Rogue Flavor Showcase
Illustration and Design by Sarah F Burns
I grew up on a small family farm in Southern Oregon.
Milking cows, weeding gardens, mowing lawns, running away from chickens, getting lost in the clouds - all this is near and dear to my heart. In fact - it’s in my DNA. I really believe that. One of my many cherished aunts is a family tree genealogy expert and she said our lineage has “subsistence farmers to time immemorial”. I am far from alone in having agricultural heritage. Every human has farmers of one sort or another in our lineage. Every culture on earth has cultivated and grown different crops and enjoy special foods. (Read the book 1491 - it’s SUCH a great book). In so many ways, food and farming is the backbone of culture. Today farming is hardly recognizable in so much of America because of the extreme mechanization of large farms. Industrialization and technology has many advantages in farming, but when it’s depressingly industrial now - from farmers not being allowed to save seed, to the size of farms, much of the huge farms are just offensive. So if farming and food reflects cultural values, what is that saying about America today??
Massive industrial corn and soy bean operations are far from the whole story about American farming though. I can speak most to my own experience observed living in the Rogue Valley. There have been a lot of changes since I was a little kid. Farms are routinely changing into tract housing. Pears turn into wine which turns into cannabis. But there are also thriving small family farms which feed and delight us today.
As a kid I just loved life on farm, but as a teenager my focus turned to social culture and I viewed farm life as quaint, backward and embarrassing. I envied my peers who lived in suburbs watching television and eating white bread. Later, I embraced my farm roots in a counter-culture, almost ironic way. Gradually that shifted to a deep and lasting gratitude and appreciation. Fast-forward to today (I’m going to turn 50 this year), I live in a suburban house which I pretend is a farm. I have raised beds in the front yard, apple tree in the back and decorate with rusty farm stuff. My neighbors have chickens and one neighbor had goats for a while. This is SO fascinating. As water grows more precious, and lawns less of a point of pride, I’ve noticed the suburban gardens seem to be shifting and changing into something more practical, more human - and more culturally relevant.
Another shift is that farms are COOL now. They host music festivals, Farm to Fork dinners and Farmer’s Market shopping is an elite activity! The idea of spending a day touring farms, getting great food, petting some goats, and being in nature sounds AMAZING. Rogue Valley Food System Network is an org that publishes the Rogue Flavor Guide - a map and guide to fresh, local food and drink, much of which you can get from the origin. I was recently really delighted to be invited to create a poster for their event Rogue Flavor Showcase. The event brings growers and food crafters of all sorts under one roof for tasting and exploring. Like a big Farmer’s Market where you can eat everything!
Farming and land use has naturally long been a theme in my art so I jumped at the chance to illustrate these deeply Rogue Valley subjects.
I had a blast making these pieces and am very excited to attend this event! I hope to see you there as well -