You can’t leave the table til you’ve eaten all your invasive species!

Feral pig, “wild” turkey, bullfrog, dandelions and more will be served up this weekend, 7 pm Aug. 25, at the annual Invasive Species Cook-off in Philomath, Ore., just outside Corvallis, at Chintimini Farm. The event is put on by the Institute for Applied Ecology (IAE) and features top chefs and music by EW’s Next Big Thing sem-finalists Edewaard.

Food catered by Matt Bennett of Sybaris Restaurant

Music by classical guitarist Gina Machovina and the band Edewaard to move to!

Willamette Valley wine and beer

A cook-off between local chefs using invasive ingredients

Live auction with great items, such as kayak trips, wild mushroom hunt and dinner, wine cellar, yoga and pilates, etc!

Games and more!

Kids play area

Mmmm: dandelion greens

According to Eradication by Mastication the Invasive Species Cook-off started in 2012 and “Top ‘Cook-off’ honors went to pulled nutria, popcorn sparrow and Cajun bullfrog legs.”

The fundraising dinner not only benefits the Intitute for Applied Ecology, it’s also outreach on the invasives issue: “Invasive species threaten our native species and habitats, costing the U.S. more than $138 billion every year. IAE is ready to take them on. We are bringing people to the table to spark conversation and advance action, one edible invader at a time.”

For price, tickets and other details go to eradicationbymastication.org.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!