The UCC Library recently added new books about food, agriculture, nutrition and more, just in time for the Umpqua Valley Food Day! Take a look at our Food Day Reading List for books and DVDs about farming, eating, cooking and food policy. There are dozens to choose from!

Then, come celebrate the abundance of Douglas County at the Umpqua Valley Food Day! There will be a potluck, seed swap, and an information session presented by local farmers, producers and processors. Food Day will be at the Lookingglass Grange at 7426 Lookingglass Rd. in Roseburg from 5:30 to 8 on Wednesday, October 24. See below for more details.

Umpqua Valley Food Day details:
1. Potluck Dinner: We’ll begin eating at 6 p.m. so make sure you come in time to have your dish on the table for everyone to enjoy! Don’t forget a serving utensil! Bring your own cups, dishes and utensils if you’re able. There will be some disposable extras on hand. There will be a sink available for washing dishes before taking them home.
2. Seed Swap: A seed swap is a way to exchange seeds and gardening information. You can participate whether you’re a home gardener with a few flower seeds or a farmer with bulk seed leftovers. The seed swap will be informal and ongoing throughout the evening. There will be tables designated for swapping seeds and gardening or farming knowledge.
3. Local farmers, producers and processors will share briefly about their businesses, what products and services they have available, and how and when customers can best access them.

Hope to see you there! Learn more about Food Day and RSVP to this event at http://www.foodday.org/16454/umpqua_valley_food_day.

You can contact Laura Stroud with questions or an RSVP at lstroud@nwumpqua.org or (514) 643-3931.
Can’t make it? You can still participate in Food Day! Food Day is a nationwide celebration with events happening in all 50 states. Here are some ways to celebrate on your own:

Try buying a fruit or vegetable you’ve never eaten before from a Farmers Market near you. Ask the farmer for their suggestions about how to cook it.

Tell your kids about what your favorite home-cooked meal was when you were a kid. Ask them why their favorite meal is their favorite. Is it something you can make with food produced in Douglas County?

Read a book from our reading list!

Learn about hunger in our community. Did you know that according to the USDA about 13.6 percent of households in Oregon suffered food insecurity in 2009-2011? Visit http://oregonhunger.org/ for more information and ways to help. 

Thank you, Laura Stroud, for guest blogging!

Umpqua Foodways

So what are "foodways"?

Here's a definition from Wikipedia: In social science foodways are the cultural, social and economic practices relating to the production and consumption of food.

In Douglas County we have the weather and the land to support a rich variety of foodways. And the region has a long history of agriculture and ranching. The most recent and obvious development is the boom in wine grape production.

"Think local" and you'll find an abundance of good food and drink in our region and state:

“In New Food Culture, a Young Generation of Farmers Emerges” features a Corvallis, Oregon farm. New York Times, March 5, 2011.

Here are two local farms that could have been in this article:

Big Lick Farm is a family farm and CSA committed to providing high quality, naturally grown food.

OMyGato Farm is also a local CSA farm.

If anyone is on top of the local food movement, it has to be Jennifer Coalwell, who blogs regularly about local farms, foods, markets, and eateries. "Flavors of the Umpqua: Notes from a Local Kitchen" is an excellent resource. Includes recipes!

Think Local Umpqua supports and encourages all local businesses. Pick up one of the "Think Local Umpqua" directories on the new book shelf just inside the front door of the library. Their web site includes an event calendar that lists local farmers markets and the Think Local Umpqua Business Directory may be the most comprehensive guide to local food and farms. Be sure to choose "Business Type": Food/Farming/Wine and search "All".

Pick Your Own is a handy directory to several (but not all) you-pick farms in Douglas County. Complete with driving directions and produce details.

Great information about Emerald Hills Beef and Umpqua Valley Lamb comes from the Portland natural foods chain of New Seasons Markets. Locally, their beef and lamb are available at Kruse Farms.

Of course, Kruse Farms Market, Bakery, and Gift Shop offers all kinds of local produce and bakery treats, including bread from the Lighthouse Center Bakery, Cafe, and Country Store.

You can check out the growing list of wineries in "Oregon's Oldest Fine Wine Region" at the informative and comprehensive Umpqua Valley Wineries web site.


And finally, you can learn more about food, agriculture, eating, and cooking at your local library by picking up a book like Kitchen Literacy: How We lost Knowledge of Where Food Comes from and Why We Need to Get It Back by Ann Vileisis.

What Did You Really Do for the Holidays and Why?

Now that we've survived the end-of-the-year holidays and head into a new year and a new college term, what better time to reflect on customs, manners, food, drink, and celebration? The following social histories bring perspective to fundamental aspects of our lives which we usually take for granted.

What are good manners, anyway? How does our culture establish rules of civility in public life, business relations, and personal relationships? "A Short History of Rudeness :Manners, Morals and Misbehavior in Modern America" takes a look at how we get along--or don't.











Thinking about all the food you've eaten recently? "Much Depends on Dinner: The Extraordinary History and Mythology, Allure and Obsessions, Perils, and Taboos of an Ordinary Meal" isn't just for Culinary Arts students. Maybe you ate more than you should have over the holidays and you took all that food for granted. Learn its history, how it gets to our tables, and the business behind everyday foods like corn flakes, citrus fruits, and even canned olives, for example.




Barbara Ehrenreich takes a look at the social history of partying in "Dancing in the Streets". From cave paintings to rock concerts humans like to get together in the pursuit of collective joy, often through dance. Today it isn't happening so much and she examines what we're missing.






Explore the history of your holiday customs with "Celebrating the Family: Ethnicity, Consumer Culture, and Family Rituals". We didn't always celebrate holidays this way in America and our customs are continuing to change.



Tom Standage maintains that every epoch has had its signature beverage. Whether it's wine, beer, or Coca Cola there is plenty to learn both about the drink and the era which produced it and why.