Ecotrust in the News

The Business Journal
October 28, 2005
By Shelly Strom

Ecotrust taps industry vet to lead food, farm program

Nationally recognized sustainability leader Eileen Brady is stepping down from her post at Portland think tank Ecotrust.

She will be succeeded by Deborah Kane, a local sustainable food industry veteran.

Ecotrust formed 14 years ago to save the West Coast's temperate rainforest via economic development endeavors that meet a "triple bottom line" standard.

According to that standard, environmental stewardship, social equity and the economic bottom line are given equal weight.

The triple-bottom-line approach increasingly is being employed by for-profit and nonprofit organizations. It is more frequently referred to as "sustainability."

Ecotrust establishes programs that boost sustainable economic activity in four arenas — Native peoples, fisheries, forestry, and food and farms.

The organization's forestry program received national attention in April when it won $50 million in tax credits from the federal New Markets program. The tax credits will fuel a new initiative by Ecotrust that involves purchasing timberlands and managing them in an environmentally sensitive way that will provide revenue and living wages for people in rural communities.

Since this spring, investors have contributed upwards of $30 million that Ecotrust will use to purchase forests. Investors will first reap returns in the form of tax credits and later in profits from timberlands.

Brady, with 20 years of experience in the natural foods industry and a role in Gov. Ted Kulongoski's effort to develop sustainable solutions to address economic issues, has guided Ecotrust to create equally innovative ways to boost the region's food economy.

"Eileen's passion for good food and a sane food system has been a major force within Ecotrust and the sustainable ag world leaves an indelible mark here," said Ecotrust Founder and President Spencer Beebe.

Ecotrust's especially successful food and farms programs are those that aim to join local food producers with buyers.

Farmer-Chef Connection and Fisherman-Chef Connection are annual conferences that provide arenas for networking and conducting business. In addition, the organization publishes annual directories of producers and buyers.

"I talk to farmers in the field who say they closed a $12,000 deal at the annual Farmer-Chef Connection Conference," said Kane.

A Troutdale farmer who has attended the conferences since they began in 2002 said the event did more than help her seal a deal.

Shari Sirkin, owner and operator of Dancing Roots, stumbled upon a crop that has proved to be a key driver of her business.

A conversation Sirkin had at the spring conference with Portland chef Greg Higgins led her to plant several varieties of winter squash.

Today Sirkin counts roughly 30 restaurants and caterers among her clients, many of which seek her winter squash. "I was looking to add another crop and it ended up being the perfect thing," Sirkin said.

Kane officially takes over Food and Farms Oct. 31. She led Portland-based Food Alliance from 1997 until 2004. The nonprofit is an organization that provides certification for environmentally friendly and socially responsible agriculture practices. Since 2004, Kane has worked as a consultant to clients in food and farm clients practicing sustainability.

Brady plans to take off six months before committing to the job that will be her next career move. Meantime, Brady said she'll spend some time with organizations to which she belongs as a board member: Celilo Group Media, Zenger Farms and affordable housing provider The Enterprise Foundation.

Contact Shelly Strom at sstrom|at|bizjournals.com | 503-219-3414

Ecotrust in the News

Ecotrust taps industry vet to lead food, farm program

Contact Us