(Rainshadow Organics farm store | Photos courtesy of Rainshadow Organics)
Serving Up an Intentional Full Story Approach to Ingredients, Menus & the Dining Experience
Rainshadow Organics, a full-diet farm in Central Oregon, has made a niche for itself through the commercial kitchen located on its farm. While food travels an average of 1,500 miles to get to a consumer’s plate, the vegetables used in the farm-to-table kitchen at Rainshadow Organics travels only a quarter mile from the field, to the kitchen, to the plate. All are invited to share a meal on the covered porch or in the garden to share in this culinary experience which showcases local, nutrient-dense, intentional cuisine.
The culinary team at Rainshadow Organics, lead by Chef Nic Maraziti, has crafted the Farm-to-Table Kitchen into a culinary destination by emphasizing the full story approach to ingredients. The quality of Rainshadow’s nutrient-dense ingredients and the health benefits they imbue are the reasons that “we are leading the discussion of intentional sourcing,” says Chef Nic Maraziti. He goes on to say, “I want to show the true connection between food and agriculture at the table. I want that connection to deepen what is happening on the plate for guests at the Kitchen.”
“The idea of a farm-to-table kitchen came into being in 2015,” says farmer and owner Sarahlee Lawrence. Connecting community to land and fresh produce has been foundational to Rainshadow. Opening a commercial kitchen has allowed the farm to vastly expand its food offerings. The kitchen began as a means of delivering nutrient-dense, local, organic food year round by preserving the bounty of the season in the form of sauces, pickles and fermets and making them available in the shoulder seasons. “Another important component is hosting community-oriented dining experiences that provide opportunities for community members to learn about where their food comes from while enjoying a culinary experience unique to our farm,” says Lawrence.
What does a farm-to-table dinner look like? A dinner at Rainshadow Organics reflects the season the dinner is taking place in. As an advocate for seasonal eating, Chef Maraziti says, “I want our guests to find the beauty in what is seasonally available and experience the dynamic of a food system that is more locally and seasonally driven.”
Guests gather on the covered porch or in the garden, depending on the event and the season of their choosing, and take their seats. While you sit at a Longtable with the party that you attended, you also sit with folks you’ve never met before. This is one the most cherished parts of farm-to-table events: the creation of community and the connections that are established during dinner. Dinner may be plated or served family-style, a work of art every time.
Ultimately, Chef Maraziti wants to open up a dialogue of new and creative ways to enjoy the products grown and raised in the Central Oregon community. “I look forward to telling the story of the terroir and season through the utilization of the Farm’s ingredients.”
Why attend a farm-to-table event at Rainshadow Organics?
- They are the only Certified Organic vegetable farm in Central Oregon.
Rainshadow is committed to their organic roots and wants to provide you with a meal using Rainshadow-raised ingredients — vegetables and grains for your wellness and peace of mind. - Rainshadow meat is exceptional because of their stewardship of animals and land. Rainshadow Organics’ cows are exclusively grass-fed and grass-finished and their pigs get a mix of whole-grain triticale, organic vegetables, pasture and alfalfa.
- Dining at Rainshadow Organics’ farm-to-table kitchen is more than the vegetables and meat that are served. It is an uncommon collaboration between farmers and chefs seeking to present the land of Central Oregon.
The culinary team at Rainshadow Organics understands that the characteristics of any great ingredient comes from the terroir it is grown and raised in. “At the core of Rainshadow is the understanding that the health and integrity of land and soil are the key ingredients that enable us to produce nutrient-dense foods to nourish our bodies and community,” says Lawrence.
Rainshadow Organics is located 15 miles Northeast of Sisters, where they have farmed and gardened for over 40 years. They are a full-diet farm with dozens of varieties of certified organic vegetables, herbs, flowers and grains on 80 acres. This includes whole wheat berries and fresh, stone-ground flour. They also offer pasture-raised, non-GMO and chemical-free chicken, beef and pork. You can find all our produce and meats plus value added seasonal goods for sale in their Farm Store, 11am-3pm Fridays and Saturdays, located at 71290 Holmes Rd. All of the crops they grow are distributed within 50 miles of the farm through well-established year round CSA programs, local restaurants and grocery stores and farmers markets. Their Kitchen hosts farm-to-table brunches and dinners and various private events such as weddings and rehearsal dinners.
