Have you ever thought about where your food comes from? Or how long it takes to get from the soil to your mouth? For some “fresh” produce, it could be weeks from the time it is harvested to when it comes into contact with your taste buds. Weeks! When I buy produce from another country, I hardly consider the time that this “fresh” produce has been in transit: from harvesting to packaging to shipping, and then from sitting on my grocery store shelf until I come along and make the purchase. I just expect the produce to still be fresh and edible. Often, although it is edible, it is not delicious, and the freshness is questionable.

It was not until the farmers’ market opened in Prineville and I started to purchase my vegetables at the vendor booths that I really experienced the flavor of locally grown food. The difference is amazing, and people all over the area are acknowledging, as I have, that local foods simply taste better. And you know what else? Locally grown produce lasts longer in my own refrigerator since it is usually harvested the day or the day before it’s sold at the market. Now that is fresh.

I frequently come into contact with small farm entrepreneurs who love the land and have a passion for producing local foods for their communities. Learning about these fantastic businesses which work so hard to produce quality foods is inspiring; I don’t mind paying what seems to be a little bit more when I know the quality is top-notch and the food tastes so much better. I treasure the idea of supporting local growers, and I find myself going out of my way to find the foods that I feel good about feeding to my family. I just love eating local.

Farmers’ Markets

Farmers’ markets are a fantastic place to shop for local foods and the market season is just getting started in the Central Oregon area. No matter where you live, a short drive will find you standing at a booth in front of a grower, likely with dirt under the nails and a big friendly smile . Perhaps not the most cultivated sales people, these local growers are some of the friendliest people you will come in contact with all week long. And, you will likely find yourself actually learning something about the food you are going to eat.

Locally grown foods at farmers’ markets vary from town to town and depend upon what the “local” criteria is, as defined by each market. Markets offer fresh produce during the growing season. You will see a lot of vegetables, meats, dairy and herbs. Several of the farmers’ markets this year will be accepting the Oregon Trail card and debit cards so more people will have access to the local bounty, which is so important to our communities.

Local farmers’ markets can be found in Baker City, Bend, Madras, Prineville and Redmond. There are more than 100 farmers’ markets in Oregon. Each market has its own personality and no two markets look the same — some are purely growers’ markets and others incorporate craft vendors to add variety. Many people enjoy visiting the different markets as a form of recreation, and most will leave with some local food in hand.

Vendors at farmers’ markets often have stands or gift shops at their farms where the public can shop during the week and during the off-season of farmers’ markets. Tucked into some obscure corners of the high desert are fabulous businesses that deserve to be marked as destinations themselves. Here is a snapshot of what can be found in some out-of-the-way places on our side of the mountains…

Tumalo Farms
Artisan Cheeses of Central Oregon

Flavio and Margie DeCastilhos founded Tumalo Farms in the high desert of Central Oregon after many years of working in the computer industry. It was a trip to Brazil that inspired Flavio to research and pursue the business of creating artisan cheeses. According to Tumalo Farms’ website, “his interest grew in perfecting traditional Dutch and Italian cheeses, and in experimenting with local ingredients to develop new recipes with a touch of Oregon.”

From start to finish, the DeCastilhos family produces award-winning farmstead cheese. Tumalo Farms uses strict guidelines in order to produce their top-quality cheese. The American Cheese Society defines “farmstead” cheese as that which must be made with milk from the farmer’s own herd or flock on the farm where the animals are raised. Milk used in the production of farmstead cheese may not be obtained from any outside source. The DeCastilhos family raises Saanen and French Alpine goats, which are well-suited for this climate and are treated almost like family. The theory may be: the happier the goats, the better the cheese.

Cheeses cultivated at Tumalo Farms include Antigo, Capricorns, Classico, Fenacho, Pondhopper and Remembrance.

Tumalo Farms cheese can be found locally in Bend and Redmond. In Bend, a few places that carry the cheese include Newport

Market, Riley’s Market and Whole Foods. In Redmond, you can find the cheeses at the Redmond Smokehouse. Be sure to check your local farmers’ market as well, because my first experience with their wonderful cheese was at the Prineville Farmers’ Market. You just never know where they may show up next.

For more information on Tumalo Farms, you can read about them on their website, www.tumalofarms.com.

Lark Gardens
Gourmet Herbal Rice Vinegars

A well-kept secret is thriving in the Powell Butte community at the creative hands of Lita and Ray Kilpatrick. They have taken their interest in gardening to a whole new level by creating herbal-infused vinegars.

Described as a “labor of love,” the Kilpatricks grow flavorful herbs to infuse vinegars and transform them into a “culinary adventure for salads, marinades and sauces.” They

start with mild Japanese rice wine vinegar and add blends of seasonal herbs to produce six colorful and original rice wine vinegar flavors. The vinegars are all natural and heart-friendly with a mild sweet taste.

The creation of the gourmet herbal rice vinegars was almost a mistake. According to Lita, the first flavored vinegar was a gallon of Japanese rice wine vinegar combined with colorful peppercorns, mustard seeds and a selection of fresh herbs. “The bottle was set aside and almost forgotten. When it was opened, WOW, what wonderful flavors we found.” Lark Gardens Gourmet Herbal Rice Wine Vinegars was formed from that gallon jug.

The herbal rice vinegars aren’t their only claim to fame, however. While growing herbs in the spring and summer, the Kilpatricks have expanded their niche to include lavender cookies, herb flavored jellies, honey and syrup. This year they also have fresh, organically-grown produce available for purchase.

Lark Gardens hosts tea parties throughout the year at their location in Powell Butte. They also have a store open Tuesday through Saturday for your shopping convenience. Beginning in May, they hold monthly open houses as well. They are located at 12789 SW Cornett Loop in Powell Butte. Products are also available online at www.larkgardens.com.

Maragas Winery
An American Winemaking Family Since 1941

From artisan cheeses to herbal vinegars, we make the jump now into award-winning wine! Tucked away in sleepy little Culver is Maragas Winery, owned and operated by Doug and Gina Maragas.

Having adopted what is referred to as the “slow food” movement and applying it to their wine, the Maragas family focuses on selling locally and shipping direct without using a distributor. What a wonderful concept in our high desert region.

The Maragas family has an interesting history in the wine business, originating with Doug’s grandmother, Anna Maragas, in 1941. After years of work and research, Doug founded Maragas Winery in Culver in 1999 and was bottling his first vintage in 2003. Maragas Winery offers a Zinfandel blend, pinot gris, muscat, a zin-petit syrah-merlot blend, a Bordeaux style merlot blend and most recently, Chardonnay. The Zinfandel blend, Legal Zin 2005, won the gold medal at the largest American wine competition in the world, the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Not bad for a “beginning” wine maker.

Doug and Gina have developed an effective marketing approach despite shipping restrictions to California, Oregon and Washington. They market to a wine club, as well as hosting fun events that bring people to their winery. They truly are keeping their product local.

In 2007, they planted the first vineyard in Jefferson County and will be ready to harvest fruit in three more years. Plans include expansion, but this winery takes the “hands on” approach to making its boutique wines.

Just a glance at their inviting website will make even the most humble of beginning wine tasters want to be a part of Doug and Gina’s dream. Not much of a wine connoisseur myself, I find that I would like to just experience the winery for what it is, in and of itself.

“There is something magical about it,” says Doug. He encourages people to visit the winery and see for themselves the beauty of taking something from the land and tasting the end results in the winery itself. “It’s a different experience here.”

Wine tours, tasting and a large patio are open Friday through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. (15523 SW Hwy 97).

For information on upcoming events and news, please visit Maragas Winery at www.maragaswinery.com or call 541-546-5464.

Pine Mountain Ranch
Inspired by Dances with Wolves

The next destination that deserves attention is Pine Mountain Ranch, home of grass-fed buffalo. That’s right, buffalo. There is a lot of talk about grass-fed beef in our area, and it tends to be highly promoted, but buffalo are completely different, both as a nutritional food and a passion.

Pine Mountain Ranch, owned and operated since 2000 by Alan Rousseau, started with buffalo and has grown to include yak and free-range chickens as well. Alan’s inspiration to raise buffalo came from the movie Dances with Wolves. One of the goals of the ranch is to raise quality buffalo through grass feeding and minimal intervention. Alan himself has set a personal goal to “return buffalo to the wild, by way of a state or national park.” He hopes to educate and inspire the public about the majestic buffalo.

Buffalo meat itself is rumored to be extremely nutritious and delicious. In nutrition comparisons, buffalo meat has less fat, calories and cholesterol than any other meat, while surpassing the levels of iron and vitamin B-12 in other meats. What that means is that this lean, flavorful meat is really good for you. So good, in fact, that the St. Charles Hospitals in Bend and Redmond serve up buffalo burgers to their patients. And Alan served up this piece of trivia: buffalo is the only mammal in the world that has not been found to have cancer. Wow.

Pine Mountain Ranch is located at 23595 E Hwy 20 in Bend. In addition to their on-site store, you can find their meat locally at the Tumalo Store, Natures General Store in the Wagner Mall and at the Bend farmers’ markets.

For more information on available meats (buffalo, yak, free-range chicken and Rocky Mountain elk), call 541-312-0185.

Dancing Cow Farm
A Holistic, Organic Approach to Raising Animals and Growing Vegetables

Dancing Cow Farm is owned and operated by husband and wife team, Sean and Jerre Dodson just five miles northeast of Prineville off of Highway 26. As a small farming operation, the Dodson’s incorporate a holistic approach which, to explain comprehensively, would (and does) fill hours of workshop presentations and on-site educational events. Since 2002 they have been living their dream on a few acres, producing incredibly tasty, organic, locally grown foods.

With a love for the earth, Jerre has turned from excavation to cultivation and is working to feed people in the surrounding communities. Dancing Cow Farm, named after the rare Irish Dexter cattle which prance across the pastures, is an amazing showcase of entrepreneurial passion. Believing that healthy foods begin with healthy soils, the farm practices rotational grazing and planting. They raise Dexter cattle, six-horned Jacob sheep, lavender guinea fowl and a variety of Heritage chickens (for meat and eggs.)

USDA certified grass-fed beef and lamb is sold by the pound, wool from the sheep reaches spinners and weavers and organic veggies are available at local farmers’ markets and through a CSA (Community

Supported Agriculture), while egg and free-range chicken (stewing hen) deliveries are made weekly to individual consumers in Crook and Deschutes Counties.

Dancing Cow Farm is open for tours (by appointment), and Sean and Jerre are looking for more opportunities to encourage people to visit the farm so they can see for themselves the benefits of buying and eating locally grown foods.

Sean is an accomplished blacksmith and has set up his own blacksmith shop on the farm so he can do demonstrations as well as provide a practical method of fixing things that break on the farm. Jerre is a Master Gardener and does presentations throughout the region for everyone from beginning gardeners to small acreage farmers.

While education is a part of what the Dodson’s want to provide with their farming operation, the biggest driving factor for them is to produce locally grown food that is affordable and available to local consumers, while being good stewards of the land and animals that have been entrusted to them.

For more information on farm events and how you can sign up for a CSA, call 541-306-0226.

Community Supported Agriculture

A really easy way to fill your pantry with fresh, local, nutritious and delicious produce is by signing up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Basically, a CSA operates like this: a farmer offers a certain number of shares to the public. The share is usually a box or bag of vegetables, though some farmers may choose to include other products they produce such as eggs, meat, etc. Interested consumers purchase a share (also sometimes called a membership or subscription) and receive seasonal produce each week during the farming season.

In the Central Oregon area there are a few CSA opportunities available. These usually fill quickly and may not be available for the 2009 season, but if you are interested you should contact one of the following to see if there will be a future opportunity for you: Dancing Cow Farm (Prineville; 541-306-0226), Windflower Farm (Bend; 541-318-1417) or Fields Farms (Bend; 541-382-8059).

Excitement about the benefits of purchasing, preparing and eating locally grown foods is a familiar sentiment in the western part of the State of Oregon, and the idea seems to be creeping over the mountain range to the central and eastern regions as well. The growth of farmers’ markets is on the rise and CSA opportunities do exist, though minimally. Overall, the trend shows that the interest in locally grown foods is increasing.

Many times there are small farms and ranches hidden in the small patches of Oregon that do not see many visitors, but those who live around those farms and ranches are aware of what they have to offer. Locating these niche farms is difficult as there is no clearinghouse in the state to compile directories of farms and the products they offer. One resource does a remarkably good job in trying to serve this need, though it cannot be complete without the efforts of the farmers and ranchers. For the best information on local foods, check out the online resource called LocalHarvest (www.localharvest.org).

As the “buy local” movement moves across the United States, hopefully more consumers will become aware of where their money is going and choose to support their local farmers by cutting out middlemen and buying directly from growers.

Buying locally grown food is a habit and requires a little more effort on the part of the consumer. However, you will benefit many times over as your money supports people in your own community and you recognize the health benefits, value and flavor of locally grown foods.