35 Innovators Under 35: Meet Nate Rafn

Nate Rafn, an advocate for the slow food movement taking place in the Willamette Valley, has made it his mission to generate interest in local foods through inspiring and creative use of media.

After a stint cooking at an Italian restaurant in Keizer, Rafn grew inspired to continue his craft by drawing from the passion of others.

“I had this thirst to learn as much as I could from as many chef’s in the area as possible,” he said. “So I decided to start a television show. It became my ticket to visit their restaurants and kitchens and learn from the best.”

Rafn’s bi-weekly series “Living Culture” is now in its sixth year of production. Viewers in the Salem, Portland, and Seattle metropolitan areas can find his program on local cable access stations.

“I want the show to have a local focus: what’s in season, who’s growing it, and how to cook it,” he explained. “And with that, I want to take into account efficiency and sustainability--basically the whole educational experience of food.”

Rafn also pens a column for Salem Monthly. Recent columns have focused on the importance of family recipes utilizing local ingredients, successful urban gardening strategies, and promoting the concept of community gardens.

“A really great way to get people involved in agriculture and land-use issues is to teach them about cooking,” he said. “When I sit down and talk with people about food, the conversation usually branches to bigger picture topics from there.”

In addition to these accomplishments, Rafn helps manage ‘Nathan Rafn Media,’ a multimedia company specializing in video and television production, graphic design, advertising, music, and photography. His ’Living Culture’ program falls under the media organization’s domain, and “helps keep everything running and alive.”

Rafn will continue to channel his creative energy toward his passion for local food, hoping it will grow (pun intended) in the future.

“I am certainly interested on focusing and promoting what is happening here in the Willamette Valley,” Rafn said. “But I’d love to expand the show on a more regional level - exploring local, seasonal foods with farmers in Washington, southern Oregon, and maybe even Idaho.”  

Check out Nate's feature story on our Willamette Valley Advocate, Mia Nelson's goat farm here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=izGtFDDCARA