This year’s Annual Harvest Dinner marked the 5th year for NWREC hosting this

traditional fall celebration of research, Extension and collaboration efforts. The

festivities were held on the north lawn of the Center and attended by 175.

Harvest Dinner guests

enjoyed a fantastic

farm-to-plate dinner

prepared this year by

the Research Chefs at

Oregon State

University’s Food

Innovation Center in

Portland.

Food

Innovation

Center’s lead

Research

Chef, Jason

Ball, created

the menu for

the 2016

Harvest

Dinner.

Caprese Salad featuring tomatoes from the NWREC Vegetable Variety Trials.

Menu and Food prepared by OSU’s Food Innovation Center appetizers, salads, sides, and dessert

Dan Wilson, SuDan Farms—spit roasted lamb Gary Bush—barbequed chicken

Appetizers OSU Beaver Classic Cheese Board Sampler:

The Original Smoked Cheddar

Pinot Cheddar Cider Cheddar

Potato Crackers

Vegetable Crudité

Salads and Sides Caprese Salad

Mixed Green Salad Autumn Vegetable Roast Potato-Celery Root Mash

Corn Spoonbread

Meat Entrée Spit Roasted Lamb Barbequed Chicken

Dessert

Oregon Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwiches Chocolate Brownies with Hazelnuts

Festival decorator baskets featuring Peruvian choclo corn from NWREC’s vegetable variety trials this year. The savory corn was featured in the Harvest Dinner’s cheese spoonbread too.

Made with milk from the OSU Dairy

Herd and cheese made by the Food

Science and Technology students at

OSU.

The cheese sampler board was a

huge hit, as always, showcasing the

first public appearance of the

brand new pinot-soaked and hard

apple cider-soaked cheddars—with,

of course, pinot noir wine and cider

coming from the Fermentation

Sciences students at OSU!

New Associate Dean in the College of Agricultural Sciences, Joyce Loper, visiting with NWREC Advisory Council member and Oregon Strawberry Commission Chair, Matt Unger from Cornelius.

Yamhill County Commissioner, Mary Starret (left), is joined by Yamhill County Commissioner Stan Primozich and his wife (next left), and Polk County Commissioner Craig Pope and wife (top of photo) at table sponsored by Marion, Yamhill and Polk Counties.

OSU Extension Berry Specialist, Bernadine Strik (left) and husband, Neil Bell, visiting with OSU Extension Regional Administrator, Derek Godwin (right).

Oregon Seed Council Executive Director, Roger Beyer (left), shares time with College of Agricultural Sciences Dean, Dan Arp, and Dan’s wife, Wanda.

NWREC faculty Joe DeFrancesco (left), Wei Yang (center) and Chal Landgren (right) enjoy time together at the Harvest Dinner.

OSU’s Family and Community

Health Extension Agent in

Clackamas County, Kelly Streit

(center), mobilized five of her

Family Food Educator

volunteers to assist with the

set up for the Harvest Dinner,

manage the registration,

assist with the food

preparation and serving, and

ensured that the event was a

success. The Harvest Dinner

wouldn’t have been possible

without their excellent help!

NWREC Advisory

Council member Tom

Winterrowd (right)

and small acreage

farmer south of Canby

with OSU Extension

Family Food Educator

and catering specialist,

Diane Ruff, celebrating

a great evening.

Joe DeFrancesco’s last day

on the job was September

30th—the same day of the

Harvest Dinner. Joe was

recognized for his 30 years

of service to OSU and

reflected on his career

during the program

following dinner.

Happy Retirement

Joe!

Luisa Santamaria, NWREC’s

Nursery Pathologist and

Bilingual Educator, is

recognized for her

promotion and tenure at

Oregon State University this

past spring—and her recent

appointment to the State of

Oregon Board of

Agriculture.

Congratulations Luisa!

Dr. Lloyd Nackley is introduced to the Harvest Dinner attendees as NWREC’s new Nursery Production and Management faculty member. The Harvest Dinner was Lloyd’s first official day on the job. He and his family have relocated from the University of

California-Davis. Welcome Lloyd!

The Harvest Dinner concluded with comments by Scott Reed,

Director of the OSU Extension Service, and Dan Arp, Dean of

the College of Agricultural Sciences.

Scott and Dan acknowledged the important role of the university to address

critical needs and problems in agriculture and the significance of our

collaborators, supporters, and the organizations that work with us and help make

all of this happen. They thanked the state legislators and county commissioners

for their financial support in the 2015 Legislature and at the local level in counties

around the state.

Celebrating the end of the harvest season, reflecting on the past year of activities and accomplishments, looking ahead, and thanking those who make all of this possible.

The list of table sponsors grew significantly this year—up 50%. $12,750 was raised to support the event and pay for the entire cost of the dinner, including all of the rental equipment, to make it happen. We graciously thank the businesses, organizations and agencies who helped make the 2016 Harvest Dinner a huge success! Please see the entire list on the next slide.

In addition, we thank Willamette Valley Vineyards for providing the wine, the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences providing the OSU cheeses, OSU’s Metro Small Farms Extension program and Big B Farm for supplying the vegetable items from their fields at NWREC, Ruby Jewel for the ice cream sandwiches, and The Weather Cafe® for the coffee bar.

We are very blessed to have the support of so many! Thanks to all of these businesses and organizations for making this a memorable meal and evening.

Oregon Department of Agriculture ($2,500)—Platinum Sponsor

Marion, Polk and Yamhill Extension Service Districts ($2,000)—Diamond Sponsor

Clackamas Extension Service District ($2,000)—Diamond Sponsor

Oregon Hazelnut Commission ($1,000)—Diamond Sponsor

Oregon Blueberry Industry ($1,000)—Diamond Sponsor

NW Transplants ($750)—Gold Sponsor

OSU College of Agricultural Sciences ($500)—Silver Sponsor

OSU Extension Service Administration ($500)—Silver Sponsor

Pratum Coop ($500)—Silver Sponsor

Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District ($500)—Silver Sponsor

Norpac ($500)—Silver Sponsor

Wilbur Ellis Company ($500)—Silver Sponsor

Willamette Valley Vineyards ($500)—Silver Sponsor

NW Farm Credit Services ($250)—Bronze Sponsor

The Weather Café® ($250)—Bronze Sponsor

The Nursery Connection ($250)—Bronze Sponsor

J. Frank Schmidt Charitable Trust ($250)—Bronze Sponsor