The Hermiston Agricultural Research Center will be serving up specialty crops during a special dinner tonight sponsored by the Oregon Department of Agriculture and Oregon State University.
The Hermiston dinner is one of five special events taking place around the state that feature Oregon grown specialty crops. The “Crop Up Dinner Series and Market Showcase”, which began in July and runs through September, is designed to bring together local growers, food buyers, chefs, and the general public.
“We are hoping to educate attendees about Oregon specialty crops,” says Julia Turner, an ODA international trade manager who, along with OSU Research Chef Jason Ball, has been planning and organizing the dinner series.
Patterned after the trendy and popular concept of pop up restaurants, the crop up dinners are designed to be more than a venue for eating food. They are an event.
Each event has two main components – a market event and a dinner. The market event is simply a mini-farmers’ market with local growers offering part of their harvest and interacting with guests and buyers. Local food companies will also be on hand. ODA and OSU will have educational booths providing handouts and other materials promoting Oregon specialty crops. After the interactions, conversations, and education, it will be time to sit down for a fun and delicious dinner.
Admission is $20 per person. There are 100 tickets available per event. Each ticket provides access to the farmers’ market showcase as well as the full dinner and entertainment for the evening.
For more information and to purchase tickets, go to the Oregon State University website.
