“Doing the Puyallup!” — Palouse Heritage at the WA State Fair
By Richard Scheuerman, Palouse Heritage Co-Founder & Contributing Blogger
Like state fairs across the country, Washington’s month-long event every September in Puyallup south of Seattle features an array of delights for eyes, ears, and tastes. Our Palouse Heritage team was invited this year to present at the beautiful Culinary Arts Pavilion that was crowded with visitors of all ages and hosted by the program’s helpful superintendent, Ashlee Tarbox. “I just love the fair,” Ashlee told us upon meeting here for our second-floor whole grain processing and baking demonstration. “Young people who participate learn responsibility and skills from craft-making to cooking that last a lifetime.”
PH team members, baker Bert Timmerman (left) and Leigh Anna (right)
I was joined by my daughter, Leigh Anna, and friend/baker Bert Timmerman for a fun-filled day at the fair and the opportunity to share with others about whole grain health and heritage. The visit was poignant for me because I had last been to the fair in 2013 when a stop at a fundraising booth featuring yesteryear harvest field postcard views sent me on a multi-year investigation of agrarian art, which is a quest on which I continue to write. Bert is a master baker from Germany who has operated Leavenworth’s Bavarian Bakery for over twenty years, and Leigh coordinates special events for us at Palouse Heritage. Of course families come to the fair for the wild rides, live music, and elephant ears, but the army of volunteers who make these events possible seek to showcase the achievements of exhibitors of all ages who labor throughout the year at a vast range of traditional skills and handicrafts.
In the culinary division alone are dozens of categories in case after case ranging from “canned yellow vegetables” (corn, carrots, squash) to marmalades and fruit vinegars. Cookies alone have ten (nut, fruit, etc.)! In addition to breads and biscuits of every kind are several special contests that confer the coveted blue “Best of Show” ribbon and $100 to the winner: Best Cinnamon Roll, Celebrate Washington Apple Dessert, Famous Fair Scone, Sweet & Enriched Sourdough Bread, and State Jam & Jelly.
While showing the various stages of grain cleaning, milling, and baking, Bert and I also described some of the important benefits of whole grain and sourdough bread-making:
Facilitates Digestion: Natural fermentation breaks down gluten and protein, making it gentler for digestion.
Improves Nutrient Absorption: Sourdough fermentation helps break down phytic acid which improves absorption of nutrients.
Promotes a Healthy Gut: Prebiotics in sourdough nourish the gut and support a healthy microbiome.
Extends Freshness: Sourdough breads stay fresh longer due to their natural acidity.
Bert and I delivering our presentation
In between sessions we visited the impressive “Our Food/Our Farms/Our Washington” building with its grand Mt. Rainier entry flanked by two enormous pictures of silos and farm workers. Visitors inside followed a winding path leading past colorful and informative big-screen presentations on Northwest crops that help feed the nation and world, like wheat and barley, apples and cherries, potatoes and corn, and much more. An exhibit by our friends from the WSU Bread Lab presented panels drawing attention to the value of whole grain goodness: “94% of Americans do not meet their daily recommended intake of fiber. 74% of Americans exceed recommended intake limits for refined grains (primarily white flour). Among individual dietary risks, inadequate consumption of whole grains is the second most impactful contributor to morbidity and mortality in the United States (USDA/Lancet). WHOLE GRAIN FLOURS ARE NUTRITIOUS, DELICIOUS, AND COLORFUL! (We agree!!!)
We wrapped up our weekend state fair adventure with a trip to nearby Tacoma’s Point Defiance Park and historic Ft. Nisqually. Several of the structures, constructed by Hudson’s Bay Company personnel, are original including the granary which is the region’s oldest building. After extensive research, and thanks to help from the WSU Bread Lab, Palouse Heritage was able to document the original grains raised in Northwest by company personnel and their Indian hosts, the first of which was Yamas Blue™. Speaking of Yamas Blue™, we’ve been working hard to grow it out after tracking down a small sample and are excited to begin selling commercially soon so people today can again enjoy this delicious and historic grain. Soon Bert will be baking his amazing creations with flour from this and other long-lost varieties!
