Friends, we enter 2024 with full hearts because of you. 2023 was a year for the record books. We had two people on our farm crew all year long, the Oregon Food Bank grant introduced us to the joy of being paid to give food out at no cost to the recipient, we were able to make big infrastructure improvements and met so many new faces. We cherish the relationships we have forged through this endeavor. Every verbal thank you, each card, note, tip, email, gift, they all add up to us feeling recognized. Since farming can be a very isolating profession, this is no small feat. We appreciate you, your continued support and commitment to our local food system. Read on for some highlights and make sure to go all the way to the bottom for an exciting announcements for 2024.
- Having Zoey and Natalie work with us made such a huge difference. We nearly doubled the amount of food distributed into our community! Between April and December, these women tackled every task set before them with determination. They helped plant thousands of transplants, rid or fields of SO MANY weeds, harvest, wash and pack orders, tend to the farm stand and keep the washroom in order. Our bodies certainly felt the difference, with more hands, we were able to take much better care of ourselves. We also extend a very special thank you to our friend and massage therapist, Lynette, for her giant contribution to our healing and well-being.
- We now have an additional irrigation pump and much more effective irrigation system. Nate worked with the good folks at Mainline Irrigation, Luterra Enterprises and Corvallis Drilling Co to make it all happen.
- We also have a *how did we live without it* walk-in cooler and deer fencing around one of our Sunbow fields! Our new puppy Edda will also be working hard to keep the deer out of the cropped areas of the farm.
2024 is off to an amazing start, we received notice that the OFB grant is being offered to us once again! The grant funds will be prioitized to help marginalized populations such as single parents, people of color, English language learners, immigrants, rural community members, elderly, LGBTQA+ and people living in poverty but we can also use the funds to give people a boost who are living paycheck to paycheck but don't qualify for aid such as SNAP or housing assistance. If you or someone you know would like to participate in our free food program in 2024, please send us an email.
We are also really excited to partner with Rogue Farm Corps for the first time. We hope to host two apprentices through RFC this year. In addition to two apprentices, we will also be hiring for one to two part-time, seasonal field work positions. The apprentices will need affordable housing, so if you have or know of potential accomodations, please send us a description including: monthly rent amount, description of the space, cost for utilities, and location.
It feels really good to feel rested and ready to dive in! Cheers!
