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!”
