Submitted by rscholfield on Fri, 2012-09-07 12:49 Vote Up Down -9 + P1000188.jpg P1000188-300x225.jpg I was lucky enough to be in the beautiful Methow Valley of Washington state this past Sunday for TU's second annual Salmon Safe Feast of Field and Stream dinner near Winthrop. It was a gorgeous evening with some 100 guests feasting on wild salmon and locally sourced food and quaffing great beer, cider and wine among the apple orchards of Methow Valley Ciderhouse--one of the growing number of Salmon-Safe certified growers in central Washington recognized at the dinner for adopting salmon-friendly growing practices on their land. Proceeds from the dinner benefited TU's stream restoration work with farmers in the Okanogan valley. Eating for conservation--it's tough work, but I did my part by leaving a happy plate. And did I mention the great local beer and wine? (Try the Anadromous Ale.) The Salmon Safe program is market-based: Growers agree to manage their operations in a way that benefits the watershed and salmon habitat--and in return, they get a Salmon-Safe label on their food products that helps attract consumers who care about the health of rivers and wildlife. Check out this great short video to get a flavor of the program--or just show up at the next year's Salmon Safe feast!