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Check out the new forum

Update: The forum was completely overrun with spam and really hard to manage – I’m exploring other options, and I apologize to those of you who signed up legitimately. * * * Some of the best things in life are shared across the back fence. Wouldn’t it be great to expand your reach? I’ve started a new forum for neighborhood food-share groups around the Willamette Valley. The goal of the forum is to connect people with others in their immediate area for food sharing opportunities, events, gatherings, work-sharing, volunteerism, gardening tips… you name it! Hope to see you there. Don’t hesitate to let me know if you or your existing group would like a particular category created. There’s now a page link at the top of the blog that will lead you to the forum.

Weekly Roundup

By Kate

Here are some quick links for the week: Disappointingly, the Salem City Council rejected ordinances that would have allowed chickens within city limits. I wonder if the opponents of the plan have ever actually visited any normal backyard chicken coops. Their arguments seem to be based heavily on fear-mongering. Wine Country Thanksgiving –More than 140 wineries and tasting rooms in the Willamette Valley will be open during Thanksgiving Weekend (most open 11am-5pm, November 27-29, but hours may vary, so call ahead). Meet winemakers, experience special tastings and enjoy specialty food and live entertainment. Click here for a complete list of participating wineries and tasting rooms. I made sweet roasted rosemary acorn squash this week, and it was fabulous. You should try it immediately. Go ahead, I’ll wait here… Heavenly Harvest Farm in Corvallis is having their Harvest Festival through Saturday. The College of Agricultural Sciences at OSU is once...

OSU economist debuts in film about local food movement

By Kate

By Tiffany Woods, 541-737-2940, tiffany.woods@oregonstate.edu Source: Larry Lev, 541-737-1417, larry.lev@oregonstate.edu CORVALLIS, Ore. An agricultural economist at Oregon State University has hit the silver screen in a new documentary that examines and promotes the local food movement and that will show in Portland starting on Friday. In the film “Ingredients,” Larry Lev discusses the benefits and costs of buying food from local producers. He says that although some local products may cost more than food transported from large-scale commercial operations, the extra expense can be worth it. The taste can be superior, and the money shoppers spend stays in the area and contributes to the vitality of the community, he says. By shopping locally, people are also keeping agricultural land from being developed and they’re establishing close relationships with farmers and fellow consumers, he adds. “In the end, it comes down to choices. Price is one aspect that consumers...

Vote to help Corvallis-Albany Farmers' Markets win $5,000

By Kate

I voted to help the Corvallis-Albany Farmers’ Market win $5,000 in the “Love Your Farmers Market” online contest, sponsored by Care2.com and LocalHarvest.org. Every vote helps promote local food, family farms and sustainable agriculture. If you’d like to vote, too, click the image above! The Corvallis-Albany Market is currently #71 in the top 100 markets with the most votes — I know they deserve to be higher on that list!

Changes

By Kate

What do you think of the new look? I was getting tired of my photos at the top of the page & wanted something more colorful. I’ve also recently decided to change the tone of the blog a little (yes, again!) and make it more personal. I’m going to put up a page about our efforts to go through this quarter of a cow & am going to try to write a little more about our successes and failures in our attempts at living locally and sustainably. Onward!

Today's post brought to you by chickens.

By Kate

“Regard it as just as desirable to build a chicken house as to build a cathedral.” ~ Frank Lloyd Wright Remember when I posted back in March, and these guys were all nothing more than little puff-balls? They are 13 weeks old today and each about the size of a medium house cat. With beaks. We really lucked out, not knowing what we were doing when we picked these out — the Barred Rocks are pretty even tempered and hardy. They don’t pick on each other much. The Accidental Rooster keeps everyone in line, but isn’t too mean. Except that he’s selfish when it comes to treats. Oh, we’re giving out a strawberry? WOOSH… that streak was the rooster, grabbing the berry before it hit the ground and darting off to a corner to gobble it down before the girls are any wiser. Oh, Rooster. We haven’t named them...

Being Neighborly

By Kate

When my husband and I purchased our home in North Albany last summer, we found ourselves moving in to quite an established neighborhood. Most of the families have been there for years, and some even own multiple properties along our little dead-end lane. Everyone is always at the ready with a wave and a smile, and I think everyone has stopped by to chat or admire the chickens or let us know that there used to be a cherry tree in our yard and boy are they disappointed the previous owner tore it out. Well, shoot, so am I. (So we planted two new ones!) I think we’re both feeling a little pressure (entirely self-imposed, I’m certain) to make our garden something to be proud of, and one from which we can share. You see, all this buy local stuff is great, but it’s the community aspect to all...

Twitter Tuesday

By Kate

Today I thought I’d put up links to a few Twitterers… uh, Tweeters… er, Twits? No, that can’t be right. People who Tweet! Topics like eating local, or news around the valley, or backyard chickens! This is by no means a comprehensive list, just a few names I’ve gathered through searching. Leave a comment if you have any to add. Here they are in no particular order: DiscoverEugene – from the Discover Eugene online magazine, “the source for all things Eugene” OregonWinePress — The “Who, What, When, Where of Wine in Oregon” from Oregon Wine Press HeavenlyHarvest — from the Heavenly Harvest farm in Corvallis MotherEarthNews — “The Original Guide to Living Wisely” MidValleyVoice — “the online community for people and businesses in the mid-Willamette Valley” HappyChickens — “12yr old vegetarian, Chicken Farmer, Animal Activist”, visit the blog at happy chickens lay healthy eggs UrbanChickens — “eating bugs and...

Notes

By Kate

By far, the most popular page on this blog is the one containing recipes, and the most popular recipe on the site is the goat cheese & spinach stuffed chicken breasts with caramelized shallot sauce. Mmm. Say that ten times fast. I’d like to start the recipes up again — maybe not weekly, but semi-regularly — and I’d love it if anyone would like to contribute recipes that utilize local ingredients. If you have a favorite foodie blog, feel free to share that, too, and I’ll include links in the recipe posts. (mwvlocal at gmail dot com) * * * * * * * * I’m currently working on a page of local resources for yarn and wool. (I figured I’d start with the craft that I know something about.) After that, I’d like to expand into other art & craft areas, but I’ll need help with those, so,...

Chickens arrive at MWV Local HQ

By Kate

For those that don’t follow my other blog… behold my first attempt at backyard chickens & the most local of local eggs! (Well, eventually with the eggs.) We got six Barred Rock pullets & they are super cute. They seem to be quite hardy, which is great but isn’t keeping me from being a little anxious.

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Weekly Roundup

OSU economist debuts in film about local food movement

Vote to help Corvallis-Albany Farmers' Markets win $5,000

Changes

Today's post brought to you by chickens.

Being Neighborly

Twitter Tuesday

Notes

Chickens arrive at MWV Local HQ

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