Bounty of Yamhill County

Bounty of Yamhill County – August 26 – 28, 2016 | Culinary Adventures in Oregon Wine Country

They are part of Bounty of Yamhill County’s Artisan Farm Tours + Lunch event, on Saturday, August 29th.  Buy tickets and tour their diverse family farm, then enjoy a gourmet picnic lunch at Stoller Family Estates.

Chrissie was generous enough to take time and answer a few questions for us below.

When did you know that you wanted to be a farmer? 

Koorosh knew he wanted to be a farmer when he was a child.  For Chrissie it came later, when she was 40.  Basically we wanted 100% grassfed and beautifully pasture-raised meats, and in the early 2000’s there simply weren’t any to be found, so we decided to do it ourselves.  Kookoolan Farms was founded in October 2005.

What do you like best about living/working in Yamhill County? 

What’s NOT to like?  Let’s see, beautiful scenery, quiet sophisticated living, interesting neighbors, great food, great wineries, close to coast, mountains, and city….  The thing I like most about my reinvented life as a farmer is that these days I rarely put anything in my mouth that wasn’t raised or produced either by us, or by someone I know very well.  None of our food comes to us anonymously any more.

What’s your favorite meal? 

The unplanned meal that happens when I’m hungry and I carry a bowl and a knife out into the garden.  Today’s example:  take a package of pasture-raised heirloom-pig bacon cured and smoked by my friends at Frontier Custom Cutting in Carlton out of the freezer, dice it, and start it sauteeing.  Go out into the garden and cut kale and onions.  Slice up some mushrooms from Yamhill County Mushrooms, some leftover cooked white beans from Ayers Creek Farm in Gaston, and a handful of Oregon cranberries.  While it all simmers on the lowest heat, drive 5 minutes to the Carlton Bakery for a baguette.  Serve with pinot noir from Willakenzie Estates, which I can see out my living room window.  Was the question what do I like best about living in Yamhill?  (And yes, this is really what lunch was today.)