The Oregon League of Conservation Voters will be hosting its first-ever competition for the “Best Political Chef of the Year Award.” Salem City Councilors Dan Clem and Laura Tesler will join other local elected officials and candidates who will be mixing up secret sauces for chicken, ribs, and veggie burgers.
“We believe a lot the buzz and excitement around this event stems out of the enthusiasm we, as a community, share for protecting our high quality of life: keeping our air and water clean and keeping our natural areas and farms safe from reckless development,” said Tresa Horney of the Oregon League of Conservation Voters.
Evann Remington of Organic Fresh Fingers and who is also on the steering committee for the Marion County Chapter of OLCV, compares the event to the popular TV show, “Iron Chef.”
“The cook-off is going to be a ton of fun! We have politicians from both
major political parties at all levels of local government participating in
an ‘Iron Chef-like’ grilling event to compete for Oregon’s Top Political
Chef of the Year Award,” she said.
Organizers emphasize the non-partisanship of the event.
“Whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat, protecting Oregon’s unique and beautiful environment is part of our shared legacy. It’s practically in our DNA,” said Horney.
All of the food will be supplied by farmers and businesses in Marion County. Horney said that they hope to remind people attending the event that “we’re blessed with local farms for fresh, organic fruits and vegetables and pasture-fed chickens and pork.”
The event will be held at Pringle Creek Community on August 1 from 12-4 p.m. Cost is $15. In addition to the cook-off, there will be a sustainability fair featuring dozens of local vendors ranging from growers to builders to environmental organizations.
