Kookoolan Farms in Oregon

Before we get into the list of their projects, let me just explain what a “Kookoolan” is- it was a nickname Koorosh’s father gave him when he was a boy in Iran. It doesn’t mean anything- it’s just a funny sound like “cutesy wootsy.” (Koorosh is ethnically Persian, born and raised in Iran, and a native speaker of Farsi.)

Now that we’ve answered that question, here’s a short list of projects Chrissie and Koorosh have going on at their 5 acre farm in Yamhill, Oregon:

They teach classes on cheesemaking and other farm skills on Saturdays almost all year round ($50/participant). At left, you see Rudy Marchesi who frequently teaches classes, and below, you see Mary Rosenblum, another frequent instructor.

In the next few months, there will be classes in Washed Curd Cheeses, Artisinal Mozzarella, Italian Hard Cheeses, Basic Soft Cheeses, Washed Rind Cheeses, and an All-Day Cheese Theory Class, among others.

Note: A few months ago, Food and Wine Magazine featured these classes in their list of Top 100 New Food and Culture Experiences, a great honor, indeed! (Page 80 in the May, 2010 issue)

They are a CSA vegetable farm. Below is a picture of one CSA harvest box (full size share). They shoot for 20 pounds of fresh vegetables in each week’s full-size box.

They conduct experiments with raising earthworms, and obtained a grant to investigate ways of integrating vermiculture (worm composting) with diverse farming.

They are growing fruit trees- pomegranates, mulberry, sour cherry and apple.

Did I also mention that they have a pond where they are raising tilapia and crawfish? Believe me, all this is just the short list. There are MANY other projects going on there, and, they just bought the farm in October, 2005!

In fact, until four years ago, both Chrissie and Koorosh worked full-time at Intel. Koorosh still works there full-time, as an equipment development engineer. Chrissie left in November, 2006.

As busy as she is, Chrissie took the time to tell me how she and Koorosh got started making cheese:

We’ve had people travel to take our cheesemaking classes from Singapore, Norway, Arizona, North Carolina, and Vancouver Canada! It’s really a wonderful thing to include in plans for a trip to Oregon’s wine country. Our farm is located right in the middle of the Yamhill-Carlton American Viticulture Area!

(Note: I had to look that one up and apparently, viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes.)

A Few Words About Chrissie and Koorosh

These amazing people go to great lengths to share their lives with others. Their website has their personal histories, recipes, links to their blog and newsletters, as well as loads of information about their farming practices and theories.

They send out a newsletter regularly in which they write about news from their farm and about the politics of real food.

I have to share with you a few paragraphs from one of these recent newsletters, because the content says a great deal about who Chrissie and Koorosh are:

ON PLAYING THE HAND YOU’RE DEALT

For the past four months, as some of you know, we have been foster parenting three young children from an unrelated family. The children are in foster care because both natural parents are drug addicts. The youngest child was born addicted to methamphetamine and with multiple birth defects, and at age four and a half, she is the developmental equivalent of a three-year-old. She has spent three and a half of her four and a half years in foster care. From her first day on the planet, she has been dealt a pretty brutal hand. Parenting these children has caused me to reflect on chance and opportunity in general.
Many of us, maybe most of us, have been dealt difficult hands. Some of us have genes that make us likely to develop high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or cancer; some of us were born with autism or food sensitivities or any number of issues.
For animals it is the same: some animals have been selectively bred for modern production characteristics, such as rapid weight gain, large muscular frames, high egg production, and docile natures.
Every day on our farm, we see proof that no matter what hand you’ve been dealt, it’s up to you to play the cards . . .

. . . For our own foster children, we saw them arrive four months ago fairly shell-shocked in appearance, poor in color, and very underweight. The oldest did not require his first haircut until yesterday: in four months his hair simply never grew, whether from trauma, stress, or malnutrition it’s hard to say. But something about living here for four months has finally allowed his hair to start growing again. Maybe it’s the regular schedule or sense of personal safety; maybe it’s the great food. The youngest had crippling muscle spasms almost daily; now it’s been two months since she’s had one. Maybe she was just mineral deficient? The middle child went eight weeks without any conversation related to anything other than survival; now he’s asking questions about abstract topics, and has made up a full school year of work (albeit kindergarten) in only four months. You don’t have to keep the hand you’re dealt with.

Thank you, Chrissie and Koorosh for sharing your past, your present and your hopes and dreams with us. We wish you the best.

Kookoolan Farms is located on Highway 47 between Yamhill and Carlton.
15713 Highway 47
Yamhill, OR 97148

Phone (503) 730-7535
Chrissie and Koorosh Zaerpoor
email- kookoolan@gmail.com
website- www.kookoolanfarms.com

They may also be found at the Hillsdale Farmer’s Market in southwest Portland on the last Sunday of every month (April-November).