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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (March 14, 2018)
18 Wednesday, March 14, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon LOCALLY GROWN: Options are healthy for people and economy Continued from page 14 adventurous with your food, or want more flexibility, com- mit to shopping at the summer farmer’s market every Friday. Change the way you shop. Go to the market first, see what is in season, support multiple farms, and then do your meal planning for the week. Make it part of your routine. If a narrow window of time on Fridays doesn’t work for your schedule, head on out to the Rainshadow Organics Farm Store, open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m Tuesday through Saturday, May through October. There, you can tour the farm that raises a full diet; vegetables, meats, fruits, grains, honey, and dairy. They also offer pre- served goods such as tomato sauce, all kinds of pickles, hot sauce, apple sauce, jams, herbal teas, fermented foods. And even lunch. 95 percent from the farm. 100 percent organic. They offer all of these things to their com- munity as a way to share their agrarian way of life. It feels like a gift to them and they feel obligated to share. When you find yourself at any other grocery, know your farms and ask the grocer for meats, grains, vegetables and fruits that are locally raised. If you do not ask, they will not know that consumers want local, organic food. You thus remain enslaved to what is available from thousands of miles away, devoid of nutri- ents and flavor by the time it reaches you. It is time to ask yourself why you want what you want, when you want it, no matter the cost to commu- nities of humans, plants, and animals, let alone the quality of the food. Buying local food is an active and tangible way to be a part of the solution. When the world feels overwhelm- ing and there is nothing you can do… buy local food. Contribute to the well-being and viability of your town by supporting young people pas- sionate about farming. They need a food culture that sup- ports them as small farmers. They will be able to host more children on the farm, hire more employees, cultivate biodiversity and soil health, while ensuring food security. Sarahlee Lawrence is the owner and proprietor of Rainshadow Organics Increasing food security Roughly one out of every eight Americans is consid- ered food insecure, meaning that at times they are not cer- tain they could get enough food to meet their family’s nutritional needs. To improve food security in Central Oregon, the nonprofit High Desert Food & Farm Alliance (HDFFA) received a three- year grant for $362,000 from USDA through their Community Food Projects (CFP) program. These grants give commu- nities the tools and resources they need to become self- sufficient in meeting their food needs while also responding to local food access, farm, and nutritional issues. One of HDFFA’s part- ners will be the Sisters-based Seed to Table program. HDFFA was the only recipient in the state of Oregon and is excited to implement their project enti- tled, “Growing it Forward.” The project has multiple initiatives all centered around supporting our food system. “These grant funds will be used to purchase season extenders for farmers so they can grow more food for our community, and to work with NeighborImpact to provide a mobile food truck that will travel to Crook and Jefferson counties to deliver more fresh and healthy foods,” stated Katrina Van Dis, HDFFA’s executive director. “Over the next three years, HDFFA will develop projects such as ready-made local produce bags with recipes for food pantry clients, pro- vide cooking classes in seven communities, and develop a food recovery and waste reduction program with local institutions. “This project is only possible with the sup- port and collaboration of our community partners such as NeighborImpact and Seed to Table, two nonprofits focused on providing more food to low-income families,” stated Van Dis. The nonprofit education farm Seed to Table Oregon is located in Sisters and grows food that is delivered to local food pantries. In an effort to incorporate more fresh foods into meals, HDFFA will cre- ate ready-to-go meal bags that have simple recipes and Savory Spice Shop spices that can then be coupled with foods available at the pantry and from the farm. “The partnership will help all community members eat healthy food no matter what they earn financially,” said Audrey Tehan, execu- tive director of Seed to Table Oregon. Everyone deserves to have fresh, convenient meals whether they are delivered to your house in a box or put together at a local pantry, and this is an easy way to make it accessible to everyone. Supporting a sustainable community food system is at the root of HDFFA’s mis- sion, to support a healthy and vibrant food and farm network through education, collaboration, and inclusiv- ity. A food system is the path that food travels from field to fork. It includes the growing, harvesting, pro- cessing, packaging, trans- porting, marketing, con- suming, and disposing of f ood. For more information on food systems or to get involved visit www.hdffa. org. Rain shadow Or ganics Call make a reserva о f lunch! C e visit r farm s re! Full Market • Veggies • Meats • Grains • Sauces Pickles •Tea • Honey & Fermented Items All n and proce ed at the farm! Open Tuesday -Saturday fr om May through October; Open Saturdays in the winter. 21290 Holmes Road, Sisters www.rainshadoworganics.com It’s Listing Season Call me today for an honest, accurate home valuation before you list. “Ross went above and beyond in selling our home. There were some challenges along the way, all of which he met, and always with a positive attitude. We highly recommend Ross.” - A. Brown & K. Thomson Ross Kennedy, Principal Broker Luxury Home Specialist 541-408-1343 Serving Black Butte Ranch & the greater Sisters area 541-549-5555 Sisters 541-595-3838 The Ranch Come visit our new Farm Store! Located 15 miles northeast of Sisters on the scenic bicycle route down Holmes Road. May through October, we will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. You’ll find organic vegetables, herbs, fruits, meats, krauts, sauces, honey, pick- les, teas, fresh-milled and whole grains. A full diet grown here, at Rainshadow Organics! Join us for lunch! We offer a daily soup, salad and fresh-pressed juice. Wood-fired pizzas on Thursday and Saturday. We also host lunch and dinner parties by reservation. Throughout the summer we will be hosting four Longtable Dinners on the farm consisting of three courses created from our beautiful organic produce, grains, and meats. Visit www.rainshadoworganics.com for upcom- ing cooking classes and farm tours as well as tick- ets, reservations, and more information about our food membership programs. Ross Kennedy Realtor Ross Kennedy is marking his 11th year in real estate — and he takes a lot of satisfaction in know- ing that he’s helped many people find a home in Sisters Country. Ross is a Principal Broker with Howells Realty Group, helping clients sell or purchase homes in Black Butte Ranch and the greater Sisters area. Honesty and accuracy are hallmarks of Ross Kennedy’s work; his negotiating skills ensure the best scenario for his client, whether they are buy- ing or selling. He is a Luxury Home Specialist and offers superior marketing and advertising expertise. Results speak for themselves — and so do cli- ents like Wendy Egan: “I recently purchased a home in Sisters, and Ross Kennedy was the pur- chasing Realtor. I could not have been happier with Ross. He was a pleasure to work with, was very attentive to my questions, and did an excellent job. I would use him again, and highly recommend him!”
