Oregon, the state known for its gorgeous natural landscape, micro-breweries and awesome alternative culture (mostly located in Portland), has some pretty cool sustainable and organic fashion to offer. From the heritage Navajo prints and soft organic materials to sustainable outerwear  and hand-sewn garments, there are some lovely fashion labels made in Oregon for the consciously style savvy type.

1. Brady Lange
Brady Lange may be best known for his appearance on the “Project Runway” spinoff “Under the Gunn,” and continues making the colorful, chic and street savvy clothes seen on the screen. Lange says the rain of the Pacific Northwest is one of his biggest inspirations, causing him to design bright and fun clothing to battle the long, grey days.

2. Briana Jacobs
Briana Jacobs is a fresh, new Portland-based designer currently completing a degree in Apparel Design at the Art Institute of Portland. Her designs are feminine and alluring, and all are made in Oregon–custom crafted by hand in her personal studio and sewing room.

3. Imperial Collection by Anna Cohen
Anna Cohen is a Portland-based fashion designer who teamed up with Imperial Stock Ranch in Maupin to create a completely sustainable collection of American knitwear. All of the wool is sustainably farmed at the ranch, and then processed, spun and knit in the USA. The result is a gorgeous set of shawls, sweaters, capes and accessories that will be available this fall.

4. Moulagerie
Moulagerie designer Karen Davis took on the task of creating tailored, feminine and sustainable fashion when she realized that the combination of the three was the only sensible way for her to make clothes. She has thus developed a collection of sophisticated and elegant dresses that are locally and responsibly manufactured from natural fibers, with a part of proceeds shared with various charities.

5. Nau
Nau is the Oregonian response to the need for sustainable and ethical outdoor apparel. All of Nau’s collections are made with sustainably sourced high performance textiles and ethically manufactured  in monitored factories with high quality standards. The perfect clothes for a hike in the Cascades!

6. Pendleton Portland Collection
The Pendleton Portland Collections defines the sophisticated and chic but youthful and relaxed Portland style. Native American prints, gorgeous hand crafted textiles and quirky, old school cuts make up this hip and wearable collection, all of which is made at Pendleton Woollen Mills in Pendleton, OR.

7. Sweet Skins
Sweet Skins is a Eugene-based collection of simple basics and classic wearables made from eco friendly fabrics like eco-fleece, hemp, organic cotton and wool. All Sweet Skins garments are hand made in Eugene where this ethically run label continues to maintain strong roots in the community and pave the way for sustainably made fashion.

Related on EcoSalon

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Storytelling: Awamaki Lab and Pendleton’s Portland Collection

On the Move: Portland, Oregon

Images: Brady Lange, Briana Jacobs, Imperial Collection by Anna Cohen, Moulagerie, Nau, Pendleton Portland Collection, Sweet Skins

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So many microbrews…so little time.

Two of Portland’s favorite pastimes? Beers and bikes, which is why it makes sense that the two would come together in a guidebook, intended not just for tourists but locals with an affinity for exploring the wide world of microbrews on two wheels. Hop in the Saddle is just that guidebook.

Whereas most guidebooks focus simply on destinations, Hop in the Saddle is just as much about how to get there as what to do when you arrive.

“Cycling is the best way to explore any city. You’re out in the open instead of being hidden inside a vehicle where you can’t interact as directly with the world around you. On a bike you notice things like which plants are blooming at certain times of the year and the rainbow knee-high socks of the rider in front of you. In Portland, you’re smelling coffee roasting and beer brewing as you ride. You’re hearing urban chickens. On a bike you get a real sense of the way a city’s designed and what matters to the people who live there,” says author Lucy Burningham.

With a focus on local drink culture, the guidebook is also an exploration of a thriving beer scene.

“Portland has 51 breweries within city limits, more than any other city in the world, which means there’s plenty of beer being made in every corner of town. Beer drinkers have plenty of choices when it comes to finding fresh, locally brewed beer. And this is a town that celebrates quality and innovation. Brewers are constantly using new ingredients and methods to make surprising, thought-provoking beers. As a beer writer, there’s never a dull moment,” says Burningham.

Combining insider knowledge of the city’s best tasting rooms, where to find rare bottles and which top chefs have a secret beer stash with detailed bike routes and maps, this is the kind of guidebook that will certainly make other velo and hop aficionados jealous.

Images: Hop in the Saddle

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This one-of-a-kind iPad stand is made from sustainable or reclaimed Oregon black walnut.

Nothing is as timeless, tactile or naturally beautiful as wood – and when you know a tree hasn’t been sacrificed just for your new iPad, it’s a relief that your eco-conscience can remain clear.

This tablet holder from Block & Sons Co. is simplicity itself: a practical and visually arresting one-piece wooden block which keeps your iPad safe while showing it off. The stand protects your tablet from inevitable beverage spillages but also looks extremely classy.

Each block is a one-off, hewn in Oregon from a single piece of resilient, beautiful hardwood. The wood is sourced from sawmill ends, leftovers from furniture shops, or even from trees felled in Portland city. The blocks are cut and finished by hand and have rubber feet which prevent slippage and provide stability. Each stand is polished and sealed with two coats of beeswax and linseed oil finish to bring out the wood’s grain and also make it water-resistant.

The two men behind the Block & Sons Co. describe it as “the contrast of Mother Nature’s beautifully imperfect engineering with the sleekly perfect tech devices.”

A combination, and a price ($95), which are proving popular.

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Life on two wheels. 

EcoSalon reader Kristin Bott rocks a sundress at the Portland Short Track Series.

As she puts it, “It rains for nine months of the year in Portland. Not an exaggeration. So when summer comes, the whole city celebrates. Every year, the folks behind the Portland Short Track Series  have a ‘summer casual night’ when they encourage racers to ‘Leave the lycra at home and come race in your Monday best’- casual threads: oversized surf trunks, colorful skirts, double-rainbow tie dye tees, knitted socks… anything goes. I lack tie-dyes and surf trunks, but I do have a couple of sundresses, and I rarely wear skirts, but it seemed a good fit.”

On the Move documents our life on two wheels. Have your own On the Move worthy photo? Send it our way! Email pictures tocontact@ecosalon.com.

Image: Richard Rosko

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Life on two wheels.

Elly Blue, cycling advocate, writer and woman behind Taking the Lane, rocks not only two wheels, but wheels that manage to pull a futon. When was the last time you put your bike to work like that?

On the Move documents our life on two wheels. Have your own On the Move worthy photo? Send it our way! Email pictures to contact@ecosalon.com.

Image: Neighborhood Notes

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Celebratory summer dinners that allows guests to learn where their food comes from. 

An organic dinner of farm raised ingredients. A table full of jovial guests and local wine. A summer night to appreciate good food and where it comes from. There’s a lot of talk about farm-to-table, and most of us living in high paced atmospheres have a tendency to romanticize pastoral images of happy cows and organic tomato plants. “If only I could be a farmer,” we think, forgetting the hardships that go into devoting a life to agricultural production. But part of having a better appreciation for what we eat, means having a better connection to where it comes from, and at the simplest level, that means eating there.

That’s the idea behind Plate & Pitchfork, an Oregon based business that helps people have a better of understanding of food and where it comes from, by serving it to them in the same place that it’s sourced. Hosting farm dinners, Plate & Pitchfork founder Erika Polmar puts consumers and purveyors together, in the ultimate farm-to-table experience.

As we met for coffee (locally roasted of course) it was clear that Polmar is passionate about what she does. She’s a believer in good food, and the multiple benefits that come from local food: social, environmental, health, economic, gastronomic. Not only does she organize these farm dinners, she also works with four local food-focused nonprofits in the Portland area to ensure that everyone has access to fresh ingredients and that they know where it’s coming from. Farmers Ending Hunger, Oregon Tilth’s Organic Education Center, Foodworks Farm, and the Sauvie Island Center all benefit from Plate & Pitchfork, allowing them to reinvest in the community.

With no formal training, her food background is merely personal. Once in product marketing and development for tech companies, a season of winery work during harvest eventually put her in a place where things made sense. She relates a story of standing in a field, hazelnut orchard and vines on the other, and thinking to herself “this feels good.”

She took that feeling and ran with it, putting the puzzle pieces together and eventually founding Plate & Pitchfork to celebrate the food grown in her Pacific Northwest backyard. Nowadays, she’s immersed in the world of food, coordinating with chefs, farmers and wine makers, an industry that according to Polmar is very welcoming. “Everyone is so open and collaborative, it didn’t matter that I didn’t know anything about food.”

Making the connection between what we eat and where are our food comes from seems like a simple task, but most of us have a severe disconnect to what we put in our bodies. Consider this: In 1930, 20 percent of Americans owed their livelihoods to farming, nowadays it’s closer to 2 percent. It’s no surprise that we’re disconnected. But why is getting the general public to focus on good food such a difficult thing?

“I think food has gotten a little too precious,” Polmar says, implying that often in the food world we have our expectations set too high and in turn push people away from the main task at hand: good, simple food for everyone. As she puts it, there’s kale and quinoa on one hand and a McDonald’s burger on the other but nothing in between. “There’s nothing bad about pulling beans out of the freezer,” says Polmar.

“Food has become such a topic of discussion, but none of us are that educated about it.” But it’s something we all deal with, and when it comes to the complicated world of politics, it plays a role as a common denominator; everyone has to eat.

Taking the idea of education, Polmar puts her guests not only at the hands of professionals, but also in a setting that is conducive to conversation. From farmers to chefs, they’re all there to engage guests in a meaningful way, which in turn sparks an educational component. “You meet all these people that are experts… instead of having the person next to you say ‘oh well I read about that in the New York Times.'”

There’s no one upping at Plate & Pitchfork, no ego, the thing that often gives the higher end food industry, and the locavore movement as a whole, a bad rap. “Everyone comes down a notch,” says Polmar, “there’s something about the community breaking bread together.”

Polmar has an all encompassing attitude, knowing fully well that multi course meals in an idyllic setting aren’t accessible to everyone. But that’s not necessarily her end goal. One of the main instigators behind launching Plate & Pitchfork was Polmar reading a statistic about how few high school students knew where their food came from.

“If we can get mom and dad to our dinners then we are creating the next generation of diners,” says Polmar. And if she can do that, then she’s being successful. “Paper profit doesn’t mean a damn thing to me,” says Polmar. A positive effect on her community however, is, and that’s what she hopes Plate & Pitchfork will continue to do.

Check out the Plate & Pitchfork schedule and sign up for your own farm dinner here. 

Images: Plate & Pitchfork

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VideoReminding us of the necessity, and resilience, of our planet’s rivers.

Rivers are an integral part of ecosystems and cultures around the world. Unfortunately, many of them are blocked from flowing freely, subject to the demands of power companies. Despite the challenges, there are successes.

Last fall I sat and watched the Condit Dam on the White Salmon river come down, albeit via live streaming. For years people have talked about this dam coming out, and friends and colleagues have been seeped in the process that it took to make that dream become a reality. Out of town on dam explosion day, I kept a window open on my computer screen and watched as an iconic dam was blown to pieces.

The White Salmon wasn’t the only dam to come down in the Pacific Northwest last year. A month earlier, the largest river restoration in history began on the Elwha River on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington.

American Rivers, a national organization that works to protect and restore rivers across the United States called 2011 the “Year of the River,” marking these two historic events and the removal of 1,000 dams across the country. American Rivers, American Whitewater and the Hydropower Reform Coalition released a short film today that illustrates the remarkable dam removals on the Elwha and White Salmon rivers. The seven-minute film premiered at the Wild and Scenic Film Festival in January and is the final installment in the “Year of the River” series by filmmaker Andy Maser.

This film is a good reminder of the power and resilience of nature, and how we all have a connection to the very rivers that run through our backyards.

Year of the River from Andy Maser on Vimeo.

American Rivers and Patagonia are prompting people to help to restore more of America’s rivers by removing 100 dams in 2012. You can take action here.

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ExclusiveDocumenting beauty in nature: an EcoSalon exclusive with photographer Ben Canales and new “Finding Oregon” timelapse.

Sometimes we need reminders of who we are and what is important. Finding Oregon is one of those reminders. Shot in Oregon, and produced by Uncage the Soul Productions, the video is a composite of timelapses, giving us an intimate look at the day and night sky in some of the most remote places in this western state known for its natural resources and beauty.

This video is a fresh respite from our everyday, overloaded, technology dependent, lives. It reminds us of the natural rhythms that we have almost become unaccustomed to, reintroducing us to the power and routine of nature.

Photographer and Uncage the Soul team member Ben Canales knows a thing or two about timelapses, and in this EcoSalon exclusive behind-the-scenes he shares his inspiration and process, giving us a look into the reality of creating a magical 3 minutes.

Finding Oregon from Uncage the Soul Productions on Vimeo.

How long did you film for?

About 70% of the timelapse sequences were shot in one intense, week-long road trip going to all four of the furthest corners of Oregon, but the remainder was filmed throughout 2010-2011.

This is a great question, because we ourselves, didn’t realize just how much work is involved until we got serious about this project. It is shocking how much energy, time, and equipment goes into getting one, six second video clip. For instance, a glowing tent clip from Crater Lake demanded a dedicated three day trip out of town, location scouting in the day to find the perfect spot for the night, a three mile trek through the snow with all the equipment to the spot, setup for an hour and then wait for nightfall.

The actual filming takes 2-4 hours to record a good night timelapse of the stars moving, and then pack up, hike out, and drive home the next day. That is only the work done in the field! Then there are hours and hours of processing, editing, and polishing the final video sequence to get only six seconds of final video.

It is not an exaggeration to say one short, final clip may represent 20-30 hours of planning, driving, hiking, shooting, and processing- all that for mere seconds of video playback. It is a ridiculous labor of love.

The biggest challenge is the timing lining up to be in the right place at the right time. These starry night timelapses have a surprising amount of requirements to get the bright, beaming epic payoff. First, the moon should be around the New Moon phase (no moon) so as not to outshine the stars, so that means we get a window of about five days a month. Next, weather must be cooperative with a dependable expectancy of cloudless skies. Here in Oregon, only the summer months have a good chance of clear skies. So that means, we have three months in the year, with a 5 day window each month to plan, with fingers crossed, for epic star shooting conditions. That’s only 15 days in a year.

Then, you hope that something doesn’t come up in regular life to pull you away to other obligations on those few days. It is a maddening challenge to get all the factors to line up to be in the right place at the right time. But, when it does happen- it is such a satisfying feeling.

*Groan* Yes… it’s painful to think about. We had set up a motion controlled timelapse that lifted the camera over a boulder to reveal a desert arch framing the passing Milky Way and stars. It is a beautiful sight and not one I’ve seen anyone else capture in this location. We were really excited because this shot would be one of the top five sequences in the final video. We spent the first half of the night finding the spot in the dark, lugging the equipment up the hill to the location and then meticulously setting it all up. We were short on sleep, but pushed through the fatigue because the shot was more than worth it.

Finally, everything was set, the Milky Way was fast approaching and showing up in the arch. We fired off a few test shots, turned it on to run the whole night and then trudged back to camp for some desperately needed sleep. Hours later, we came back, excited to see the final result, but it turned out the power cord to the battery was loose and slight movement had disconnected the power source only 20 minutes after we left it. It was a complete loss.

Next summer the stars and Milky Way will line up there again through that arch like it has for thousands of years, and maybe we’ll be lucky enough to be back to get it.

We’ve filmed the Columbia River Gorge, Mt Hood and the surrounding area, Mt Jefferson, the Southwestern Coast, the Alvord Desert, Leslie Gulch, Blue Mountains, Crater Lake, Eagle Cap Wilderness, Deschutes River, and more. We’re proud to have touched all four corners of the state; however, Oregon is the kind of place that the more you see, the more you realize you’ve missed and haven’t seen yet!

Absolutely. We were inspired to make this film because of the personal experiences our team has individually had in Oregon. But, we would be honored to have the opportunity to capture and showcase the unique beauty of other regions through our cameras. Hopefully films like this will inspire and excite others to go beyond their normal routines and see some of the beautiful regions beyond their own backyards.

This is a question that each of our team members would probably uniquely answer in their own way, so I can only speak for myself in this moment. I am inspired to make this film to share the moments of beauty and awe in nature with those that don’t have the opportunity to see it themselves.

I go to great lengths to get far from the city, beyond its reach, to get to the wild and free places. For me, it is an honor and a joy to try to capture some of these moments and bring back something to share of my own experience. I am literally in awe of the wild beauty of snow capped mountains, immensely flat desert horizons, violently rugged coastal sea stacks, infinitely sparkling starry night skies, exploding colors of sunsets and sunrises, and so on. If there’s a chance I can capture some of that to share with others and/or bring awareness for the need to protect these special places, I find inspiration there.

Learn more about Uncage the Soul Productions work here.

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Pure salt crystals hand-harvested in Oregon.

Call me a pretentious foodie, but I am going to go ahead and say it: sea salt is a game changer for cooking. It’s flaky, tastes real, and simply does things to your food that traditional salt just can’t. Think I am kidding? Then try a dash of salt from Jacobsen Salt Co.

After living in Scandinavia for over four years and falling in love with sea salt there, Ben Jacobsen moved back to the Pacific Northwest, and much to his avail couldn’t find any locally produced salts. So he decided to make his own. Fast forward a year and a half and Jacobsen is paving the way for Northwest salt, stocking local markets and restaurants. Using traditional methods, the sea salt is harvested in Oregon, and the package is marked to show where the salt comes from.

Food lovers rejoice!

Look for Lustables daily at EcoSalon. 100% gorgeous green finds, and never sponsored. Submit your favorite to tips@ecosalon.com

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ColumnForget countryside wine tours, the latest in vino is what’s being made right down the block.

Living in Portland, Oregon, local food is a must and not necessarily because it’s greener or healthier, but simply because being smack dab in the middle of the Willamette Valley, not eating local is practically a sin. And even though I spend a significant amount of time perusing artisan goat cheeses at farmers market – pretentious foodie level totally acknowledged – I had no idea that what I was missing in my foodie repertoire was an urban winery.

In fact, to be perfectly honest, I wasn’t even aware that urban wineries existed. Foodie fail. Fortunately I have friends that, when it comes to wine, are much more well versed than I, so when I got invited to Enso Urban Winery for the first time, I quickly accepted.

If you can fall in love with a warehouse space turned into neighborhood bar this was love at first sight. Maybe it’s just because I’m a sucker for any place that invites taco trikes (yeah, trikes, not trucks) to serve food to the clientele on Friday afternoons, but anyplace that’s making and bottling wine in their back room gets five stars in my book.

And that’s exactly what Enso is: a chill urban space that’s less about pretentious wine sales and more about being a gathering spot for the neighborhood. The mood is low key and yet the wine is exceptional, making you immediately want to take a few bottles home simply so you can open one up the next time your friends are over and say, “you know, this was made down the street.”

I could also be a sucker for anything that’s produced locally, but after a glass of the Resonate Red #2 – Enso wines are seasonal, so don’t expect to be able to get the same one if you visit – I was walking home with two bottles wrapped in brown paper bags.

A collaboration between Ryan Sharp and Chris Wishart, who originally met when they were working at Arcane Cellars, Enso began in Wishart’s garage, but as of earlier this spring, they’ve been operating both the winery and tasting lounge out of a larger space in Southeast Portland. On the same block as local favorite Meat Cheese Bread, you can pair your glass of urban wine with a sandwich stacked tall with local ingredients and made on housemade bread. A locavore’s dream.

Beyond being a comfortable space that draws a diverse neighborly crowd, Enso embodies the spirit of local, artisan goods. I caught up with Sharp to learn more about the winery, the ethos behind it and what it means for craft wines on a larger scale.

What inspired the launch of Enso?

Chris and I had been working at a winery in the Valley and decided it was time to cut the commute and try a different approach to winemaking. I had seen some smaller wineries on a trip through the Loire Valley and remembered them being sort of “village-supported.” Thought we would give that a go here in Portland. We made our first vintage in his bonded garage and then moved to our current location on Stark.

When most of us think of a winery, we think of expansive vineyards and sipping wine in a large garden. The words “urban winery” conjure up different images. What are the similarities between you and a regular winery? What are the differences?

You’re right. Most folks put vineyards and wineries together in their mind. And we love walking the vines and seeing the seasons change in the vineyard. But you can’t really grow grapes commercially in Portland and that’s where we want to be: In Town. It’s actually not terribly unusual to produce wines from grapes grown elsewhere. Lots of wineries do it, even ones with vineyards of their own.

Anyway, other than not growing our own grapes and being out in the country, we’re just a winery, same as anywhere. But our major difference is probably our Tasting Lounge. Instead of an awkward tasting room, we opted for something cozy and informal. More like a casual wine bar where you can meet friends and have a glass or three. Some folks come in and never even realize that we make our wine on-site, simply taking us for another bar.

Who is buying urban wine?

We’ve been truly amazed by how much the Buckman neighborhood has supported us. More than half our wine club members are from the surrounding 10 blocks! All ages, but generally the 25- to 40-something crowd. Still, people come from all around town and the surrounding area. And we get lots of out-of-state visitors, too.

Where do you get your grapes from? Is buying local important for you?

But of course. We get most of grapes from two vineyards within three hours of here: One in Horse Heaven Hills, where we get our big red grapes, and one in the Willamette Valley, where we get our white grapes.

Do you think there is a general movement that puts a value on smaller operations like yours? Why or why not?

I’d like to think that’s true. A good many of us are cynical about larger operations, I guess you could assume. But that doesn’t mean that we can make crap wine and get away with it by throwing “small-lot” or “boutique” on the label. We have to prove that we can make even higher-quality wines and help folks understand why Two Buck Chuck isn’t really wine.

What’s your favorite thing about making wine?

I love the whole process of watching it come to life, especially the first month or so where we get the grapes and begin to ferment them. We’re just about to start that for 2011. So excited! But truly, I love holding the finished bottle in my hand and pouring it for people. That’s where it all really connects.

Editor’s note: This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’s weekly column at EcoSalon, Foodie Underground, discovering what’s new and different in the underground food movement, from supper clubs to mini markets to the culinary avant garde.

Images: Anna Brones

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