#6 :: Local Produce for Local Chefs

	Photo by Jamie Francis /Oregonian

Speed dating—it‘s not just for lonely singles anymore. The modern matchmaking technique has become a useful way to connect chefs searching for fresh ingredients with local farmers seeking markets. Oregon‘s annual Farmer-Chef Connection conference has brought food producers and sellers face to face since 2001. Ecotrust and the Portland Chapter of the Chefs Collaborative started the matchmaking event to help decrease the miles food travels to get to restaurants, get guests the freshest local food, and give communities what Ecotrust calls “a healthy, diverse market of locally grown food.” The chef speed-dater pictured here is Pascal Sauton of Portland‘s Carafe. —Sarah Kuck