Everyone is looking to go local, these days. And Black Butte Ranch is no exception.

Recently, Black Butte Ranch (Ore.) in central Oregon introduced a farm to table concept featuring locally grown heirloom vegetables, herbs from the Lodge Garden.

Black Butte Ranch also acquired 7 hogs from a breeder in the Tyee Valley and is having them raised in Madras. The first of the hogs arrived at the Ranch in July and Executive Chef and Food and Beverage Director Dean Ecker and his team roasted them whole in preparation for the 4th of July. In addition, Ecker has developed a relationship with Carlton Farms where by they will provide specialty cuts of pork and locally produced items for use in the Ranch’s kitchens.

“We are excited to add the element of a farm to table food concept at the Lodge Restaurant,” says Ecker. “At a time when consumers want to know where their foods come from, we are embarking on an effort to showcase locally raised pork, Ranch grown vegetables, and selected herbs to our menu program.”

In addition, Ecker released the first items in a proprietary food line he has developed for the Ranch. The “Ranch Rub” line features six proprietary blends of spices including: Vegetable, Beef, Poultry, Coffee Pork, Seafood and Beer Can Chicken.  Ecker has also released a line of smoked sea salts featuring fleur de sel, smoked with Applewood, Hickory and Alderwood.

The Ranch Rubs and Smoked Salts are available at the restaurants and gift shops at the Ranch. Smoked salts are $5 each, while Ranch Rubs are $6.95.

This fall, Ecker has plans to introduce a new line of jams and jellies, too. Fruits for this line will come from Willamette Valley farms with whom the chef has made arrangements for specified berries.

In addition to fall jams and jellies, the Chef will be stocking the larder with pickled vegetables from the summer/fall harvest. Certain items will be processed and available in the outlets at the Ranch too.