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Busy Year of Promotions

Highlights Include Ima Blueberry Activity, Participation in The Bite of Oregon and Pro Chefs Dinner 

Between The Bite of Oregon, the Pro Chefs of Oregon’s annual barbecue and more than 50 appearances by Ima Blueberry, the Oregon Blueberry Commission has had a busy year of promotional activities thus far into 2015.

Chefs at The Bite of Oregon wearing Oregon Blueberry aprons.

At The Bite, thousands of attendees were treated to desserts featuring Oregon blueberries, blackberries and sweet cherries. The desserts were part of a package of Oregon bounty available at the Oregon Bounty Chef’s Table, which included Oregon seafood, beef, potatoes, dairy products and onions.

Prior to The Bite, the Oregon Blueberry Commission, in tandem with the Oregon Beef Council, Oregon Dairy Products Commission and Oregon Potato Commission, sponsored Pro Chefs of Oregon’s annual picnic and barbecue competition.

Gingerich Farms of Canby hosted the event.

“We just wanted to say thank you to them for all of the hard work they’ve done at The Bite of Oregon the last several years,” said Bryan Ostlund, administrator of the Blueberry Commission, when asked why the commission chipped in to sponsor the picnic.

“They just bust their hump at The Bite promoting Oregon blueberries and other Oregon ag products,” Ostlund said. “They are in there year in and year out, volunteering their time to put a public face to Oregon agriculture.

Tents set up at Gingerich Farms for the Commission sponsored Pro Chefs Annual Picnic.

“We absolutely appreciate what they do,” he said. “So we decided to do something special.”

Aaron Guerra, chair of the Pro Chefs’ barbecue competition and picnic, said the sponsorship was “a welcomed boost to the annual event, and helped make it bigger and better than it ever has been.”

He characterized the four commissions’ involvement in the event as a win-win.

“It is an opportunity for us to highlight the commissions and the wonderful products that they provide,” Guerra said. “And for them, it was a thank you for all that the chefs have done at The Bite to promote their products.”

Ima Blueberry at the Oregon Ag Fest.

Ima Blueberry, meanwhile, said she was busier than ever this summer, participating in more than 55 events, including about 40 outdoor markets and several special events, including festivals. Her double, Ima Blueberry Two, participated in another 14 or so events, she said.

Among additions to her already busy schedule of past years, Ima said she participated in several midweek markets this year.

“There are so many more markets that are popping up,” she said. “Midweek markets are becoming very popular.”

As usual, Ima said patrons embraced her appearances.

“At the beginning of summer, I heard several times, ‘Ima Blueberry is here. That means summer has officially begun,’” she said.

“People are passionate about blueberries and love telling me where they’ve gone u-picking and they love sharing their recipes with me,” she said.

This year, for the first time, Ima handed out tattoos with a picture of a blueberry that read “Oregon Blueberries. Super Food.”

Chef Leif Benson doing a cooking segment on KATU's AM/NW.

“I think teens and adults are more excited about the tattoos than the children,” she said. “They would find some water and put them on and come back and show me their tattoos.

“It was a fun year, yet again,” Ima said.

 

 


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