RECAP: Kickoff Weekend with Central Coast Food Web
February 2nd 2024, Yaquina Lab, Newport, Oregon
Our FIRST event in the 2024 Winter Waters line up was a free, community event in Newport, Oregon, thanks to the Newport Chamber of Commerce.
Together with around 100 guests, we celebrated Oregon's delicious seafare and the talented, hard-working people that harvest it sustainably while exploring the Central Coast Food Web Yaquina Lab facility. Local favorite Sylvia Beach Hotel sampled their Candied Salmon, Safe Harbor Seafoods presented an Oregon Albacore Tuna Poke, and the bar team from Local Ocean Seafoods made their special Low Tide Martini featuring Pacific Dulse from Oregon Seaweed. Additionally, they poured a Seaweed Stout made by Seaside’s Sisu Brewing Co.
What is Central Coast Food Web? CCFW is a non-profit working to build a more resilient coastal and regional food system. They provide shared space and equipment for producers who grow and land seafood on the central coast to process and store food. Additionally, they build new markets to make it easier for people to find and buy local produce, meat, and seafood. All proceeds from this event went to benefit CCFW and its mission.
Local Ocean Seafoods and CCFW Founder Laura Anderson, along with Local Ocean Seafoods Chef Enrique Sanchez-Rodriguez spoke to the benefits of the Yaquina Lab’s seafood processing area, which is available for community members to rent to process their commercial catch. Shoutout to Waldo for filleting local Lingcod, Rockfish, Albacore Tuna, and Salmon right in front of our eyes!
Additional partners included Julie Kuchepatov from SAGE Seafood and Gender Equality, who presented on her organizations mission to promote gender equality in the global seafood sector, leading to a more resilient industry, thriving communities, and abundant resources for future generations. The Oregon Coast Visitors Association offered a pop up market with goods from local purveyors like Tiny Fish Co. and Jacobsens Salt Co.
Perhaps one of our favorite bites from the event, Chef Luis Cabanas (former Executive Chef of Paley’s Place) demonstrated his favorite way to cook Blackcod. The fish used in this demo and tasting was provided by Oregon Sea Grant - and had been vacuum sealed and frozen for over 1.5 years! That just goes to show that frozen fish is an elite form of seafood sustenance.
Thank you to Jamie Doyle and the team from the Sea Grant Extension at Oregon State University for sharing key findings from you recent frozen seafood study, funded by a NOAA grant. This two-year study at the Food Innovation Center in Portland ran 5 tests with over 600 different seafood-eating consumers (~120 consumers per test) assessing the quality of frozen seafood over time and learning about consumer perceptions of seafood. After 24 months, results show that consumers found all products tested to be as good as the first test. This is great news, because frozen seafood has many advantages for small fishing businesses, restaurants, retailers, and consumer. Read the entire report HERE.
Thank you to Oregon Oyster Farms for donating local oysters for the oysters shooters, thank you Oregon Albacore Commission for donating Albacore Tuna. Thank you Newport Chamber of Commerce and Oregon Coast Visitors Association for sponsoring. Thank you Laura, Sara, Kristen, Tony, Colt, Enrique, Colt, Waldo, Sylvia Beach Hotel, OHSU Sea Grant, Luis, Bridgett, Jamie, Julie, Wayne and everyone else involved for making this event happen so beautifully!
