22
Wednesday, April 29, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
GARDENING: Growing
an edible garden can
boost morale
Continued from page 1
innovating, networking with
other gardeners and seek-
ing out information through
classes and local resources.
Whether it9s hungry wild-
life, frosty mornings, or a
lack of knowledge, growers
need all the help they can get.
Classes are available cover-
ing topics like choosing the
right plants, soils, protecting
plants from a hard freeze and
other Central Oregon climate
challenges. Luckily, there are
many hardy, tenacious folks
who have overcome adver-
sity and produced a bounty
of vegetables, herbs and
flowers. Resources abound
like the OSU Extension
Service guide for grow-
ing vegetables in Central
Oregon, the Sisters Garden
Club, and the nonprofit
Seed to Table. Local farms
like Rainshadow Organics
and Mahonia Gardens have
done an amazing job grow-
ing in Sisters Country. They
provide a wealth of insights
and a great source for local
produce.
Beginning April 30,
Audrey Tehan, the executive
director of Seed to Table, is
offering a four-part series,
<Growing Resilience 3 A
Deep Dive Course to Turn
Central Oregon Gardens into
a Food Oasis.=
Seed to Table staff will be
online answering questions
during classes. Tehan offered
the class last year and had 10
students. This year over 60
people are enrolled so far.
This new gardening trend is
affecting veteran growers,
sellers, and newbies alike.
Tehan says it doesn9t have
to be about fear of a food
shortage, but more a return to
self-reliance and the rewards
of fueling your body with the
healthiest, freshest produce
possible. Getting hands back
in the soil can be cathartic,
rewarding and even a stress
reducer 4 at least until frag-
ile plants like tomatoes are
frozen overnight. People
like Tehan have mastered
the skills and strategies to
increase chances for a suc-
cessful, delicious harvest
with enough to share with
neighbors or those in need.
With increased inter-
est, seeds are selling fast,
and supplies for some
are depleted. Vegetable
and herb-starts are selling
quickly. Local stores like
Locavore in Bend are ask-
ing Sisters Country grow-
ers to provide more plants
daily. Cathy Stadeli of C &
C Nursery has seen a big
increase too.
<Starts are flying out the
door!= said Stadeli from their
Sisters nursery on South Pine
Street.
<Vegetables are kind of
like toilet paper this year,=
said her husband Chad with
a laugh.
Sisters Country grower
Gayle Hoagland has been
growing and selling veg-
etables, herbs, and flowers
for many years. In the past,
Hoagland purchased some
of her organic starts from
a big grower in the Valley.
But that wasn9t an option
this year. With the grower9s
inventory moving out the
door as fast as they could
grow it, Hoagland had to
start more plants from seeds.
<They told me demand for
their vegetables is up by 500
percent. They can9t keep
up with the demand even
with 30 greenhouses,= said
Hoagland from her Sisters
Country operation.
Hoagland is doing all she
can to keep up with the pan-
demic-related demand.
<I just started a whole
bunch more seeds in my
greenhouse. It9s early here
to plant much of anything
unless you have hardy greens
or a greenhouse. My sales
are significantly up from last
year. I need more help, so
Erik is transplanting seeds
for the on-going demand.
I am part of a Facebook
group called Central Oregon
Gardener and it9s really
growing too. There9s more
interest from people new to
gardening or the area.=
Tehan is excited that peo-
ple recognize there9s a lot to
learn about gardening.
<We9ve gotten away from
that in the last few decides
with changing lifestyles,=
she said. <More people
want to regain that skill set.
Seed to Table grows 40,000
pounds of food on an acre
and a half. You can grow all
your salad in containers on
your porch. If you have five
kale plants, they will keep
providing the whole season.
Small spaces are powerful
in providing food. We live
in a desert; we might as well
use the water for something
edible. People are looking at
their spaces differently and
getting creative about how to
use what they have.=
Tehan appreciates the sen-
timent of a victory garden.
<We are in a trying time
and wondering how we9re
going to overcome this,=
said Tehan. <It9s about keep-
ing our families healthy.
Minimizing exposure for
most involves the necessity
of going to the store. It9s also
filling our time and minds
with productivity. There9s
nothing more exciting than
watching a seed grow and
then preparing a meal with
it.=
Learn more about Seed
to Table on their website,
seedtotableoregon.org. Visit
the OSU Cascade Extension
Service at https://catalog.
extension.oregonstate.edu/
em9128; Gayle Hoagland
can be reached at gaylehoag
land@aol.com.
THE REAL ESTATE MARKET IS STILL ACTIVE!
I have buyers, sellers, recent closings and transactions
in escrow…how can I assist with your real estate goals?
J Jen McCrystal, Broker
5 541-420-4347 • jen@reedbros.com
Reed Bros. Realty
291 W. Cascade Ave., Sisters
541-549-6000 | www.reedbros.com
Each office independently owned and operated.
A Giant Among Realtors
Superior
Escrow
Execution
Ultimate
Service
Buying or Selling your Castle?
I have the expertise &
experience you need.
Ellen Wood, Broker, GRI, ABR
ellen.wood@cascadesir.com
541-588-0033 | 290 E. Cascade Ave., Sisters
Stop by and visit with Tiana Van Landuyt & Shelley Marsh.
220 S. Pine St., Ste. 102 | 541-548-9180
THE ARENDS & SCOTT REALTY GROUP
Discover the Diff erence
“There’s no place
like home!”
Khiva Beckwith - Broker
rok
ker
Phil Arends
Principal Broker
CORRECTION
541-420-9997
phil.arends@cascadesir.com
Licensed in the State of Oregon
The raptor featured in the
photo on the front page of The
Nugget April 22 was incor-
rectly identified as a golden
eagle. In fact, it is a large
red-tailed hawk. Thanks to
Sue Tank of Paulina Springs
Books for the correction.
Chris Scott
Broker
541-588-6614
chris.scott@cascadesir.com
Licensed in the State of Oregon
541-420-2165
khivarealestate@gmail.com
www.khivasellscentraloregon.com
Mayfi eld Realty
809 SW Canyon Dr., Redmond
O DAY
PE N DI N G I N TW
S!
69230 TAPIDERO, SISTERS
Desirable Tollgate neighborhood home, 1,568 sq. ft. open fl oor
plan, updates throughout. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths on .53 acres.
Access points to USNF, Tollgate amenities. MLS#202002947
WE HAVE BUYERS, NOT ENOUGH INVENTORY!
Call me to list your home today!
Sheila Reifschneider, Broker, 541-408-6355
PHOTO BY CEILI CORNELIUS
Licensed Broker in Oregon | sheila@reedbros.com
Coldwell Banker Reed Bros. Realty
291 W. Cascade Ave. | 541-549-6000
Visit NuggetNews.com or Facebook.com/NuggetNews for breaking news, updates and the