Farmer’s Happy Hour!

When: Thursday, November 11^th, 6 – 9pm & Where: Lucky Labrador Beer Hall, 1945 NW Quimby Street, Portland [Map]

Who’s Invited: Aspiring farmers, young farmers, permaculturalists, and anyone who’s interested in exploring new approaches to long-term farm leases, financing of small-farm businesses, regenerative land stewardship, Folk Schools, and more! RSVP: info@communitybydesignllc.org

Community By Design will be introducing their Small Farm Incubator Project. "Talk about what you’ve learned farming in and around Portland, and explore how to best facilitate a thriving local small-farm future. We’ll provide pizza and salad, you bring your creative farming and permaculture thoughts and ideas!"

Project Background:
"The Small Farm Incubator Project is exploring a new approach to land ownership that supports regenerative, local, organic farming. Recognizing that young farmers have little or no access to secure affordable farmland, we are developing a model of farm living where a community of younger farmers have access to long-term leases, and farming families are benefiting from shared resources on site. We are planning to build a small community of diverse and independent farming families living on and off-site, farming and stewarding between 40 – 100 acres of farmland within 15 miles of downtown Portland."

* * * WE LOVE WORMS * * *

Free Worm Workshop today from 1:30 - 2:30pm!  Rain or shine, come learn how to build a worm bin, feed them your fruit and veggie waste and watch them create nutrient rich castings for your garden.

Fall Planting & Cover Cropping!

Workshop this Sunday from 1 - 2pm with Ryan Hofrichter, $10

"There’s still time to squeeze a last round of greens into our gardens, and October is the month to plant garlic for harvest next summer! We also want to continue promoting the long-term fertility of our soil through the winter by befriending cover crops. While clover and rye may not be the first crops on your mind following fall harvests, these plantings can also provide the essential roles of smothering weeds, suppressing pests and disease, and protecting soil surface and structure. We’ll examine considerations when selecting a cover crop and discuss the practice of undersowing alongside other vegetables."

We've got lots of organic garlic and cover crops, fall/winter veggie starts, natives, sedums and fruit in and will have a wild amount of flower bulbs soon.... ooh la la. Sunshine!

HOEDOWN! Western Oregon Young Farmer Mixer on 10/10/10

(Updated Oct, 7th - bands, workshops + list of who will be here)
Coming this Sunday,
October 10th, 2010 from 3:30 to 10pm!

Farmers of ALL ages, along with friends and farm lovers, are invited to a free event at our shop, Naomi's Organic Farm Supply, with The Greenhorns and Friends of Family Farmers (+ FoFF events on 10/6 at Lucky Lab & InFARMation at Holocene on 10/12).

* Check out this Capital Press article about the event on Vashon Island this past Monday!

The Greenhorns are a non-profit farm advocacy group from Vermont, on tour with a documentary film in progress exploring America's young and beginning farmers. There will be an hour long screening of some of the Greenhorn's Documentary FILM footage at 8pm and their BOOK RELEASE. See the trailer HERE

Six neat WORKSHOPS listed below!

Live music from 4:30 - 5:30pm Ed Masuga and his acoustic band from Berkeley, CA, 6 - 6:45pm the Strangled Darlings, mandolin, accordion, saw, violin and more... & 7 - 8pm And And And, both from Portland. Followed by Film Screening at 8 - 9pm

FOOD for sale from Salt, Fire & Time and others, tea from Foxfire Teas, coffee, hot mulled cider and BEER from Captured by Porches Mobile Public Haus! and Widmer Brewery. BIG Thanks to a donation for goodies from New Seasons - thank you guys!! (their Sellwood store is 12 blocks up the road...) You're also welcome to bring food and treats along, cups, dishes. Kids are welcome... hula hoops, quilts, goats, chickens and ducks... (photos from C & B's recent hitching square dance here)

SEED SWAP and info in the greenhouse with Adaptive Seeds, Andrew & Sarah coming up from Sweet Home and catalogs from much loved Crystine & Brian of Uprising Seeds, Jeff & Kasey of Lonesome Whistle Farm & Don Tipping of Siskiyou Seeds. (Sarah of Adaptive Seeds harvesting) (garlic brain from Lonesome Whistle)

These awesome people will be nestled in the garden with INFORMATION to share with you: Rogue Farm Corps, Xerces, Farmer Chef Connection, Small Farms Conservancy, Ladybug & Organically Grown Company, Greenhorns, Oregon Tilth, ODA Organic, WSDA Organic, West Multnomah Soil & Water, Friends of Family Farmers, Oregon Food Bank, Small Farms Conservancy, Agricultural Reclamation Act, iFarm, Food Hub, OSU Extension Small Farms, Solar, USDA Rural Development, Portland CSA and Farmers !

Lots of opportunities to meet other farmers and farm lovers, socialize and build on the great farm community here in Western Oregon, Southern Washington, the Gorge and East, you know you're all welcome!

Rain or shine, our shop and barn/warehouse, greenhouse and tents will keep you comfy. Bring warm clothes along for the evening, a blanket and camp chairs if you want. For those coming from far away and the first time, our shop will be open (and your welcome to place orders in advance, too). If you'd like to contribute in anyway please give us a hoot.

So excited to see you and have lots of fun soon, much love!

WORKSHOP List
4-4:55pm - Workshop 1a: Food and Farm Advocacy, taught by Megan Fehrman of Friends of Family Farmers
4-4:55pm: Workshop 2a: Direct Marketing for your Farm, taught by Anne Berblinger of Gales Meadow Farm

5-5:30pm - Workshop 1b: Solar Power on the Farm, taught by Sustainable Solutions Unlimited
5-5:45pm - Workshop 2b: Resources for Farmers, quick intro of each organization tabling at the event and what resources for farmers they have available

5:35-6pm - Workshop 1c: Oregon Farm Apprenticeships, with Anne Berblinger of Gales Meadow Farm, Stu O'Neil of Rogue Farm Corps, and more
6:00 - Workshop 2c: Seed Saving by Sarah and Andrew of Adaptive Seeds (may start earlier)

(Rowan of Uprising Seeds, listening to the lettuce, that's a young farmer)