OSIFT May Dinner Meeting: End-of-Season Celebration & Community Update
This special evening will be a chance to come together as a community to reflect on the past year, celebrate our members, and look ahead to what’s next for OSIFT. The program will include:
- A recap of the season and key moments from the year
- Recognition of outgoing board members and long-time contributors
- An OSIFT awards presentation
- A community update and discussion on future direction, including new priorities and opportunities for involvement
- 5:00 pm - Social + no-host bar
- 6:00 pm - Dinner
- 6:30 pm - Program begins (speaker presentation)
April Monthly Meeting is a Regulatory Luncheon at
Food Northwest Process and Packaging Expo!!!
Join OSIFT for a special joint event with Food Northwest as we bring back the tradition of a jointly sponsored regulatory-themed luncheon at the Process & Packaging Expo.This year’s speaker, Diana Winters (UCLA), will provide a high-level look at the rapidly evolving food policy landscape. This event will serve as our April OSIFT meeting—and we hope the start of a renewed annual tradition.
Food Northwest Process and Packaging Expo!!!
Join OSIFT for a special joint event with Food Northwest as we bring back the tradition of a jointly sponsored regulatory-themed luncheon at the Process & Packaging Expo.This year’s speaker, Diana Winters (UCLA), will provide a high-level look at the rapidly evolving food policy landscape. This event will serve as our April OSIFT meeting—and we hope the start of a renewed annual tradition.
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When: Tue, April 21st • 11:45 am - 1:00 pm
Where: Oregon Convention Center, Room 121. 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Portland, OR ABOUT THE TALK Recent Developments in Food Law and Policy: Additives, Ultra-Processed Foods, and the Evolving Regulatory Agenda In a time of rapid change across the regulatory landscape, this session will provide a high-level overview of key developments shaping food law and policy. Topics include additives, ultra-processed foods, and emerging federal priorities, with an emphasis on what these changes mean for industry. ABOUT THE SPEAKER Diana Winters -Deputy Director, Resnick Center for Food Law & Policy, UCLA School of Law Diana Winters works at the intersection of food law, policy, and regulation, with a focus on how federal and local frameworks evolve and interact. In addition to leading initiatives at UCLA’s Resnick Center, she teaches, mentors students, and co-hosts the Repast podcast on food law and policy. Her work has been featured in publications including Health Affairs. |
There is no charge for the Regulatory Luncheon.
However, you must register for Expo to attend. HOW TO ATTEND:
OSIFT spots are limited—please register soon |
MARCH MONTHLY MEETING DETAILS
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The Oregon Section of IFT (OSIFT) invites you to our March dinner meeting at Santiam Brewing, featuring Tim Delbridge, Assistant Professor of Applied Economics at Oregon State University.
In his talk, “The Cost of Doing Business: Regulatory Compliance in Oregon Agriculture,” Tim will discuss regulatory compliance within the context of Oregon agriculture and farm-level management. Drawing from his work as an agricultural economist, he will provide insight into how regulatory requirements intersect with agricultural production and decision-making. Whether you’re a long-time OSIFT member or attending for the first time, we hope you’ll join us for good food, great company, and thoughtful conversation about Oregon’s food and agricultural economy. Tim Delbridge is an agricultural economist and Assistant Professor of Applied Economics at Oregon State University. His work focuses primarily on farm-level production and management issues. His research and outreach projects often address risk management, agricultural investment decisions, and the impacts of technology and regulation on agricultural markets and farm profitability.
Prior to joining OSU, Tim was an associate professor of Agribusiness at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, CA. He holds degrees from the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. |
JANUARY VIRTUAL MONTHLY MEETING DETAILS
Schedule:
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Jessica Elkan is the Executive Director of the James Beard Public Market, opening in downtown Portland in 2026. This seven-day-a-week market is housed in two restored historic buildings and bring Oregon’s agricultural bounty to the urban core, providing entrepreneurial pathways for hundreds of small businesses and sparking innovation across multiple sectors.
The catalytic project celebrates Oregon’s culinary son, James Beard—an iconic chef and author at the heart of the American culinary movement. Jessca is a visionary leader and powerful connector with decades of experience in nonprofit leadership, fundraising, and civic engagement. A systems thinker and bridge-builder, she has worked across public and private sectors to bring the James Beard Public Market to life. Her leadership is guided by a deep belief in the power of markets to connect people, celebrate culture, and strengthen communities. |
DEC. MEETING AND HOLIDAY PARTY DETAILS
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Come to connect and celebrate the spirit of giving with OSIFT!!!Speaker details will be announced shortly. There is a chance this one will sell out...grab your ticket soon! What: Dinner, community, inspiration and a raffle supporting the Oregon Food Bank. When: Tuesday, December 9th from 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm Where: The Stockpot Restaurant | 8200 SW Scholls Ferry Rd, Beaverton, OR |
DEC. MEETING AND HOLIDAY PARTY DETAILS
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We’re thrilled to welcome Lindsay Eng, Deputy Director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture, as our guest speaker. With more than 20 years of global experience in food and agriculture trade, market access, certification programs, and industry development, Lindsay brings a unique systems-level perspective on what creates value and opportunity for Oregon’s food and beverage sector.
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NOV MONTHLY MEETING DETAILS
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Our November dinner meeting is at the Northwest Wine Studies Center located at Chemeketa Eola.
This month’s program features Kristen Penner, Regional Value Chain Coordinator for the Oregon Ocean Cluster and co-founder of Winter Waters, who will share insights and inspiration from Oregon’s blue foods movement. In her talk, "100% Fish, 100% Opportunities: Exploring Oregon's Blue Foods Economy," Kristen will highlight recent takeaways from the Blue Foods Forum and the Local Catch Network Summit—including how blue tech, pilot-scale R&D, and collaboration with food scientists can accelerate new product development for schools, retailers, foodservice, and biomedical tech. Expect an approachable discussion, show-and-tell props, and a few fun tastes that bring the ideas to life. |
JOIN US NOV. 8 FOR THE ANNUAL OSIFT / OSU TAILGATE !!
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TAILGATE STARTS AT 4PM, IN THE CROP AND SOIL SCIENCE PARKING LOT
KICKOFF IS AT 7PM. BEAVERS PLAY SAM HOUSTON BEARCATS GO OREGON FOOD SCIENCE COMMUNITY AND BEAVERS FOOTBALL!! |
OCTOBER MONTHLY MEETING: FLASH TALKS + SCHOLARSHIPS!!
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SEPTEMBER MONTHLY MEETING DETAILS!!!
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Join us for the first event in the series. This season’s kickoff is a Dinner + Town Hall at OSU’s Food Innovation Center (Portland). We’ll share a brief season preview and introduce your 2025–26 OSIFT Board, then use a town hall–style format during dinner to gather what people are seeing across Oregon’s food and agriculture—especially processing. We’ll track discussion themes and post a short summary after the event. Why attend: get a clearer picture of what’s changing, compare notes with peers across thefood industry, and spot practical places you and your organization can contribute. As always, OSIFT remains the statewide networking hub for food technologists—with space to learn about food safety, R&D, quality, innovation, and sensory science. What to expect:
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Connect and engage with the OSIFT Community at our fun and educational events!
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OSIFT events are an excellent way to connect, learn, and grow together with other food scientists and food industry professionals!!!
OSIFT also hosts monthly Mingle Happy Hours, in addition to these larger events. Email reminders will be sent with additional info and registration links a couple weeks out from the event. Get involved with OSIFT! Com
2025-2026 Events Calendar coming soon!!! |
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