Neighborhood Notes

Contact: Carol Coren (503) 872-6657
PORTLAND - The Food Innovation Center will host public tours of its facility on the first Thursday of each month, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., beginning October 6. The FIC is a partnership between Oregon State University and the Oregon Department of Agriculture and the nation’s only urban agricultural experiment station. The purpose of the tours is to introduce the public to the center’s commitment to advancing Northwest foods. The First Thursday tours are free and will occasionally include additional presentations.

On October 6, the FIC will host a non-catered presentation by Kerry Newberry from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m., followed by the First Thursday tour. Newberry recently completed her MA in Leadership in Ecology, Culture and Learning Educational Policy, Foundations and Administration at Portland State University. Her research entitled: "Public Education from Vine to Table: an Ethnographic Study of Sustainability in the Willamette Valley" is a collection of conversations with vignerons, distributors and consumers in the Willamette Valley. Newberry has produced a display about the study and her subjects with a series of photographic vignettes. These photographs are exhibited at the Jean Vollum Natural Capital Building located near the FIC at 9th and Johnson Streets.

The monthly tours of the FIC are offered in response to more public demand to see the Center and learn about its work. Tours are scheduled to coincide with the First Thursday programs created by Portland Art Galleries as a way to attract attention to innovative organizations and entrepreneurs located within the Pearl District. The Food Innovation Center is located at 1207 NW Naito Parkway in Portland. Free parking for a limited number of FIC visitors is available onsite. For more information, visit the Food Innovation Center Web site at , or call the FIC at 503-872-6680.