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When the dot deviates from green, something big is about to happen somewhere.
Posted on: Mon, 27 Nov 2006 15-ish
I've not done much work on the farm plan lately, aside from talking to people about it, since I've been working at a winery. I put a bunch of pictures with lengthy descriptions down on FlickR as a sort of testament, documentation and photojournalism sample.
I've learned some interesting things about the South Coast lately. For starters, there was an earthquake, deep, off the Bandon coast. Also, there are only 4 acres of vegetables planted in the whole of Curry County. There are a lot of old people in Curry and Coos counties who are going to be very interested in organic produce delivery -- given that seniors are the largest growing demographic of organic consumers. Liberals and NPR listeners are still the biggest market interested in local produce. I can only imagine given how far organics has come, local is the next big thing -- I gotta get there.
In the meanwhile, I need a job to keep me goin' 'til I get the plan ready to submit to a lending institution. I need to be sure and not get bogged down in the planning stage.
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Posted on: Thu, 03 Aug 2006 12-ish (updated Thu, 03 Aug 2006 12-ish)
Dear Mom,
I have been getting mail from the U of MN sustainable ag listserv for some time now and occasionally run across things that might be of interest to you. This one has the appeal of being totally free. See below for information on the community garden walking tour.
I've been working on my business plan in all my off hours, and it's really coming together. I'm in the costing phase now, and Marsha seems to think that it looks really good, especially in the areas where I can demonstrate cost savings, which are significant in my plan. I'll send it on for your perusal once I get it into a coherent form, which is the next step. As such, it's been consuming a great deal of my time, but I've really had a chance to get my ideas straightened out. Once I get a plan that demonstrates sustainable practices and soil conservation, I can start looking for and applying for grant and loan monies. The good news is that as a "first time farmer" and minority (a woman), I get special consideration as far as the USDA folks are concerned. I intend to take full advantage of these programs as far as I'm able and remain autonomous.
I think I'm about 2-3 years late, as the market for specialty cordials and eau de vie is heating up now, as I predicted it would. Oh well. Portland actually has 3 specialty distillers in the city, which is somewhat rare. I'm going to see about getting a tour of Clear Creek, over in Northwest, in the next month or so. They make a really amazing product that is currently the "gold standard" of fruit distillations. The good news is that aside from the time it takes to get the trees and vines producing (5-7 years) sufficient quantities, the process is far cheaper and easier than I'd imagined. Essentially, I apply for what is called an experimenter's license, the Bureau of ATF takes my fingerprints and makes sure I've not committed any felonies (I've not, in case you're wondering), and then I repeat the process with the state. It's relatively easy and apparently cheap. The other good news is that craft distilling uses a rather ancient type of still that just happens to be relatively inexpensive and elegant. Pretty cool, eh?
Of course, that's the long term central enterprise. In the meanwhile, I'm developing the plan out to 5 years and the business will grow and change as different crops come "online." Initially the focus will be on delivered produce boxes because vegetables and herbs can come in during the first season. There's no competition and a huge market of retired baby-boomers in Gold Beach and Bandon that are used to the amenities that Portland and Eugene have to offer. Because my model hinges on crop diversity, this works perfectly, as such boxes are designed to deliver local and *seasonal* organic produce. Now, I've decided that as a small producer, I need to save money everywhere possible when starting up. I won't be selling to grocery stores, but instead, getting that retail price myself. As such, I don't really need to go through the laborious and expensive process of becoming certified by Tilth. This will save me several thousand dollars a year in one fell swoop. The amount of money I can save by utilizing pigs and bamboo is truly staggering, now that I'm doing the rudimentary math. Everywhere I can avoid buying in something made of metal I've saved a bunch and hedged my bets against future disruptions in materials or transportation.
The still is simple, and as such, dual purpose. It can be used in the early years to produce essential oils from plants growing on my wood lot, given the unique nature of the forest composition in that area. I can also harvest mushrooms from year 2+ from inoculated logs. I've been tending Marsha's for the last month or so, and I'm here to tell you, there's hardly anything easier than pulling scads of mushrooms from your logs. I dried and pickled 2 grocery bags full of them in a single flush. As long as I'm willing to be diverse, there's no end to the opportunities that may avail themselves. Again, diversification is a hedge against failure.
As things progress, I'll be able to provide horticultural products as well. Grafted fruit trees, saved seeds, home blended soil amendments from year 2+. This will create an additional income stream and foster good-will. Again, there is no one in that area who is specializing in edible horticulture, though there is just one store-front nursery in Bandon. I will make it a point to avoid growing the crops that there already is competition with, avoiding conflict w/ the neighbours. People there are already growing bramble fruits (blackberries, marionberries, raspberries, etc...) and blueberries, making jams and whatnot and selling them at the local store or roadside stands. My advantage is that my education allows me to grow things that require a little extra care or knowledge. The beauty of my model is that every piece of it fits into another piece, saves me effort, discourages pest and weed buildups, conserves soil and water and hopefully will result in a superior product. Well, certainly a novel one.
Speaking of money, how much do I have to start off with? I'm thinking that it'd be good to use no more than 1/3 of it for a down payment if possible, so as to conserve. I know that interest rates are poised to go up in a very big way in the next few years, and it'd be a good idea to lock in a fixed rate while the gettin' is still good. Let me know. I've made it a point to try and carry on my life as if my "trust fund" didn't exist, but it's time is coming up.
Oh, that reminds me. One of Matt's very good friends from high school and his partner are interested in this life-style as well. They are currently living with her parents in Tacoma and are ready to move on. They have the advantage of having lived as such before and are very decent people. We're looking into a way for them to become my renters and partners of sorts. As they fill in some of my knowledge gaps, this strikes me as a great insurance policy. Also, they are both successful artists (Nate did the colours for the Superman Returns book), and that may also help keep Matt sane until the house reaches the luxury proportions he imagines. As the sort of folks who don't mind spending the winter in a yurt, they are ideal candidates to help with this startup phase. I'll know more about their level of commitment when we sit down w/ the plan in a few months time.
As we've figured it, Matt's tastes and needs being far greater than mine, the house is all him and our finances are entirely separate. This way he can splurge all he likes (such as on an underground movie theater designed to look like the bridge of the Starship Enterprise), and I can be as frugal as I like. He has some very grand ideas for how he wants the house to be (and some very sounds ones, too), and we intend to be as active in the building process as possible. We're really looking to save money wherever possible by being as forward thinking as possible. That includes thinking about it's "performance" out to the end of our conceivable lifetimes. It will be a model of sustainability and a showplace when he's done with it. Of course, we'll p'bly start with something far more primitive and work our way up.
I can't tell you how much my mood has lightened now that my mind has something to chew on. A girl needs a purpose, you know. It's far past time I began to put that education to good use, eh? Give my love to dad.
Yours, with sincere conviction and love,
Marie
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [sustag] Visit Twin Cities' community gardens
Date: Thu, 03 Aug 2006 09:57:49 -0500
From: Ann Lewandowski
To: sustag@mail.coafes.umn.edu
Event announcement:
PARADE OF COMMUNITY GARDENS
August 19th, 2006
From 10:00am until 2:00pm
Celebrate the wealth and diversity of community gardens in the Twin Cities with the first annual Parade of Community Gardens! On Saturday, August 19th, over 50 community gardens throughout the Twin Cities will swing open their gates -- to invite community members in to wander, observe, learn, and admire.
Using guided maps parade-goers can walk, bike, or drive from one garden to the next, soaking in each one's unique blend of vegetables, fruits, flowers, herbs, and native grasses. The Parade of Community Gardens will run from 10am to 2pm and is free to the public. For a map and more information, visit the GardenWorks website at www.gardenworksMN.org, or contact GardenWorks at 612-278-7123, info@gardenworksMN.org
-------------------------------------------------
Ann M. Lewandowski
Research Fellow
Department of Soil, Water, and Climate
1991 Upper Buford Circle
University of Minnesota
St. Paul, MN 55108-6028
alewand@umn.edu
612-624-6765
fax: 612-625-2208
--------------------------------------------------_______________________________________________ sustag mailing list sustag@mail.coafes.umn.edu http://mailman.coafes.umn.edu/mailman/listinfo/sustag
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Posted on: Wed, 12 Jul 2006 13-ish (updated Wed, 12 Jul 2006 13-ish)
Dear Sir or Madam,
I have worked for the last 15 years toward beginning an organic, sustainable farm. I've lived several places in the Willamette Valley and in the Coastal foothills, earned a degree in Horticultural Science from OSU and practiced what limited agriculture I can from variously urban environments. My focus during this time has been in the intensive inter cropping of tree-fruits and vines. The time has come -- I'm ready to begin farming, and I hope to do so in your area.
I've spent a lot of time looking for somewhere that not only inspires me, but also seems to have underdeveloped potential for growing a tremendous variety of crops, annual and perennial. After several visits and tours up and down the West Coast, I've found the areas around Port Orford to be the nexus of my Paradise. During my travels in the area, I have consistently found your company to represent the properties of greatest interest to me. I wish to be part of a tight-knit community of thinkers *and* doers -- I do not intend to ever move again. The people I've met in the areas between Bandon and Gold Beach have been among the most genuine I've met in Oregon. The presence of a natural foods outlet, many bookstores and an active peace movement in such a tiny town has cemented my interest.
I hope this doesn't sound overwrought, but this phase is the culmination of many years of dreaming and effort on my part. I have a good chunk of change set aside for a down payment, and the means to pay off a mortgage in relatively short order. Aside from that, I'm not sure where to start. Given the nature of my effort, there is also a great deal of grant money that I will be eligible (and intend) to apply for. I hope to sell my produce directly to local residents and to nearby restaurants. Over time, I also hope to expand my efforts to eventually grow just about everything vegetable and animal one typically purchases at the grocery -- not just berries and salad mix! I know this can be done with the application of minimal agricultural technique and a little creative thinking.
That's where you or someone you know may come in. As I intend to live and work on premises, I don't even know whether I need to talk to someone about a home, business or farm loan. I am specifically looking for a parcel of 20-40acres or so, *without* an ocean view, but with a gentle south or west slope on at least part of the land. We are hoping to build a passive solar home, at least partially inset into a hillside. I know the soils are somewhat movable in that area, so I don't even know if building codes in the area will allow for that. We plan to collect and store water and use an incinerating or composting cammode, in addition to recyling our own gray-water, so existing sewer isn't nearly as important as electric. Chief among our concerns if finding a site that *does not flood*. I do not require land that is already cleared, as I would hope to integrate trees into an agro-forested plan that maximizes marginal spaces and boundary-zone diversity.
My partner is an artist, creative consultant and illustrator and, will also be working from home. As such, we are looking for a site that may or may not have an existing structure on it. Either way, the initial construction will be that of a studio with a high-speed satellite internet connection and a backup power-supply (for when the wind knocks down the rotten power poles, as I understand happens several times a year). My background is extremely varied, so while he is the main "bread-winner" in our family, I am confident I will always be able to find some sort of work during the initial set-up phase. His work is very often done remotely with the occasional visit to Los Angeles. That there are other accomplished artisans already in the area is of great interest to him, as well.
While I have no strict time-table for "the move," I am anxious to begin the process sooner rather than later. Currently in Portland, I am able to wait for the right thing to come along. Our needs are practical, rather than recreational, so ocean views, trout-fishing and access to recreation is of very little importance compared to basic, long-term sustainability issues. I don't think commercial highway access is important in this case, as I view providing good-quality foodstuffs to my neighbors to be of greater import than tourists, especially with the price of fuel increasing to the point where discretionary travel becomes less viable.
Information about ourselves is located at our websites, Sillydog Media and MattHaley.com respectively. I include this information because I am quite serious about our intention to become contributing members of the community. I wish to be as open and forthright as possible to facilitate this.
I don't know how much of this you can speak to, but perhaps you can send me in the right direction or dispel some of the myths I may be using in place of sound assumptions. Please post back at your earliest convenience.
Very sincerely,
Marie Richie
http://www.sillydogmedia.com/
503-232-0308
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Posted on: Thu, 25 Aug 2005 12-ish (updated Thu, 25 Aug 2005 12-ish)
Hooray! Oregon is one of 2 states that isn't losing farmers: http://www.willametteweek.com/story.php?story=6633 .
Indeed, the new farmer in Oregon and Washington is a young woman, well-educated (thank you OSU), organic, local, resourseful, retail-minded, and fanning out accross Cascadia. This is in sharp contrast to conventional ag, whose average practicioner is 60.6 yrs, and up to 64.5 yrs when you count ranchers. Commodity farmers (yes, you too pear and apple orchardists) have a nasty habit of jumping on the bandwagon. Successfull farmers anticipate the curve and move on before it gets crowded. In short, if your fellow Amercians are going to keep eating, I'm telling you people, it's up to us!
To further this goal, how are we going to get on this gravy train and establish ourselves? I saw Deep Roots and Dennison's up at the new SE farmers' market last week and they started out as small, local operations around Corvallis. If you assume a continuing rise in gas prices, local produce is not just a fru-fru luxury, but will rapidly become the only game in town. There are two rules of business that I've been mentally harping on for the last few months of unemployment. 1) Find a niche *and* fill it completely. 2) Envision the trend and be *well* established with enough capacity to take advantage of it.
Just as many of us have come to contemplate a world without access to cheap oil, we must accept locality as our future. Like the Diggers before us who contemplated running out of trees in England, it would seem that Ag's profile is about to be raised, even perhaps on an even keel with the likes of computer programmers and MBAs. ;) Farming is NOT supposed to be stupid work. It's supposed to be systematics and problem solving within ecology. It is the natural realm of those who wish to learn for the rest of their lives.
So, dear friends, family, pirates, wine-makers, nursery-workers, and tramps; time runs short. Would you believe I've been plumbing the depths of the Army War College, old Ecological Impact studies of the Cascadian forests (compiled by the Clinton admin.), European historical documents, and 150 years of climitological data in an effort to estimate the remaining time before these things become impossible? Currently, my Cassandra eye sees 2008 as where things get hairy and 2010 as the point of no return. As Matt would remind me at this juncture, it's a bad idea to get yourself all lathered up in a vacuumn. Where am I going wrong w/ this track of thought? If not, what's the best way to make this happen? Anything backed up by numbers or source materials will have more impact on my decisions than references to the Mayan calender or astrology. Nonetheless, all suggestions will be entertained. I'm serious. Think about this and post back.
As for that $3 tomato, I'm heading down to the market to look for it w/ resumes in hand, but the time will come to do it for myself. It would be easier w/ help. How is this going to happen? Help a sistah out.
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Posted on: Tue, 10 May 2005 20-ish (updated Tue, 10 May 2005 22-ish)
Three strikes and I'm out. I was forced to quit my job a week ago or so, and I'm done w/ the ornamental nursery industry. That was just the "easy" way to do things. Interesting that hard manual labour would be the easy way, but there you go. It was the way that didn't take any guts. I live in a capitalist society, and it's time to start acting like it.
This will soon be a repository for the story of how Marie finally got her farm. I'm in the reading and research phase right now. As I'm on the dole, I'm also looking out for opportunities to work w/ small organic growers. With UI to support the diddly over squat pay involved w/ working for such operations, I've got six months to get my shit together and secure a better living.
It's a nice round number.
I started my research with a book of essays on why this is a monumentally important thing to do. It's all there and has been since the seventies. I'm all rilled up. I'm lookin' @ land to scope out, I'm looking @ grant opportunites from USDA, I'm looking @ this article that appeared in the Boston Globe a few days ago -- it's all there.
The last year and a half of my life has taught me that even incompetant people can make a pretty good living if they posess the huberis to think they should. If I'm going to carve a bit of the future out for myself and mine, I had better be ahead of the curve and there's no time left to fuck around.
Anyhow, announcing it means that if you don't you'll look like a fool, so I need you, dear reader to keep me honest. Or at least, getting up in the morning.
I'll have bees and goats and sheep and chickens and geese. Our cash crop will be specialty cordials, as well as garden greens and veggies for the local resturaunts. We will be entirely sufficient in time. Matt's art will help us make the transition (and keep the satellite connectivity up). Our house will be part of the farm and an intregal part of the heat and water dynamics. I think we'll start on about 10 acres, and I'm lookin' to the Bananna Belt. I have a very good feeling about Gold Beach, as it seems to have local artsy-fartsy and liberal types, but we'll see when I do my recon. An inland valley sort of area, w/in easy reach of the small town.
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Posted on: Wed, 07 Jul 2004 23-ish (updated Thu, 08 Jul 2004 05-ish)
I haven't spent much time on the computer lately due to the sudden appearance of a grand romance. Time gets ascootin' along and next thing you know, it's coming on the middle of summer already. How'd that happen? Shit. Spring passed at such a clip! Well, a girl has to keep busy, right?
To that end, I spent a long weekend in Victoria celebrating such pagan delights as watery drinks and seasickness as well as beautiful flowers and a swanky hotel room w/ delightful company w/ all the ammenities. FYI: two days are probably enough for most people to see what the city of Victoria has to offer. I highly recommend the glass blowing. High tea is all that, though we had ours @ Butchart Gardens at half the price. The gal who drove the Kabuki cab said it was a rip-off right there in Brittish Glory Central.
I have additionally been kept busy recently by seeing my very good pal Red being married-off. You missed your chance boys. Ah, always a bridesmaid, never a bride.
Do you find the pace of time (for lack of a better term) has changed throughout your life? Does it just get faster as we age, as my elders have warned? I find it unlikely that the mundane accumulation of thoughts and responsibilities is responsible for my perception being so fundamentally altered. Your computer wouldn't funtion very well w/ missing clock cycles. It can lead to some nasty misfiling on the part of your RAM. I wonder if that's why they say, "the mind is the first thing to go." You know how they are.
Perhaps one's head does just get too full. It's a simple notion that comforts me, as it's not my fault for perfoming chemistry experiments in my youth.
This could also just be a consequence of getting up @ 5am, but I'm getting shockingly used to it. I'm just not used to going to bed on time.
Having just had another b-day, these morbid things and more occur to me. You can p'bly expect rantings about the ravages of age here soon.
Oh, not that soon. I expect I'll be a mostly unavailable for a bit. ;-)
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