Published in Fall 2024
By: Talia Levy, OSU Extension Service Small Farms Program
This September, Small Farm School celebrated 13 years of bringing together farmers and farm support agencies on a day full of rain, sun, hands on learning, lecture, good food, and sharing experiential knowledge. Over the years this event has grown and evolved, resulting in a record number of over 250 participants attending classes and 8 organizations on the planning team.
1. Morning snacks with allergens noted. Photo credit: Talia Levy
The day began with farmers navigating rainstorms and traffic to arrive early at Clackamas Community College in Oregon City. Surrounded by classrooms, high tunnels, the student farm, and the orchard on campus, the speakers and organizers prepared to offer thirty classes throughout the day.
The event clicked into gear when Heidi Noordijk, the OSU Extension Metro Small Farms Coordinator, hopped on the PA system to welcome everyone. Noordijk has been key to making this event a reality since year one, and she greeted many familiar and new faces alike.
After the welcome address, participants found their way to classrooms or took a walk over to the orchard. At the Home Orchard Education Center Tonia Lordy showed participants examples of low input, high value fruit crops grown on-site. Simultaneously, Josh Anderson from Canby Rental & Equipment opened up an engine in order to cover the basics of how a 4-stroke engine operates.
First thing that morning Todd Anderson of the Small Farms Extension team was also discussing strategies to incorporate culturally important crops such as nopal, ginger, sweet potatoes, and persimmons into farms; and there was also Jen Aron of Blue Raven Farm emphasizing crucial aspects of soil health for farmers, with a greenhouse inoculant demo.
That is just the tip of the iceberg! Throughout the day there were four classes dedicated to soil, four about use of water, and five hands-on options, among other offerings.
Behind the scenes, Kelly Streit and Buffy Rhoades of Extension’s Family and Community Health program were getting morning snacks ready, in collaboration with Teva Needleman of the Black Food Sovereignty Coalition. Streit is a planner who has been involved with Small Farm School since year one – and this has been a very important bridge between nutrition and farming – something that all farmers recognize as crucial. The team obtained grapes and melons from OSU’s North Willamette Research and Extension Center, harvested just two days before the event. The melons came from Small Farm Extension’s dry farmed and irrigation deficit trials.
Gather Around Nutrition catered the event, sourcing produce from Pablo Muñoz Farms, Flying Coyote Farm, and Gathering Together Farm; supporting farmers in the valley.
During the extended lunch break Teagan Moran and Crystal Kelso of OSU Extension Small Farms Program facilitated a co-hort for women and nonbinary military veteran farmers supported by American Farmland Trust, and Sachin Bangalore of Zenger Farm organized a gathering area for BIPOC farmers. Participants had time to network and share knowledge, as well as interact with the nineteen exhibitors who came equipped with a wealth of resources and wares. Exhibitors ranged from farm supply businesses to local nonprofits, government agencies, and fellow extension programs. All the while the sun and the rain alternated and farmers donned their raincoats or went out to picnic in the sunshine.
The final block of classes welcomed the most hands-on options of the day, with Michelle Week of Good Rain Farm demonstrating how to use small machinery. She was joined by Carmen Arnce of BCS America who demonstrated how to use walk-behind tractors. Simultaneously, at the student farm, Josh Volk of Slow Hand Farm demonstrated how to install drip irrigation, and Nate Stacey of OSU Small Farms Extension showed farmers how to use a probe to sample soil and interpret results.
Small Farm School wrapped up with an afterparty at the Home Orchard Education Center (HOEC), hosted by Brittney Deming of Friends of Family Farmers, Nitza Bernard of Rogue Farm Corps, and Tonia Lordy of HOEC. Tonia provided a tour of the orchard sharing the diversity of fruits and cultivars with farmers. The on-site afterparty provided space to continue conversations and networking with even more snacks in hand.
The event is a collaboration between OSU Extension, Clackamas Community College, Clackamas Soil & Water Conservation District, Friends of Family Farmers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rogue Farm Corps, Black Food Sovereignty Coalition, and Zenger Farm. The strength of this collaboration led to a robust program and provided opportunities for input of many voices.
2. Michelle Week demonstrates how to use small machinery on the small farm. Photo credit: Amanda Loman | 3. Josh Volk demonstrates the hands on set-up of drip irrigation. Photo credit: Amanda Loman
The Small Farm School team was able to offer at least 78 discounted or free registrations this year to students, underserved communities, and in response to needs-based requests. This was only possible because of the robust support from many different sponsors.
The partnerships of Small Farm School leverage the skills and resources of many organizations and showcase an excellent example of food systems strengthening.
To stay in the loop for next year, visit the website at https://beav.es/smallfarmschool, sign up for the mailing list at https://extension.oregonstate.edu/ newsletter/metro-small-farms-program-newsletter, or follow the Metro Small Farms Program on social media. https://www.instagram.com/nwvsmallfarms/