SPOKANE, VALLEY, Wash. — Attendees had a chance to “taste the rainbow” of Coug-created products at the 2025 Crave! Northwest food festival.
The annual event took place this July in Spokane Valley, Washington, offering local chefs and others in the food and beverage space a chance to showcase their most delectable offerings. Event sponsor Washington State University provided its own mouthwatering array of samples via the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS).
This year marked WSU’s third time participating in Crave! Northwest. To recognize the university’s sponsorship of the event, each chef at the festival donned a coat and apron with the Cougar head logo.
“Sharing our food products at Crave! Northwest is more than just offering a taste — it’s showcasing the innovation, quality, and agricultural legacy of CAHNRS,” said Nancy Deringer, associate dean of CAHNRS Student Success and Academic Programs. “This event connects our land-grant mission in research, teaching, and Extension directly to the public, building awareness of how WSU drives the future of food, supports local producers, and elevates Washington’s place on the national culinary stage.”
A near constant stream of festivalgoers stopped by the WSU booths to taste honey from the Department of Entomology‘s WSU Honey Bees + Pollinators Program; Cougar Gold cheese and ice cream from the WSU Creamery; beef sticks provided by the Department of Animal Sciences and processed by the WSU Meats Lab; and student-made Blended Learning wines from the Department of Viticulture and Enology. Also on hand were slices of Cosmic Crisp® apples.
“It’s a chance for CAHNRS to show people who we are and what we’re all about,” said Emily Libey, a recent CAHNRS graduate who helped staff the WSU tables at the festival. “We get to share the amazing things our students create and let others experience the passion and creativity behind our work. The energy at Crave! Northwest is unlike anything else. It’s more than just a fun event — it’s a way for people to feel what it’s like to be part of CAHNRS, and that’s incredibly powerful!”
About CAHNRS
The land-grant mission of WSU’s College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences is made possible through the U.S. Hatch Act of 1887 and the U.S. Smith-Lever Act of 1914. Respectively, these Acts fund experiment stations and cooperative Extension efforts that aid Northwest growers, provide nutrition and health education, support rural businesses, enhance our environment, and much more. Hatch and Smith-Lever capacity funds drive our work for a more resilient, prosperous, and sustainable Washington and are matched by state and local funds.