GeerCrest Farm to Host “Eve of the Equinox” Fundraising Dinner
Learn all about GeerCrest Farm & Historical Society while enjoying a fine multi-course dinner sourced straight from GeerCrest! Prepared by Chef Pascal Sauton of Milwaukie Kitchen & Wine, paired with organic craft beer, wine and mead.
March 16, 2012 marks the date of the first annual fundraising dinner in support of one of Oregon’s premiere agricultural legacies: GeerCrest Farm and Historical Society of Silverton. The event, to be held from 7pm to 10pm at the stunning Architectural Heritage Center at 701 SE Grand Ave in Portland will be an evening of live music, libations, and a farm sourced multi-course dinner, specially prepared by Chef Pascal Sauton of Milwaukie Kitchen & Wine, paired with organic craft beer, wine and mead. A short program outlining GeerCrest’s Mission and Goals for 2012, including The Davenport Project, will top the evening’s events.
Farm Fresh from the Waldo Hills!
Eating organic and locally grown food and drink, investing in Family, Friends, and Community and living a purposeful existence are some of the many ways Oregonians are building a Legacy for the Future. Key Players in this movement include the Northwest’s network of Family Farms, especially those that focus on educating others about the Century-old practices that have created their Legacy.
GeerCrest Farm began as a homestead in 1848 by Mary and Ralph Geer. Through the last Century and a half, the land has remained a working farm and has been handed down through successive generations of the Geer Family. Recognizing the tremendous legacy the land and historic farmhouse hold, including sanctuary to Homer Davenport, the W.R. Hearst Political Cartoonist, a group of volunteers formed to preserve the farm and way of life.
The Davenport Project
One hundred years ago this May, the RMS Titanic’s last victim died from pneumonia. W.R. Hearst cartoonist Homer Davenport caught his death after illustrating the survivors’ tragic tale. An incredibly lucky, creative and productive life was cut short. Caricaturist, author, Arabian horse breeder and out-spoken freethinking spiritualist, he defied all expectations. Save the two that mattered most: from a dead mother barely remembered from the age of three, and a father’s life-long intellectual mentorship. The Davenport Project was created to stimulate interest in this unique Oregonian, one of the most successful artists this State has ever produced.
In the decade of the 1890s, just before the dawn of a new century, American society was going through a transition, from the gilded age of robber barons and monopolistic trusts, into the progressive era, a time known for great social reforms. From horses and trains to automobiles and airplanes. Change was everywhere.
Through it all, Oregon cartoonist Homer Davenport was there, wielding his pen to spray a steady stream of caustic caricatures onto the notables and notorious of the global political scene. In 1898, he published his first of four books, consisting of over 80 of these cartoons. He went on to publish a second collection of cartoons, as well as two non-fiction works, one of which he documents his own “acquisition expedition” to the Ottoman Empire for the purpose of importing pure bred Arabian horse breeding stock.
Over the course of the next year, the centennial of Davenport’s passing, the Davenport Project will present a series of lectures, exhibits and general fun. All in the name of Silverton, Oregon’s favorite son, and one of the most creative caricaturists who ever plied a pen to paper.
The GeerCrest Mission
Today, GeerCrest Farm & Historical Society’s mission is to live and teach agrarian culture, encouraging people to rely on each other and cooperate with nature to provide a livelihood for themselves. GeerCrest invites students of every age to visit the farm and learn farming skills including caring for goats, sheep, pigs, horses and chickens as well vegetable and fruit culture, cheese-making, canning, and much more. Students stay for the day on field trips, the week as part of school curriculum and summer farm stays, or a weekend up to several months as a farm family member.
Become a part of GeerCrest’s Legacy of Education, Preservation and Agrarian Culture today by reserving your tickets ($75.00/plate) to the Eve of the Equinox Dinner and Fundraiser. You can do so by visiting their website at GeerCrest.org. The website also offers opportunities to volunteer, donate goods and services, and purchase products from GeerCrest Farm. You can also learn more by calling the farm at 503-873-3406. Your donation supports the preservation of Oregon agrarian culture and the future of sustainable farming.
Thank you for your support!
GeerCrest Farm & Historical Society
12390 Sunnyview Road, NE
Salem, Oregon 97317
503-873-3406
GeerCrest.org