Blue Foods Forum: Seafare Symposium

Welcome to the first annual Seafare Symposium, part of a new three-day Blue Foods Forum taking place in Portland Oregon! Join the Oregon Ocean Cluster, Oregon Mariculture Collaborative, and Winter Waters teams for an exciting day of insightful discussions and networking opportunities.

We hope to build food system and ocean community connections, and inspire collaboration and innovation through interactive activities, resource sharing, project activations and delicious food.

From sustainable seafood to innovative food technologies, this industry-focused event will dive into a wide range of topics and is perfect for anyone passionate about the future of our coastline and learning more about Oregon's delicious foods from the sea.

What is a Blue Food anyway?

The United Nations (UN) defines Blue Foods as foods that come from water, such as fish, shellfish, and seaweed, and has emphasized their importance in our food system. We are lucky that Oregon is home to some of the most sustainable fisheries in the world, as well as land-based regenerative seaweed farming!

We'll kick off the day with a "marketplace of ideas" and learn about innovations in the food and fish world, then explore deeper connections between sea and land and some of the conservation efforts to keep our ocean ecosystems thriving.

This year's theme: building community through food while inspiring wiser use of our ocean resources.

Opt-in activities throughout the day will offer opportunities to learn and hone skills, share stories, and create action plans for future or current projects; try your hand at hands-on seafood butchery 101, fish leather and seaweed arts & crafts, or peel away and host an "unconference" discussion on a food topic relevant to you! Sign up for 1:1 curbside sessions with funders, finance professionals, and technical assistance providers throughout the day. Bring your curiosity and questions for OSU food scientists, grant funders, and your fellow peers.

Conversations and demonstrations will be guided by local legends such as Chef Maylin Chavez of Nacar Oyster Pop-up, Founder of Hot Mama Salsa Nikki Guerrero, Chef Andre Uribe, and artisans from the Art Design Xchange community. We will explore supply chain complexities, and how to get more local seafood (including sea veggies!) onto Oregon's plates, as well as exciting new ways to utilize and experience "100% fish". Come hang with old friends and make new connections too!

Contact organizers with any questions, or submit your ideas for workshops or conversation topics here: https://forms.gle/4H8138YEJP9mZT2f8

Those engaged in the food system who want to learn more about finding, buying, and enjoying Oregon landed seafood! Those engaged in supporting the people, places, and projects that make enjoying local food possible.

(This includes but is not limited to regional chefs, harvesters, farmers, fishers, ranchers, processors, distributors, food makers, food scientists, institutional and wholesale buyers, high school culinary directors, technical assistance providers, policy and decision-makers. Don’t identify with any of these? Don’t let that stop you! All are welcome, please help us expand a community around changemaking through thoughtful conversation and shared meals.)

Registration - what's included?

Ticket price is $65.00 but we are offering a sliding scale to help remove financial barriers.

Registration includes breakfast snacks, art and seafood demos and workshops, and a locally crafted lunch by The Minnow. After workshopping, enjoy business networking with other ocean curious entrepreneurs at a "Seaweed Oyster Social", featuring tasty sea snacks and good company!

Social is included with Symposium ticket.

Are you a food producer or food hub operator traveling a distance to attend?

We have a limited number of stipends to help cover travel costs. If you need assistance, please reach out to [email protected] to inquire.

Can’t commit to the whole day? Have friends you want to invite to the Social?

The Seaweed Oyster Social will run from 4 - 6:30pm and is open to the public; $10-20 sliding scale entry benefits the Oregon Kelp Alliance and Central Coast Food Web.

To register for the Social only, please reach out to [email protected].

We hope to see you there!

Huge thanks to our partners: , , , , , and for making the Blue Foods Forum possible!

This event is a part of Winter Waters, a culinary series that takes place every February, celebrating Oregon's regenerative seaweed and sustainable seafoods.

Learn more at

Host or Publisher Oregon Ocean Cluster