Roots at the Redd: A celebration of 25 years

On Tuesday, September 20, we celebrated 25 years of working together to make our region thrive and laying down new roots at the Redd on Salmon Street — our latest initiative to build a robust, regional food system.

From tasting the products of farmer-fisher-chef partnerships to warming up by Swedish candles, we endeavored to welcome Roots at the Redd guests to a uniquely Ecotrust experience. And thanks to you, we raised $140,000 to help carry our work into the next 25 years.

Check out some highlights below and see a full gallery of images on Facebook!

Our newly-minted Executive Director, Jeremy Barnicle, celebrated his own birthday with us that evening and kicked off the festivities saying, “I came to Ecotrust because I love where we live. After spending the better part of 20 years doing international work, I wanted to make more of a contribution to the region that has become my home.”

Throughout the evening, guests dined on delicious regional fare, while learning about the farmer-fisher-chef partnerships that brought those flavors to their plates:

Chef Scott Dolich of Park Kitchen paired up with Reid Ten Kley of Iliamna Fish Company to demonstrate how to properly fillet a salmon while, Chef Kelly Myers of Xico partnered with Cattail Creek Lamb to create Oaxacan Lamb Barbacoa.

Both Iliamna Fish Company and Cattail Creek Lamb are Redd on Salmon Street tenants who will be using the facility’s features to move more of their delicious, responsibly raised and harvested product to market.

For dinner, Simpatica Catering pulled out all the stops, providing guests with melt-in-your-mouth salmon, courtesy of Iliamna Fish Company, as well as a spread of salads featuring vegetables provided by Organically Grown Company. For your future grilling pleasure, Jamie of Simpatica shared his recipe with us

And, of course, we couldn’t pair the best bites from our region with just any beverages. To quench their thirst, guests were treated to wine from A to Z Wineworks and Wildstock/Scott Paul, beer from Base Camp Brewing, cider from Finnriver, and spritzers (served via B-Line’s keg trike!) from Starvation Alley.

Guests were gifted with stainless steel pint glasses courtesy of B-Line and Klean Kanteen so they can take the memory of Roots at the Redd with them wherever they go.

While food was served and drinks were poured, Horse Feathers put on a great show throughout the evening — providing the perfect melodies to capture the celebratory nature of the night.

Finally, the night would not have been the same without our longtime friend, former Ecotruster, and current Oregon Poet Laureate, Elizabeth Woody, who graced the crowd with her poem, Twanat. Thank you for joining us, Liz.

Thank you sponsors

Thank you Host Committee

Our deep gratitude to our hosts who extended warm invitations to their friends, family, and professional networks.