Ecotrust Food and Farms Program ecotrust.org/

“Ecotrust is a conservation organization committed to strengthening communities and the environment from Alaska to California. We work with Native peoples and in the fisheries, forestry, and food sectors to build a regional economy based on social and ecological opportunities.

...Food and Farms: By promoting the seasonal products of local farmers and striving to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture on healthy watersheds, Ecotrust is fostering a regional food system in the Pacific Northwest. Our objectives are to improve public understanding of local agriculture and increase the market share of locally grown food.”

Food Alliance foodalliance.org/

FA says: “Food Alliance is a nonprofit organization that certifies farms and ranches and food handlers (including packers, processors and distributors) for sustainable agricultural and business practices. These businesses use Food Alliance certification to make credible claims for social and environmental responsibility, to differentiate and add value to products, and to protect and enhance brands.”

Oregon Environmental Council oeconline.org

OEC says: “The Oregon Environmental Council safeguards what Oregonians love about Oregon – clean air and water, an unpolluted landscape and healthy food produced by local farmers. We work to create innovative change on three levels: we help individuals live green; we help businesses, farmers and health providers thrive with sustainable practices; and we help elected officials create practical policy.”

Portland Chefs Collaborative portlandcc.org/

Of all the Chefs Collaborative sites across the country, only Portland and Seattle have event-driven local chapters, engaging the community in farm-to-table events.

PCC says: “Chefs Collaborative works with chefs and the greater food community to celebrate local foods and foster a more sustainable food supply. The Collaborative inspires action by translating information about our food into tools for making knowledgeable purchasing decisions. Through these actions, our members embrace seasonality, preserve diversity and traditional practices, and support local economies.”

Slow Food Portland slowfoodportland.com

SFP says: “Slow Food Portland, Oregon, is one of more than 130 local chapters of Slow Food U.S.A., each called a “convivium,” that carry out the Slow Food mission on a local level. Slow Food International was founded in 1989 in Bra, Italy. Slow Food U.S.A. is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to supporting and celebrating the food traditions of North America. Slow Food Portland is the oldest convivium in the country (1991) and still among the largest. The national office was established in New York City in 1999, and now resides in Brooklyn.

The members of Slow Food Portland — more than 500 of us — are a diverse group of food enthusiasts with a curiosity about food traditions and heritage, local artisanal products, sustainable agriculture and the protection of the biodiversity of our local and global food sheds. Members include home and professional chefs, caterers, growers, vintners, restauranteurs, food educators, and lots of ordinary people and families that like to cook and eat and know where their food comes from.”