Jeff Fairhall

Jeff FAIRHALL 3/4/58 ~ 9/5/07 Jeff Fairhall died September 5, 2007 after a battle with brain cancer. He was 49. Jeff was born in Seattle on March 4, 1958, the second of three sons of Edith H. and Arthur W. Fairhall. He graduated from Seattle's Roosevelt High School in 1976 and briefly attended the University of Colorado and Oberlin College before embarking on his own personal search for understanding the world around him. In the late 1970s and early 1980s Jeff developed a keen interest in natural foods, organic food production and cooking. A natural entrepreneur and business leader, Jeff combined his talents for both food and business throughout the rest of his life. Initially he worked for natural food retail and wholesale companies in Colorado and North Carolina before returning to Seattle. In June, 1988 Jeff changed the taste of Seattle by introducing the Essential Sandwich - rice and vegetable wraps made with all-natural ingredients. Jeff developed the first sandwiches on his home kitchen stove and delivered them by bicycle to local natural food stores. As his mother, Edie said, "Jeff saw promise in things other people didn't see." Within four years Essential Foods expanded to a large commercial kitchen in Fremont, with a staff of 23 people making and distributing 10,000 sandwiches per week to 220 retail accounts in the Seattle area. In addition to more than a dozen varieties of sandwiches, the Essential Foods line soon grew to include organic salsa and nutritious specialty items sold to major airlines, including Continental and Horizon. In 1994 Jeff started the Essential Baking Company with George dePasquale, crafting premium artisan breads with organically grown ingredients. Essential breads were a sensation. Within four years the company outgrew its original space and took over the former Oroweat bakery building in Fremont. When he dreamed up the Essential Baking Company, Jeff imagined Seattle was the kind of place that would embrace organic bread, loaves shaped by hand with no preservatives, delivered to the grocery store European-style in an open bag. Around him Jeff created a culture of idealists who translated the visions into Essential Foods and the Essential Bakery and Café. His last venture was purchasing the historic Red Hook Brewery building and starting The Chocolate Company with Joe Whinney, which was one of the first to use organic, fair trade ingredients. "Jeff lived a life of extremes few can fathom," said longtime friend, Susan Ernsdorff. "He dreamed big and passionately, and those dreams led him in very different directions at different times. At his core was the need to have an impact, to leave the world a better place than he found it. He cared deeply about both people and the natural world." In addition to his commitment to socially responsible business, Jeff was passionate about supporting the organic farming movement. In 1988 he was one of the founding sponsors of the Seattle Tilth Harvest Fair, and in 1994 he sponsored Wendell Berry's keynote address to Tilth's 20th Anniversary Conference. Jeff demonstrated his devotion to sustainable agriculture through active involvement in several food and farming organizations. In 2002, he served as Chair of the Washington State Dept. of Agriculture Organic Advisory Board, and in 2003 he was elected to the Board of Tilth Producers of Washington. According to Nancy Allen, Tilth Producers' Administrative Director, "The board welcomed Jeff's fellowship and valuable perspective as a compassionate businessman." Jeff also served on the board of the Washington Sustainable Food and Farming Network. Current chair, Laura Raymond remembers him as "a wonderful spirit and a great leader in the days when his leadership was especially needed." In addition to his love of organic farmers and farming, Jeff's passions included back country skiing, kayaking, hiking, sailing, and playing ultimate frisbee. Jeff married Sandra Rossi of Zanesville, Ohio, in June, 1994. Diagnosed with Hodgkins Disease at the time of their marriage, Sandy died the following February. Jeff was also preceded in death by his father. He is survived by his mother, Edith Fairhall and her longtime partner, Evert Sodergren of Seattle, and his tow brothers, Bill and Tom, both of Port Townsend, WA. There will be a Memorial Service for Jeff at the Washington Park Arboretum Graham Visitor's Center on Sunday, September 23, 2007 at 5:00 p.m. Donations in Jeff's name can be made to Seattle Tilth or the PCC Farmland Trust.