Let the new Chinook Book entertain you

By Carrie Treadwell from Resourceful PDX partner Chinook Book

The 18th annual edition of Chinook Book has arrived! As usual, it highlights local, sustainable businesses that thrive in the community by giving back. This year, there are over 600 offers in eight categories. The Chinook Book team spends time thinking about businesses and their industries and the approach and criteria with which they appear in the book.

This book is designed to be lived.

Ready for a night out on the town? Use the many Dining and Entertainment offers available. A meal at neighborhood restaurants, like Pollo Norte, OP Wurst or Ex Novo Brewing. Dancing at 80’s Video Dance Attack or karaoke at Voicebox. A play at Artists Repertory Theatre or Portland Center Stage. A movie at Northwest Film Center or The Academy Theater.

Resourceful PDX shares community resources with the newly updated map (page 14 in the print edition). There are many places to go for used art supplies, building materials and clothing. Look for coupons and tips for bike shops, consignment and thrift stores, hardware stores, and bike and car sharing opportunities. Visit the new DIY Bar as well!

Check out all the community coupons online. The print edition includes information and resources on how to connect with local businesses that are in line with resourceful living. The app continues to improve to offer even more personalized navigation and provides savings at your fingertips.

Find savings by using both the print book and mobile app, available at local retailers and through school and nonprofit fundraisers.

Enjoy dessert first with Chinook Book’s sweet offerings

By Carrie Treadwell from Resourceful PDX partner, Chinook Book

The 17th annual edition of Chinook Book highlights local, sustainable businesses with a belief that they can give back and also thrive in the community. This includes new options in food-focused Portland!

The website has a new feature that shows all of the community coupons. You can see the 112 merchants and 126 coupons under Dining. This feature includes many standard Portland spots for eating local, plus some new dessert options like:

• Wiz Bang Bar
• Lovejoy Bakers
• Dairy Hill Ice Cream
• Maple Parlor

The Chinook Book team spends time thinking about businesses and their industries and the approach and criteria with which they appear in the book.

The print edition includes information and resources on how to connect with local food and Portland’s many farmer’s markets, as well as the plethora of local businesses that are in line with resourceful living. The app continues to improve to offer even more personalized navigation and provides savings at your fingertips.

Resourceful PDX shares community resources with the newly updated map (page 14 in the print edition). There are many places to go for used art supplies, building materials and clothing. Look for coupons and tips for bike shops, consignment and thrift stores, hardware stores, and even car sharing opportunities.

Find savings by using both the print book and mobile app, available at local retailers and through school and nonprofit fundraisers.

Grab a friend and take advantage of a two-for-one dessert special!

St Johns Food Share offers more options for residents

By Alicia Polacok from Resourceful PDX partner, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability

Founded in 1988, St Johns Food Share is a member-owned, volunteer-powered food sharing community. Formerly known as Golden Harvesters, St Johns Food Share has a mission to empower Portland residents by providing food options, preserving dignity and promoting self-sufficiency. Each year, the food share distributes over 300,000 pounds of food to local families.

New name draws new members

When Golden Harvesters became St Johns Food Share, the name change and rebranding prompted a big increase in members – they more than doubled membership just through word of mouth!

Members are volunteers

Food Share membership is open to all residents. In exchange for a minimum of eight donated volunteer hours and $30 monthly dues per household, you can shop twice a week in the store at no additional charge. The monthly fee helps pay for the store space, electricity and utilities.

Volunteers are crucial to the operation of the Food Share. It was a volunteer who brought the organization into the 21st century too – with software and computerization that hadn’t existed before. Paying membership fees are coming online soon too.

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Lynda, a St Johns Food Share member and volunteer, shows off available options at the store. 

One new member, Lynda, drives from St Helens to visit the store and volunteer on Fridays as a store lead. This volunteer position includes making displays look organized, greeting and assisting first-time shoppers with using the computer and weighing items for check-out.

“Having this option really makes a difference,” said Lynda. She explained that the Food Share “offers a way to stretch my monthly money because social security only goes so far.” She can keep her kitchen stocked with a variety of items – fresh produce, dairy products, protein and staples – while keeping good food out of the waste stream.

Food is donated

You’ll find a well-stocked store offering a variety of foods donated from partner agencies. These include Pacific Coast Fruit, St Johns Community Garden, Fred Meyer, New Seasons, Grocery Outlet and more. St Johns Food Share also works with social service agencies to pass along viable food through their food banks. Some of these programs include Grace Christian Fellowship, Hereford House and Linnton Community Center in North and Northwest Portland.

One Food Share volunteer, Judie, said the organization also works with various farmers who take back the food that isn’t viable for human consumption and use the food scraps to make compost or as pig feed.

Learn more

Curious about Food Share? If you aren’t sure you want to be a member, you can shop free the first time. Or you can sign up as member right away.

St Johns Food Share is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.

Find St Johns Food Share under Donation Center on the Resourceful PDX map.

Resourceful PDX discovered this “new” community resource when a resident used the Add to the Map button on the Resourceful PDX map. Let us know if you have a resource to add!

Building community with a love of food

What do Kitchen Share Northeast and the Northeast Portland Tool Library have in common? They are both partners in the new Leaven Community center, merging sustainability, livability and a whole lot more.

Kitchen Share is a network of kitchen tool libraries that offers equipment, skills, traditions and food to borrow and share with their members. They offer dehydrators, canning equipment, ice cream makers, juicers, mixers, bread makers, durable dishes and more.

Kitchen Share builds community through the sharing of skills and food. One Portland resident and community volunteer, Gabbi Haber, got involved with Kitchen Share Northeast because of her love of food and cooking.

“Food is such a powerful way to connect with people, and when we cook and eat together, we not only form social connections, but also learn from each other's techniques, histories and life stories. I first started volunteering with Kitchen Commons, a nonprofit founded by my friend and Kitchen Share Northeast co-founder Jocelyn. I helped organize a community tamale sale and a community tomato canning day which was fun, but I wanted to go beyond community events and address some of the infrastructure obstacles to preserving, cooking for large groups, or just being adventurous in the kitchen.”

According to Gabbi, Kitchen Share Northeast:

• Saves money, by offering tools so you don't need to buy them yourself, and by providing preserving equipment so members can take advantage of seasonal bounty.
• Connects people with new ways of cooking, whether it's exploring how to use a new tool or making something from scratch you've never made before (like pasta or yogurt!).
• Encourages people to cook at home by making new resources available.
• Helps people gather their communities around them, by providing free dishware and cooking and serving tools for big events (like weddings, fundraisers and birthday parties).
• Gives items a second chance and reduces waste since members can donate unwanted or unneeded tools and equipment instead of throwing away.

Gabbi’s involvement with Kitchen Share Northeast includes teaching workshops and building connections with other community groups.

“It's so much fun to be surrounded by people who are excited about making food, and ready to learn new ways to enjoy food. We are all constantly learning and have something to teach each other. A pretty great Saturday morning is when everyone is standing around with flour on their hands and tomato sauce on their noses, chatting away with people they just met an hour ago.”

Aside from teaching workshops, she enjoys collaborating with the Neighborhood Gleaners. They're an all-volunteer organization that collects leftover food from the Hollywood Farmers Market and distributes it to low-income seniors at the Hollywood Senior Center. Every year they host a Thanksgiving dinner for seniors and anyone else who wants to come, and borrow dishes and tools from Kitchen Share Northeast in order to do it.

“It makes me happy to know that this thing I helped create is making it easier for other volunteer organizations to build community and make people's lives better. It's very satisfying to give back to the community, and it's a great way to make new friends. At the end of the day you know that you've done your part to make your little patch of the world a little better for you and your neighbors."

Are you interested in sharing your kitchen knowledge? Or ready to take a food workshop? Join Kitchen Share Northeast or Southeast!

Find more stories about borrowing in Portland. #sharingcommunity

Find farm fresh food near you in Portland

Eat well and support Portland’s local food economy at over 20 farmers markets and 50 CSA farms. Resourceful PDX partner Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) has two maps to connect you to local farmers, ranchers, and fishermen in Portland.

The farmers market map allows shoppers to find a market based on the neighborhood or the day they want to shop. Farmers markets don’t just offer fruits and vegetables either. Many also carry wine, cider, beer, honey, meat, fish, pasta, prepared foods and flowers.

Find a market near you, or on the day you want to shop

Community benefits from farmers markets include:

• Accessibility to fresh, local food
• Direct farmer communication
• A variety of vendors
• Opportunities to connect with friends and neighbors
• Community resources

You can discover the best of the region's bounty through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms. CSA farms sell shares, or memberships, to households who typically receive weekly boxes of seasonal vegetables delivered to their neighborhood. Many CSAs also provide a wide variety of additional foods, including fruit, eggs, dairy, fish, meat and poultry.

The CSA map includes farm information and locations of over 200 pick-up sites.

BPS has tracked the growth of CSA farms that deliver to Portland since 2008. Over the past eight seasons, farms have flourished from 19 to 50, shares have grown from 2,000 to 6,000, and sales have sprouted from $1.1 million to $2.6 million. 

Learn more about CSAs through the Portland Area CSA Coalition.

Four tips to save money and waste less food this holiday season

There are lots of ways to make the most of your holiday meal, especially here in plentiful Portland. Did you know many farmers markets reopen for Thanksgiving food shopping? And while we love food composting, we also offer some tips for reducing food waste before you feast.

1.      Plan your meals or special dishes

Be it a holiday gathering, potluck or special dinner, planning your meals or specific dishes ahead of time allows you to get what you need with less waste. Check online for menu planning help to decide how much food you’ll need based on the number of guests. If you’re hosting, serve food buffet style so people can choose the best portions for themselves.

2.      Buy local food

There are some farmers markets open year-round and even more open for Thanksgiving, so it’s a great time to get back out to the market. The farmers market map allows shoppers to find a market based on the neighborhood and the day they want to shop.

Choose from a wide variety of seasonal food that tastes fresh and looks beautiful on your plate, including apples, pears, cranberries, winter squash, hazelnuts, walnuts, chard, kale, leeks, beets and potatoes.

3.      Reduce wasted food

Along with buying seasonal foods, you also have a chance to reduce food waste and make the most of all the food you buy. Often it feels easier to compost your food scraps (which is great!), however, even better is using all the bits you can. The Washington Post recently highlighted a few surprising and delicious food parts you may not be taking advantage of when you cook, like beet greens, squash seeds and citrus rinds.

4.    Save waste at the table, too

There are many waste reduction ideas you can incorporate at the table and in the kitchen. By using durable plates, cloth napkins and serve-ware, you can add beauty to the table, save money over time and reuse these items year after year. Invite your guests to bring reusable Tupperware or casserole dishes so they can take home leftovers (or bring your own if you’re a guest so you get dibs on leftovers too!).

Resources, including mobile apps for meal planning and more, are available at Climate Action Now.

Chinook Book offers more than coupons in the new edition

Carrie Treadwell, from Resourceful PDX partner Chinook Book, shares highlights from the latest edition of the local coupon resource.

Chinook Book highlights local, sustainable businesses with a belief that businesses that give back also thrive in the community. The Chinook Book team spends time thinking about businesses and their industries and the approach and criteria with which they appear in the book.

The 16th annual edition has updates and improvements of both the print and mobile editions. The print edition includes information and resources on how to connect with local food and Portland’s many farmers markets, as well as the plethora of local businesses that are in line with resourceful living. The new app launched in July and offers even more personalized navigation and provides savings at your fingertips.  

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Resourceful PDX shares community resources with the newly updated map (page 403 in the print edition). Some resources are in the Chinook Book for the first time in the Home and Garden category, like Salvage Works, ReClaim It! and St Johns Living Well.

As always, there are many places to go for used art supplies, building materials and clothing. Look for coupons and tips for bike shops, consignment and thrift stores, hardware stores, and even car sharing opportunities.

Find savings by using both the print book and mobile app, available at local retailers and through school and nonprofit fundraisers.

Find back-to-school savings with Chinook Book

Carrie Treadwell, from Resourceful PDX partner Chinook Book, offers her insights on last minute uses for the local coupon resource.

As any parent of school-age kids knows, getting ready for back-to-school includes lots of lists of what kids need for the classroom, for the lunchroom, or out on the field.

Carrie wants you to put your Chinook Book coupons to work for you and your family. The mobile coupons expire on August 31, 2015, while the print ones expire on October 31, 2015. Before the new edition arrives in September, utilize what you already have and save money!

With kids in school, the Chinook Book offers coupons in many categories, including Fashion and Gifts, Grocery Products and Local Grocery. It has you covered for back-to-school and last minute needs, from clothes and supplies to food and fashion. Savings abound with local, sustainable businesses in Portland.

Are you after new or used clothes?

Under Fashion and Gifts there are a number of places to purchase kids’ clothes, coats, shoes and more. A few clothing options include Grasshopper, Bella Stella and two locations of Piccolina.

There are adult resale options too! Sequel Apparel, Silver Lining, Button and Here We Go Again.

Trying for waste-free lunches or healthier lunch and snack options? Need a new backpack or a way to make an old one new again?

Stock up with grocery products at local stores to create weekly meal plans and to reduce waste while shopping. A few grocery options include New Seasons, Food Front Coop and Grocery Outlet.

Most local grocers carry backpacks, lunch bags and water bottles for supplies and waste-free lunches. Shops that carry kid friendly items also carry these. Many of the coupons take a percentage off or $5-$10 off a purchase based on how much you spend.

SCRAP offers inexpensive school supplies and art supplies to add something special to favorite or worn-in items. The coupon offers an additional $3 off of a $10 purchase.

Get more tips about waste-free lunches at a previous Resourceful PDX post under kids in school.

Plan ahead and make your lists based on Chinook Book savings!

For family and friends who have it all, share the bounty of the Northwest

Yvonne and Josh are a creative duo who love to make things inspired by the Northwest seasonal harvests. Instead of purchasing items for friends and family, many who live outside of Oregon, they give batches of homemade goodies that show off the bounty of the seasons – and find a place in their hearts and stomachs! 

Josh and Yvonne treat family and friends with their holiday creations.

Shop local for food and supplies

For their marionberry jam, they plan ahead in the summer when the berry bounty is plentiful and either buy berries at their neighborhood Montavilla Farmers Market, or they pick berries at Sauvie Island Farms. (Both the market and farm offer winter hours too.) 

Josh brews beer and roasts his own coffee. He uses old air pop popcorn makers from thrift stores for roasting coffee and buys other coffee supplies from local store Mr. Green Beans.

Yvonne bakes cookies and candies, like hazelnut toffee, that she gifts in holiday tins. She purchases tins for toffee and canning jars for jam from local thrift stores and takes them back from friends when they are empty to reuse them year after year. They also purchase food preservation equipment for the jam from small businesses like Mirador Community Store.

While their loved ones get bountiful, consumable gifts, Yvonne and Josh get the satisfaction of working together to make delicious, low-waste creations.

If you don’t have the time or inclination to DIY, you can still get the most of Portland offerings by shopping local at one of the many artisan events. The Resourceful PDX event calendar lists holiday happenings.

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Find gift ideas for other hard-to-buy-for people in your life in our resourceful holiday series. #holiday

Sustainable resources abound in Chinook Book's 15th Anniversary edition

Carrie Treadwell, from Be Resourceful partner Chinook Book, shares highlights from the latest edition of the local coupon resource.

“Chinook Book highlights local, sustainable businesses with a belief that businesses that give back also thrive in the community. The Chinook Book team spends time thinking about businesses and their industries and the approach and criteria with which they appear in the book.

Significant updates and improvements are part of our annual print and mobile editions to help celebrate our proud 15-year history in Portland. You'll find more coupons than ever before, exciting new merchants and enhanced app navigation.

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The newly updated map (page 390 in the print edition) highlights resources that are part of the Be Resourceful program:

• Places to borrow, share and swap like the tool libraries and kitchen shares and the swap and play spaces.
• Places to go for used art supplies, building materials and clothing.
• And much more!

You’ll also find a plethora of information and resources for local food, including Portland’s farmers markets, as well as many local businesses that are in line with resourceful living. Look for coupons and tips for bike shops, consignment and thrift stores, hardware stores, and even car sharing opportunities.”

Tap into savings by using both the print book and mobile app, available at local retailers and through school and nonprofit fundraisers.