Harriet Fasenfest (born 1953)
is an American writer, urban gardener, and
food preservation educator in
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
,
Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...
. A former owner/operator of several restaurants and cafes, she uses the term "
householding" when referring to the practice of home food growing, canning and storage.
She published her first book, ''A Householder's Guide to the Universe'', in 2010.
Biography
Fasenfest was born and raised in
Bronx, New York. She moved to the
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Tho ...
in 1978
where she owned and operated the Bertie Lou's and Harriet's Eat Now cafes.
In 1990 she traveled the country, married and moved back to California. In 1992 she moved to Georgia where she began working with
Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or Habitat, is a US non-governmental, and nonprofit organization which was founded in 1976 by couple Millard and Linda Fuller. Habitat for Humanity is a C ...
. In 1997 Fasenfest returned to Portland to work as director of the Performance Salon Series at North Portland's North Star Ballroom, an events arena which combined art and performance with
social activism
Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...
. In 2000 she opened her most recent cafe, Groundswell.
In 2004 she transformed her backyard in Northern Portland into a producing garden. She grows produce for
home canning
Home canning or bottling, also known colloquially as putting up or processing, is the process of preserving foods, in particular, fruits, vegetables, and meats, by packing them into glass jars and then heating the jars to create a vacuum seal an ...
and storing,
and teaches classes in food preservation and backyard gardening.
She is the co-owner of Preserve, an educational center for home gardening and food preservation,
and creator of the PortlandPreserve.com,
on which she writes a blog called ''The Householder's Grab Bag''. She also blogs for Culinate.com.
Fasenfest regards home food preservation as a political and economic statement. She uses the term "
householding" rather than "
homemaking" or "
home economics
Home economics, also called domestic science or family and consumer sciences, is a subject concerning human development, personal and family finances, consumer issues, housing and interior design, nutrition and food preparation, as well as texti ...
" to describe her work.
She published her views on home gardening and food preservation in ''A Householder's Guide to the Universe: A Calendar of Basics for the Home and Beyond''. The book is organized by month and season.
She lives in Portland, Oregon.
Bibliography
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Book reviews
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References
External links
Portland PreserveThe Householding Universe (archived)Householder's Grab Bag (archived)"Preserving Food and Friendship" (video)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fasenfest, Harriet
American food writers
People from the Bronx
Writers from Portland, Oregon
Food preservation
1953 births
Living people