thrust feet first into the controversial world of biodynamic methods and we hope to answer some questions, like:

1.  Are biodynamic methods appropriate for all forms of agriculture?

2.  What are the additional investments (time and financial) of practicing biodynamic farming over conventional farming?

3.  What’s with the sheep horns and chamomile sausage?

4.  Can we taste the difference?

Surely, there is much more to discover, and we intend to share that with you in a follow up post. But for now, we’d like to hear what questions you’d have. What have you always wanted to know about biodynamics, but didn’t have the expert-on-hand to ask?

On August 1st The Oregonian reported that the Columbia River has experienced a sockeye salmon run that is “the highest since the Bonneville Dam started operating in 1938.”

photo courtesy of Bill Carter

For a little context I asked filmmaker & author Bill Carter what the average run is for the Egegik River in Bristol Bay, Alaska – the river he fished in his acclaimed memoir Red Summer.  He said during a typical year, fishermen on the Egegik will pull in close to ten million fish during a 30 day period!  Roll on Columbia, roll on!

But despite the relatively positive news, I wondered why this sudden abundance of Columbia River sockeye salmon?

To get some more insight I contacted David Finkel, Director of Development & Communications for Portland’s Wild Salmon Center, an organization whose mission is to identify, understand and protect the best wild salmon ecosystems of the entire Pacific Rim region.

Both Finkel and The Oregonian pointed out the abnormal run may be attributed to several factors including (court mandated) spillage over Columbia River dams and favorable ocean conditions.

Finkel added that many of the returning fish are of hatchery origin.  Therefore, they are not considered “wild” fish.

Initially you might be inclined to cast this as a victory for conservationists, or the complex network of hatcheries spanning much of the West Coast.  After all, these fish will bring valuable nutrients to ecosystems and fuel the local commercial fishing economy.

However, there is also a significant amount of science suggesting that the hatchery fish that are able to survive in the wild will develop less effective genetic traits as a result of what takes to survive in hatchery conditions – and when they return to spawn they leave fewer offspring than their wild relatives.  If you get those hatchery fish breeding with wild fish, then eventually the wild stock suffers.  For more information check out this article.

It’s a “damned if you do and damned if you don’t” scenario (no pun intended).  And it got me wondering about the long-term costs of our current hatchery system.  Will salmon evolve to become the cattle of the sea and become dependent on humans to nurture and manage every aspect of their existence?  Will we ever see ten million fish in the Columbia?

I don’t pretend to know the answer or to have any solution.

But I do know that in the meantime, David Finkel and the rest of the Wild Salmon Center crew are hard at work preserving the healthiest remaining wild salmon rivers in the entire Pacific Rim region.  For more information about their amazing work, check out their website.

Other organizations and people worth checking out:

SalmonAid – CA

Trout Unlimited – AK

Salmon Safe – OR

Wetlands Conservancy – OR

North Olympic Salmon Coalition – WA

Bill Carter – AZ

This June, acclaimed author and award-winning filmmaker Bill Carter will traverse the West Coast to promote the re-release of his memoir, Red Summer.

Published by independent publisher Schaffner Press, Red Summer is a compelling exploration of Carter’s experiences commercial salmon fishing in Bristol Bay over the course of four seasons.  Carter’s tour will begin June 7th with an appearance at Booksoup in West Hollywood, and will end on June 22nd with an appearance at the Mercy Corps Action Center in Portland, Oregon.

Watershed is thrilled to have organized the Northwest segment of his tour and we have provided more information about his diverse and interactive appearances below.

All appearances are open to the public and reservations are strongly recommended.

June 17th – Portland, Oregon
Celebration of creative writing and non-fiction with Orlo – www.orlo.org
8 – 10 pm
810 SE Belmont
Portland, OR
971-235-2734

This celebration of creative non-fiction will be the unofficial kick-off for the newest edition of The Bear Deluxe Magazine and will occur in the event space of the Zoomtopia Building – the new headquarters for both Orlo and the Wordstock Festival.

The evening will feature short readings from local Portland writer Moe Bowstern, and Bill Carter will recount his experiences as told in his memoir “Red Summer.” He will also share his experiences touring the site of the proposed Pebble Mine – a project that threatens to destroy one of the most sustainable fisheries in the world.  Shoren Brown from Trout Unlimited Alaska will be on hand to share information about their efforts to protect Bristol Bay.

After Bill’s presentation there will be an opportunity to mingle with writers and purchase “Red Summer.”

The event is open to the public and suggested donation is $10.

June 18th – Seattle, Washington
Fisherman’s Dinner with Ray’s Boathouse (www.rays.com)
5:30 – 9 pm
6049 Seaview Avenue NW
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 789.3770
In 2010 Ray’s kicks off a year of farmer, fisher, rancher, cheesemaker, brewmaster and wine dinners featuring our many quality local purveyors to celebrate our 37-year commitment to sustainability and buying local.

Ray’s is preparing a special Red Summer Pre-Fixe Dinner that includes a copy of Carter’s critically acclaimed memoir.  Patrons who order this dish will then have the opportunity to meet with Bill Carter, who will be on hand to sign books and give first hand accounts of his experiences fishing in Bristol Bay.

For more information, prices and reservations please call: 206-789-7330.

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MENU
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Bristol Bay Salmon Dinner with author Bill Carter 
June 18, 2010
Roasted Oxbow Farm Beets
anselmo farm green garlic, pete’s arugula, gothberg feta
Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon
black tea custard, maitakes, bing cherry
Boistfort Valley Strawberry Fraisier
crispy meringue, venture-schulze balsamic
$50.00 per guest, *includes an autographed copy of “Red Summer” 
(*price does not include beverages, tax or gratuity)

June 19th – Port Townsend, Washington
Sea-to-table Conversation hosted by the North Olympic Salmon Coalition (www.nosc.org)
5 – 7 pm
2333 San Juan Avenue
Port Townsend, WA 98368

The Green Sanctuary Committee of the Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (QUUF) is collaborating with the North Olympic Salmon Coalition (NOSC) to host a “sea-to-table” conversation and an evening with award-winning filmmaker and author Bill Carter.

The evening will include presentations from local business leaders and fishing families and will be a fundraiser to help support the work of NOSC, whose mission is “to restore, enhance, and protect habitat of North Olympic Peninsula wild salmon stocks and to promote community volunteerism, understanding, cooperation and stewardship of these resources.”

Suggested donation is $10 and attendees will be treated to a screening of Carter’s new promotional demo film for Red Summer.

For more information about the event please contact Kai Wallin at the North Olympic Salmon Coalition, 360-379-8051

June 20th – Portland, Oregon
“Big Fish” Dinner
Hosted by Nostrana (www.nostrana.com)
1401 SE Morrison Portland, Oregon
503.234.2427

Nostrana – literally ‘ours’ in Italian – serves classic regional Italian cuisine built on refined yet rustic preparations, a passionate dedication to local farmers and producers, and the traditional method of cooking with fire.

Chef Cathy Whims was a 2009 James Beard “Best Chef Award” finalist and is a finalist again in 2010. Whims continues to be a long-standing advocate of the Slow Food Movement. In 2006, Nostrana was named Oregon’s Restaurant of the Year by The Oregonian.

With that in mind, Chef Cathy Whims will be hosting Bill Carter for a sustainable dinner on Father’s Day.  He will be available to meet guests and discuss his experiences fishing in Alaska’s Bristol Bay.

For more information, visit: www.nostrana.com.

June 21st – Astoria, Oregon
Filmmakers Dinner hosted by Clemente’s Restaurant (http://www.clementesrestaurant.com)
5 – 10 pm
1198 Commercial Street
Astoria, OR 97103
503.325.1067

Clemente’s Restaurant will be hosting Bill Carter for a $49 “Filmmakers Dinner” to celebrate his award winning film Miss Sarajevo, and to preview his newest promotional demo film for Red Summer.

Diners will enjoy a salmon-centric pre-fixe meal with four courses, and will watch and discuss both films.  Guests will have the opportunity to purchase both books on site and Bill Carter will be available to sign.  The event will celebrate the summer solstice, and will feature pourings from one of Oregon’s premier biodynamic wineries, Montinore Estate.

Hailing from a fourth generation Astoria salmon fishing family with Croatian roots, Lisa Clement brings a passion for health and sustainability to Clemente’s.  Her background in ancient medicine and food based cures combined with the passion for “slow foods” and beautiful presentation brings a contemporary flare to Clemente’s.

For more information, prices and reservations please call: 503-325-1067

June 22nd – Portland, Oregon
Screening of Miss Sarajevo at Mercy Corps Action Center (http://www.actioncenter.org/)
7– 9 pm
28 SW First Ave
Portland, OR 97204
(503) 896-5002

The only event of the tour to primarily feature Carter’s first memoir, Fools Rush In.

Mercy Corps will host a screening of Miss Sarajevo at their new Action Center, located in downtown Portland.  Bill Carter will be on hand to talk about his experiences making the film, and about his book Fools Rush In.

With 30 years of experience working in the world’s toughest places, Mercy Corps understands that a well-informed, mobilized constituency in the developed world is critical to realizing our mission of alleviating suffering, poverty and oppression. The solutions to the most complex global challenges require skilled and scaled advocacy to help the world’s poor. Targeted policy reform, including government aid spending and fairer trade agreements, as well as responsible corporate practices and consumer preferences, can save many lives. The Action Center and actioncenter.org are the cornerstone of Mercy Corps’ efforts to radically alter the way people think about the world, and their role within it.

*** ALL EVENTS sponsored in part by Trout Unlimited Alaska (TU-AK,) a sport fishing conservation group that is leading a diverse, grassroots campaign to protect the Bristol Bay watershed from Pebble. TU-AK will host a series of Bristol Bay salmon-tasting events, called Savor Bristol Bay, in Portland and Seattle in early July. Check out www.savebristolbay.org for details.

Last weekend marked the kick off event for the Portland Saturday Market.

Not only did Portland experience the best weather of the year, but worldly rockers The Fenbi International Superstars pleased the masses with their blend of eclectic and multi-cultural folk-rock.  Exuberant fans descended upon the stage begging for more traditional Irish ballads as Fenbi blasted through hit after hit!  Despite the fact that the quintet toned down the content of their songs for strangers and small children alike, the immense crowd was pleased and left thoroughly exhausted and entertained.

For a more traditional set, please catch The Fenbi International Superstars at the Dublin Pub the night of St. Patrick’s Day, March 17.  Until then, enjoy their debut music video and song – released just last week …

Sláinte!

*** editors note *** Michael Phillips is extraordinarily biased on this one

Our Livestock event was recently featured in the online blog, More Intelligent Life which is a supplement to the Economist Magazine.  The conversation about humanely raised and sustainable food continues, read about it here.

This season, the Hotel Vintage Plaza and Pazzo Ristorante have created spirited opportunities to raise funds – and our voices – for the Oregon Food Bank!

Calling All Carolers! – Thursday, Dec. 10th
The Hotel Vintage Plaza will ring with the sounds of the season for the second annual Calling All Carolers fundraising event. From 6:00pm – 7:30pm, the public is invited to gather at the Hotel Vintage Plaza with the Dickens Carolers, then pipe-up and stroll downtown, caroling all the way to the holiday tree at Pioneer Square. Carolers can warm up with a drink and take photos with Santa in the lobby before the spirited walk. Mulled Willamette Valley Vineyards wine and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for a donation to Oregon Food Bank. Additionally, the Hotel Vintage Plaza will have a canned food donation drop box through the month of December.

Spirited Happy Hour at Pazzo – Thursday, Dec. 10th
Before caroling, stop in to PazzoBar for a warm up during happy hour. On Thursday, Dec. 10th order a Hot Buttered Rum ($7) and Pazzo will donate $2 from each drink to Oregon Food Bank.  Pair that with a piping hot pizza from the brick oven ($6), fresh salads ($5) and more, from the daily happy hour menu. Happy hour runs from 4pm – 6pm daily.

Last Wednesday over 50 people crammed into the kitchen at the International Culinary School to observe as Adam Sappington from the Country Cat Dinnerhouse and Bar skillfully demonstrated his butchery prowess.  Writers including B.T. Shaw, Emily Chenoweth and Joe Strecket shared their experiences with eating (or not eating) meat.  Heartfelt and emotional testimonials about their relationships to animals, meat, and death were accentuated with the tearing of flesh and sawing of bone.  Cameras trained on Adam’s work were directed to two video screens for a close up look at the action.

November 11th gives us the second installment of Livestock featuring Cathy Whims of Nostrana and wine from Big Table Farm and Montinore Estate.  More information is provided below, but first let’s take a peek at some photos!

Portland, OR – Watershed Culinary Productions, in collaboration with Camas Davis, food writer and founder of the soon-to-be-launched Portland Meat Collective, is pleased to present the first ever Livestock, an urban conversation designed to explore the literary and literal aspects of killing our dinner.

“Our goal is to produce an educational experience that brings the discussions happening around food safety and animal welfare to life in a thoughtful, and poetic way,” says Lisa Donoughe, executive producer of Livestock and Director of Watershed Communications.

Livestock 2 will be held on Wednesday, November 11th, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Portland, 34 NW 8th Ave Portland, OR 97209.

Tickets are SOLD OUT with $10 from every ticket sold going to Friends of Family Farmers, an organization working to promote and protect socially responsible agriculture in Oregon.

Readers November 11th
Langdon Cook was a senior book editor at Amazon.com before leaving the corporate world in 2004 to live in a cabin off the grid with his wife and son. Now a freelance writer and blogger, Cook has written for Gray’s Sporting Journal, Outside, Fly Fisherman, The Stranger, Seattle Metropolitan, Northwest Palate, and numerous other publications. Fat of the Land: Adventures of a 21st Century Forager is his first book. In his prime as a meat-eater, he was known to take down a King Arthur’s cut of roast beast post-haste, but more recently he has switched to the Milady’s cut, which earns raised eyebrows ’round the round table. Cook lives in Seattle, WA, with his wife, poet Martha Silano, and their two children.

Anna Sachse is a freelance writer who has covered everything from high-end travel and food, to health, beauty, weddings, politics and Hollywood for the likes of the L.A. Times Magazine, Portland Monthly, and McSweeney’s, among other publications. In addition, she is working on both a wedding planner for women who aren’t lame, and a novel.  Many of her stories, as well as her novel, are based on the five years she spent working as a waiter and cocktail server in a high end Hollywood nightclub—the kind of establishment where customers could, and did, attempt to trade cocaine for beef carpaccio. Upon “winning” the audition that landed her this coveted waitressing job, she was forbidden to tell the customers that she was a vegetarian.
She is now openly vegetarian and lives in Portland with her husband, Chris, who eats tongue burritos and tripe.

Rob Newton, a recent transplant from New York City, has worked in publishing, television, theater, interior design, porn, child wrangling and other more or lesser-esteemed endeavors. His de-formative years were spent outside Puyallup, Washington, to wit his love of timber and his aversion to second cousins once removed. Rob’s newest works, Dirty Bomb and Happy Talk will premier at Portland’s Fertile Ground Festival, January 22 through February 2, where butchery of another variety will no doubt ensue.

Call 503-827-6564 for more information.  Ask for Mike.

Yesterday we were fortunate to meet with Andy Armantrout, a family farmer from near Prineville, Oregon.  He came to speak with us about the sustainable practices he uses to raise animals including cattle, chickens, ducks and quails.  To our pleasant surprise he brought us gifts including cheeses, butter, raw milk, cream, duck eggs, chicken eggs, and even quail eggs!

Andy shared extensively about his experience farming and commercial fishing in the Pacific Northwest and described how agriculture has evolved over the years.  We were able to share some of our extensive research into the beef industry and our history of successful PR and marketing campaigns for small brands and international corporations alike.

It was a great meeting of the minds and a wonderful continuation of the farm-to-fork conversation right here, at Watershed’s International Headquarters.

First Ever Livestock To Piggyback On Wordstock

Two New Culinary Events To Spur Sustainable Farm-To-Fork Conversations Through Literary Arts And Live Butchery Demonstrations

Portland, OR (September 24, 2009) - Watershed Culinary Productions, in collaboration with Camas Davis, food writer and founder of the soon-to-be-launched Portland Meat Collective, is pleased to present the first ever Livestock, an urban conversation designed to explore the literary and literal aspects of killing our dinner.  Livestock will be held on two consecutive Wednesdays, November 4th and 11th, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Portland. Tickets are $25 each with $10 from every ticket sold going to Friends of Family Farmers, an organization working to promote and protect socially responsible agriculture in Oregon.

“Our goal is to produce an educational experience that brings the discussions happening around food safety and animal welfare to life in a thoughtful, and poetic way,” says , executive producer of Watershed Culinary Productions and director of Watershed Communications.

At Livestock Cathy Whims of Nostrana and Adam Sappington of The Country Cat Dinnerhouse & Bar will respectfully display their butchery craft as ranchers share their bond to the land, and writers present short stories exploring the food politics and emotions embedded in eating meat.  Both evenings of Livestock will include a question and answer session where guests are encouraged to actively participate in the greater debate surrounding our food and where it comes from.  The evenings will wrap up with a terroir tasting of a flight of beef or pig from three local farms cooked by the evening’s featured chef, with the purpose of showcasing place and encouraging conversation.

Livestock will emulate Wordstock, an annual festival of books, writers, and storytelling in Portland, Oregon.  To date Wordstock has hosted more than 550 writers, who have read and performed for nearly 55,000 people at past festivals.  “One of the literary developments that excites us most is the growing crossover between the experience of food and the experience of writing,” says Greg Netzer, executive director of Wordstock.  “We’re thrilled to partner with Livestock to showcase more of this work in Portland, which is lucky enough to enjoy a very rich culture in both.”

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS:  Local writers, chefs, and other artists are encouraged to submit personal essays of no more than 1200 words for consideration as part of Livestock.  Essays can explore anything from the politics of eating (or not eating) meat to the emotional (or unemotional) context of killing (or not killing) your dinner.  Submissions might only explore the chop or the rib, or they might go as deep as the tail or the trotter, but metaphor and style will be prized above technicalities and generalities of any sort.  Six finalists will be chosen to read their essays at the event.  An honorarium will be offered to each author, along with all the charcuterie they can consume in one evening.  To submit please contact Camas Davis by October 12th at:  camas.davis@gmail.com

Space is limited so please call (503) 827-6564 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. to reserve your place.  Pay by Visa, MasterCard, American Express or cash.  Sorry no checks.

Livestock 1: The Butchery of a Cow

What:

The Country Cat Dinnerhouse & Bar Chef Adam Sappington and Sweet Briar Farms, with readings & butchery demonstration.  Chef Sappington will prepare three cuts from three different farms, and guests will be invited to compare and contrast flavors.

When:

November 4, 2009 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Where:

The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Portland
34 NW 8th Ave
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 228-6528

Cost:

Tickets are $25 each.  Please call (503) 827-6564 to reserve your seat.

Livestock 2: The Butchery of a Pig

What:

Nostrana Chef Cathy Whims and Laughing Stock Farm, with readings & butchery demonstration. Chef Whims will prepare a flight of meat and invite guests to compare and contrast flavors.

When:

November 11, 2009 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Where:

The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Portland
34 NW 8th Ave
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 228-6528

Cost:

Tickets are $25 each.  Please call (503) 827-6564 to reserve your seat.

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ABOUT LIVESTOCK
Livestock was developed by Watershed Culinary Productions as a collaboration with Camas Davis of the Portland Meat Collective (PMC).  Sponsors of Livestock 2009 include The Art Institute of Portland, The Country Cat Dinnerhouse & Bar, Nostrana, Laughing Stock Farm, and  Sweet Briar Farms.  Wine will be donated by Big Table Farm, and other local wineries.

ABOUT PORTLAND MEAT COLLECTIVE
The Portland Meat Collective brings local meat to local people.  It’s a network of Portland citizens who want a cost-effective way to buy meat directly from Oregon’s small ranchers.  While PMC is modeled after traditional meat CSAs that are popping up around the country, it is also an up-close-and-personal traveling butchery school.  Once PMC procures that whole cow, pig, or lamb, members can take part in master butchery and charcuterie classes with Portland meat masters. They’ll get to decide how they want their animal carved up.  They’ll wield knives and bags of curing salts.  And they’ll learn what to do with all those specialty cuts once they’re at home in the kitchen.  PMC brings a dynamic, local, sustainable approach to buying and eating meat straight to the people.

ABOUT WATERSHED (Formerly LAD communications)
Watershed is a strategic editorial services company specializing in the restaurant, beverage, and hospitality industries.  With deep expertise in natural foods, beverages and products, Watershed promotes national brands as well as regional companies with a strong appetite for growth. Watershed’s special expertise is in helping place-based brands (such as farms, ranchers and wineries) take that big leap up to the national scene.  Livestock is the autumn event for Watershed Culinary Productions, producers of the Indie Wine Festival.