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Wednesday, August 7, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Commentary...
A journey to the farm Olympics
By Audrey Tehan
Columnist
My favorite day this spring
was the first-ever sixth-grade
Farm Olympics. Students had
been visiting the farm four
times a year, every year since
the second grade. A challenge
surrounding science, health,
and agriculture was just what
they needed.
The opening ceremony
led teams to chant their team
names and cheers before
they embarked on their four
Olympic farm events. The
plant part relay relied on a
delicate balance of speed and
wit. The compost jeopardy
necessitated a keen eye and
brought teams together for in-
depth brainstorming sessions.
Sheer muscle and teamwork
had to be utilized during
the bed preparation station.
Scientific inquiry was critical
to the soil nutrient testing and
finally, the blind taste-testing
made students tune into their
senses. The final prize: eter-
nal recognition as the winners
of the 2019 Farm Olympics
4 and $5 gift cards to Sisters
Coffee Co.
Our education programs
are the key focus on Seed to
Table Farm. The food pro-
duction, the soil health, and
management of pests serve
as the perfect classroom
for hands-on exploration of
nutrition and science. This
spring our education pro-
grams grew leaps and bounds
in the quality and quantity of
students served. Due to com-
munity support and the gen-
erous donations of individu-
als, the Collins Foundation
and the Oregon Community
Foundation, Seed to Table
was able to hire education
coordination. Our previous
capacity could not keep up
with demand from teachers
and students.
To start the spring off
we hired Andrea Del Rio, to
serve as our part-time high
school education coordinator
and Crystal Vogt to serve as
our part-time K-8 coordina-
tor. Ramping up with these
two inspired individuals took
our classes to another level;
we developed twice as many
lessons to integrate next-gen-
eration science standards into
more grade-specific activi-
ties. We were able to dive into
the school and offer K-4 gar-
den club programming three
days a week during recess
and after school. Some days
there was a line out the door
as students chose to spend
their free time with their
hands in the dirt.
At the high school level,
we culminated months of
learning and growing in the
four-season greenhouse into
an Iron Grower and Iron Chef
competition. The high school
agriculture class stunned our
board with their presenta-
tions of cucumbers growing
up to the ceiling and cherry
tomatoes ripening in early
June (this is an amazing feat).
Incorporating these foods into
our life does not stop when
students leave the green-
house. Students were chal-
lenged to create a seed-to-
table meal incorporating 60
percent of the produce they
grew, 30 percent of items
grown or raised in Oregon
and 10 percent of items could
be sourced from anywhere.
The culinary classroom at
the school was a sensory
overload of roasting toma-
toes, basil sorbet, zucchini
noodles and more. It was per-
haps the most delicious end-
ing to a class that I have ever
experienced.
Our newest project has
been an honor as we were
invited members of the
Confederated Tribes of Warm
Springs, to help establish a
seed-to-table-type program
for their K-8 Academy. Seed
to Table was approached by
tribal members, two years ago
as Seed to Table and Warm
Springs were working on
increasing the local foods of
school lunches. Tribal mem-
ber John Brunoe was inspired
to create a garden-based well-
ness program in their commu-
nity. This spring we greeted
all the second- and eighth-
grade students of the Warm
Springs K-8 Academy on
Seed to Table Farm. Teachers
and OSU garden program
coordinators shadowed staff
and are being mentored on
how to integrate gardens into
daily activities and the intri-
cacies of growing food in
the high desert. This will be
a three-year project to assist
the Warm Springs commu-
nity in developing their own
seed-to-table program to help
increase access to nutritious
foods and engage students in
farm/earth-based education.
Seed to Table has been
busy this past spring. Thank
you so much to everyone
who supports us by following
along, purchasing produce at
the farmers market, becom-
ing a produce share member
or coming to one of our many
events. Being a consumer
of local veggies or a donor;
you are leading the way in
improving the health of our
community and supporting
1,500 students in receiving
farm-based education! The
foundation of our farm is our
education programs; student9s
experience is at the center of
everything we do.
Please make sure to join us
at the Sisters Farmers Market
at Fir Street Park on Sundays
from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Subscribers will also
receive an email that high-
lights all of the events we
have coming up on the farm
in August and September.
To celebrate the success of
our programs thus far, please
join us August 7, for our
Growing Community Event
from 4 to 7 p.m. The event
will be held at Seed to Table
Farm and feature Boone Dog
Pizza, a kids9 Farm Olympics
and live music. Tickets at the
door. We take cash, card, and
check. More information at
www.seedtotableoregon.org/
events.
Mt. Jefferson
hiking trail
reopens two
years after
wildfire
Legislature
fails to
approve
state hemp
commission
PORTLAND (AP) 4
One of the most popular
treks to Mount Jefferson
has reopened more than two
years after a wildfire closed it
to public access.
The U.S. Forest Service
announced Wednesday night
that the Whitewater trail in
Central Oregon had officially
reopened.
The
Oregonian/
OregonLive reports the trail
was heavily damaged by a
wildfire that started in July
2017 from a lightning strike.
The fire smoldered for
weeks before wind picked up
the flames. The fire burned
more than 22 square miles of
forest before cooling down
months later.
The Whitewater trail is
one of the most popular ways
to access Jefferson Park at the
base of Mount Jefferson.
In 2018, Willamette
National Forest officials esti-
mated the cost of repairing
the trail at $73,500.
Officials had hoped to
reopen it earlier, but in May
extended the closure for more
clean up.
SALEM (AP) 4 A pro-
posal for an Oregon Hemp
Commission has died in a
Legislative committee.
The East Oregonian
reported Friday that the
proposal for a commission
to raise research funds for
Oregon9s hemp industry failed
to pass the Joint Ways and
Means Committee in June.
The committee approves
budget measures in each
legislative session; a similar
proposal was rejected by the
committee two years ago.
An Oregon State
University researcher says an
industry-wide organization
would help increase under-
standing of the difficulties
faced by hemp growers.
Annual hemp production
in Oregon has increased from
less than a square mile (2.6
square kilometers) to more
than 78 square miles (202
square kilometers) in the past
five years.
Officials say Oregon
already has 23 commod-
ity commissions that collect
assessment fees from farmers,
ranchers and fishermen.
SA V E TH E
DA TE!
Central Oregon’s
Premier Juried
Fine Art & Craft
Show and Sale
August 23 - 25, 2019
Come see the largest selection of
HATS
in town!
Sakroots
Purses
Minnetonka
Sandals
Hair, Nails,
Brows &
Waxing
Serving Sisters
Since 1995
FAMILY OWNED.
SISTERS PROUD.
541-549-4349
541-549-6566
290 W. Cascade Ave. 541-549-8424
www.mackenziecreekmercantile.com
484 W. Washington Ave.
Suite B
260 N. Pine St., Sisters
Licensed / Bonded / Insured
CCB#87587
Art InTheHighDesert.com
T h a n k s fo r
their suppor t!
For safety, no dogs/pets allowed.
Th ank you.