Oregon

In 2015, Spoiled Rotten Vinegar and The Potager Cottage Project proved to be tremendous catalysts for change. Looking back I can see that many wheels had been in motion. Cherie and I had been looking for dual zoned real estate and farm opportunities in the northern California. We had been looking to grow both of our passions "under one roof". As a cottage food operator being recognized and invited to participate in the Good Food Awards ceremonies we would see just how our limited permits and location really affected our chances for growth.

In February Cherie and I learned of some property for sale in Junction City, Oregon. We moved in March. Our home of four, batches of fermenting vinegar, the girls (our chickens) and all. I want to open a flood gate of all the upset and effort a spontaneous and large move can generate in order to impress a sense of chaos upon you as the reader, but it will have to come piecemeal. There really is no time. It is now September, six months into our journey and we are, in a sense, still moving.

In gaining this amazing opportunity we have inherited loss in many ways. From uprooting a budding business and (sub)urban farm project to saying goodbye to our home state and all of our family and the sudden passing of a dear friend, Liz. This friend was the person responsible for opening the door and lighting the fires of this change. We had accepted there would be setbacks and loss, and life is still deciding on the frequency and severity. Sounds like a journey.

As for Spoiled Rotten Vinegar, that story will be told here as I find out myself. Sure there is a plan and goal, but there are those twists & turns that will add strain and yet, character to the project. At the time of the Good Food Awards I couldn't produce enough vinegar to meet supplier's demands and now I am starting over. So much has and will change. Ironic that most of what I practice is to nurture change and yet I have the hardest time with it myself.

Future home of Spoiled Rotten Vinegar.

Good Food Awards 2016

Graham Klee Wiles-Pearson with Alice Waters

This past weekend we had the honor of receiving a Good Food Awards 2016 medal for our Blackstrap vinegar. It was an inspiring experience to be in the company of Slow Food founder, Carlo Petrini, chef and farm-to-table activist, Alice Waters, philanthropist and sustainability activist, Nell Newman, and so many others who we admire. This year there were 1927 entrants from 33 states with 176 winners in 13 categories. Winners were determined through blind tastings by a panel of over 200 industry experts. You can see the full list of winners here.

US! (Cherie and Graham Klee Wiles-Pearson)

While we are incredibly proud of the recognition of our work and methods, this weekend's events left us more with a sense of profound necessity for the adoption of sustainable and humanitarian practices. Carlo Petrini's words at the awards ceremony emphasized the significance of community and of understanding the value of what we have as opposed to what we want. It is the individual that has the power to promote positive change by embracing such change in their own life.

During Sunday's Marketplace our vinegar table was accidentally placed among the honey vendors. We found this to be a lucky privilege as we were able to spend some time getting to know these amazing keepers of bees. What impressed us the most was that their primary focus was to educate others on the importance of bees in agriculture, and on sustainable bee-keeping methods. The award-winning honey was just a happy byproduct.

Meeting distributors and retailers at Saturday's Mercantile

Over this next year we hope to be able to expand the production of Spoiled Rotten Vinegar and our beloved urban farm, Potager Cottage. We want our business to grow but our focus on learning and promoting sustainable living practices has become primary. We will be sharing our journey with you along the way on this blog as well as on our Potager Cottage blog and on Facebook (here and here). We hope you will follow along and spread the word!