Watch the Reed Farm Grow!

Hey!

Welcome to the Reed Farm Blog: part of the Reed Sustainable Food Project. Here you can watch the farm grow and find out how to get involved.

A little background on the farm:

The Reed Farm was started as part of the Reed Sustainable Food Project. It was a joint effort of Sir Benjamin Hartman and Samuel LF Biddle, pioneers, homesteaders and Quaker school graduates and companions (well they actually didn't really know each other yet, but it worked out pretty great). Sam and Ben both had separate dreams of student grown food finding its way into campus soil (in the spirit of the Old Reed Community Gardens) until they were united at the fabled student activities fair of September 2008. On this great occasion, the two gentle farmers found a common vision in student run production and education farm. Behind the wise and watchful eyes of the Doyle Owl the idea took flight with great support from the Student Senate, Bon Appetit dining services, and the College Administration ( especially from the Physical Plant, Student Activities, Residence Life and SEEDS offices! Special thanks to Towny, Serilda, Kristin and Fawn).

What followed was the acquistion of a small sweet quarter(ish) acre of land next to the school's farm house neighboring the beautiful canyon. In November 2008 the Reed Sustainable Food Project broke ground for the first time on a beautiful autumn Saturday. It was apparent that the farm had made many friends in it's infancy when over 25 volunteers showed up to help double dig and sheet mulch the entire plot with loving care. Soon the farm would fashion beautiful raised beds out of old hardwood flooring from a Hawthorne street renovation, fill them with dirt and prepare them for covered planting during the early months of the spring growing season.

During this period of transition the Reed Sustainable Food Project was generously supported through student body funding and the graceful allocation of funds from the student senate. The Farm was also very lucky to meet such great support from Bon Appetit Management Company GM Debby Harris and Executive Chef Mark Harris. They even offered to buy anything that we had to sell! What more could a farm ask for?

In early March 2009 the first seeds were planted for the new season. They are currently toddling in our fertile soil and at the hands of our gentle farmers preparing for a projected first harvest in early April. Come by and take a look at our baby seedlings! Volunteers have been working hard to beautify the space and prepare for the fickle early season Portland weather. But farmers can be sure that it's easier to grow vegetables in a Portland March than it would be on the East Coast. Thanks for that Pacific Ocean!

In the works are a number of grants (USDA and Oregon Campus Compact) to develop agricultural and entrepreneurial training programs for Portland's youth to practice running small businesses through a CSA and CSA in your backyard model. Reed College's office of Residence Life has also been supportive in creating a theme dorm on campus at the Farm House that will now be known as Homestead House. Homestead House will serve as an annex to the farm and residents will be intimately involved with the daily responsibilities of running a homestead style farm. The Farm hopes to find its way into your heart and bring you together with your friends over some good food, sun, sweat and dirt.

Come on out to our Saturday Work Parties or contact us about other ways that you can help. We could use a lot of help, so any skills that you have to share are more than welcome. We have fun doing whatever we're doing and we laugh a lot. Please come on out and keep checking back here for updates on the freshest news from the farm!

To join our mailing list send an email to reedsustainablefoodproject@gmail.com with the subject: 'iwannahelp'. Thanks for your interest!

All of our Vegetable Love to You!

The Farm