Listen to My Weird Food Obsession Podcast wherever you get podcasts – episode 3
If you’re still not convinced that you can build a life around your most wild desires, you clearly haven’t heard the story of Dave Hoyle. Summed up in just one word, he’s a farmer. But upon further investigation, he’s up to some crazy, inspired shit. And I mean that in the best possible way.
I first heard of Dave’s cannabis-eating pig farm, Moto Perpetuo, when he was listed as a vendor for one of the most prestigious restaurants in town, Paley’s Place. You see, Dave raises pigs that are “smoked” – no pun intended, after a generous life eating “leftovers” from his cannabis farm.
Renowned chef Vitaly Paley, amongst others, honor and celebrate these pigs at upscale cannabis pig roasts and cannabis-themed cookouts playfully dubbed “High On The Hog” Dinners. Yup, that’s a thing!
In today’s conversation with Dave, we chat about a plethora of stories anyone who considers themselves a foodie will eat up. He talks about meticulously sourcing rare seeds and overnighting them at a moment’s notice, so they can be grown into beautiful pieces of produce and showcased in some of the top restaurants in Portland.
We chat about why it took so damn long for Top Chef Portland to film in our beloved city, and chat about past contestants who are part of this city’s famous food scene, Gregory Gourdet and Doug Adams. Without further ado, let’s meet this exceptional guy.
The farmer behind the Portland restaurant scene
Although he is as Oregonian as you can get, he wasn’t born here: in fact, Dave Hoyle came from England, across one ocean and a continent. His first visit to Portland was as a teenager, spurred on by wanderlust, and though he didn’t stay long then he knew he was going to come back.
When he finally did, it was on a five year contract, working with a local farmer for room and board and the promise of — eventually—a share in the farming business.
His connections with Portland’s finest restaurants started out as simple as it gets: visiting the kitchens with a basket of produce, hunting for new markets. Today, he furnishes the best chefs in Portland with the produce they need to make their award-winning concoctions.
Vitaly Paley, first and foremost in the Portland food scene; a man who appreciates good produce like no one else. Gregory Gourdet, ‘Top Chef’ finalist who opened the wood-fired Haitian restaurant, Kann, Jose Mesa of Atuala and 180 Churros, and Doug Adams, another ‘Top Chef’ finalist who opened Texan-inspired restaurant Bullard.
Shared love of all things Vitaly Paley
Although Dave cultivates strong relationships with many of Portland’s top chefs and finest restaurants, his relationship with Chef Vitaly Paley is something remarkable. Together, they work as a team to create culinary masterpieces that both look and taste amazing.
Chef Paley knows that if he needs something special for a meal idea, all he has to do is call Dave and ask for the most beautiful produce to center his dish around—and Dave will always deliver. He’ll do whatever it takes—from sourcing rare seeds to learning entire new methods of raising specialty vegetables.
Back before Covid, I had fun doing a behind the scenes YouTube episode at Paley’s Place, James Beard Award-winning restaurant in Portland Oregon. During that visit, I got to see how they used fresh, seasonal veggies—like those delivered by Dave Hoyle—to create delicious meals that are a treat for the eye as well as the palate.
“As much as the physical act of farming drives us, it is knowing that somebody is going to be so appreciative of what we do, and use their passion and craft to put it on a plate for somebody. They’re going to taste that love, excitement, and passion that we as farmers and the chef shared.” – David Hoyle
High on the Hog at Paley’s Place
Where do cannabis stuffed pig roasts fit into the story? In one very unique way. Every summer, Chef Paley and Dave Hoyle collaborate on one very special event: a cannabis themed hog roast at Paley’s Place.
While Dave’s organic produce is grown at his Creative Growers Farm, Dave also runs a cannabis growing farm: Moto Perpetuo. Here he also keeps pigs, which are fed on an organic diet supplemented with—you got it– cannabis waste.
The constant pruning cannabis undergoes means there is plenty of greenery for the hogs to snack on throughout the year. Does feeding cannabis to pigs result in cannabis-flavored pork? Well, you’re not going to get high on the meat, but all that green stuff definitely leaves the pork with a very distinct flavor profile!
Dave’s cannabis fed hogs are the pigs Chef Paley smokes up at his High on the Hog cookout. This event is definitely a highlight in the Portland foodie calendar, and something you’ll want to schedule in your calendar well in advance.
“Weed piggy goodness” – Dave Hoyle
Top Chef Portland Secrets
Portland’s foodie scene being what it is, Dave shared my surprise in Top Chef having taken so long to feature Portland. There’s a lot going on here, and in non-quarantine times Portland makes an ideal food destination.
2020 was a hard year for Portland restaurants, and maybe the timing turned out ideal in the end, giving that little extra ‘celebrity’ boost to some of the food places that most deserved them. While Dave kept many secrets to himself and didn’t divulge them, his insights on the show were definitely worth listening to!
“I honestly feel like my life is a gift. I’m the luckiest man I know, to have been in the right place at the right time with the right attitude on so many different occasions, that I feel like I have to wake up every day to earn the right to get to do what I get to do.” – David Hoyle
It was so much fun to chat about Portland food and the special connection between farmers and chefs with Dave Hoyle. I left the conversation with a new appreciation of everything that goes into that food on my plate, and next time I eat at one of Portland’s best restaurants I’ll be wondering if the produce came from his farm!
If you’re interested in learning more about Dave Hoyle, my past interview with chef’s at Vitaly Paley’s restaurants, and more, check out the show notes.
Learn more about Dave and his cannabis fed pigs
Listen to My Weird Food Obsession Podcast wherever you get podcasts – episode 3
- The process of starting and running a farm.
- Farm, Restaurant, and Community relationships.
- The impetus behind the cannabis-fed pig: Vitaly Paley.
- A blank canvas: The creative process of farm to table.
- Earning your stripes: Working with the kitchen mindset.
- The story of Tails and Trotters, the butcher shop.
- How cannabis-fed pig farming came about.
- The relationship between the pig and the farmer.
Links mentioned
- Cannabis farm – motoperpetuofarm.com
- Organic produce farm – creativegrowersfarm.com
- Instagram @motoperpetuofarm / @creativegrowersfarm
- Eater PDX Video with Dave Hoyle
- Vitaly Paley’s restaurant, Paley’s Place
- Jenna’s chef interview at Paley’s Place on YouTube
More from My Weird Food Obsession
- Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Amazon-Audible
- Listen to another recent episode
- Connect on Instagram @sipbitego and @myweirdfoodobsession
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