2 Summer 2021 Applegater
Building resilient community
food systems in the Applegate
Paragliders to take to the sky
again for Applegate race
BY ALISON HENSLEY SEXAUER
BY TERRI STEWART
A “community food system” is
everything involved in getting food
onto our plates and what happens after.
It includes the growing, harvesting,
processing, packaging, transporting,
marketing, consumption, distribution,
and disposal of food. It includes the
needed inputs (water, soil, oil, fertilizers,
and more) and the outputs. It includes
who has access to food, and who doesn’t.
It includes the social, political, and
environmental impacts of these actions,
and, of course, it involves you. It includes
the whole interconnected, complex web
of life that feeds us and those around us.
“We live in a beautiful, abundant, and
amazing place. So much to offer. Sure,
there are missing pieces, but a lot of folks
don’t know what is already here and how
people can access it,” said Megan Fehrman,
who has been working in food systems in
southern Oregon for many years with the
Rogue Farm Corps and is director of vision
strategy for A Greater Applegate.
Did you know you live in a food and
farming mecca? The Applegate is a place
where people come from afar to visit
farms, wineries, and foodie destinations
through both the Rogue Valley Farm
Tour (roguevalleyfarmtour.com) and the
Rogue Valley Food Trail (traveloregon.
com/things-to-do/eat-drink/oregon-
food-trails/rogue-valley-food-trail/). It is
a place where, in almost every tributary
of the Applegate River, one can find a
small farmstand or micro ranch or farm
offering plant starts, veggies, eggs, meats,
breads, and cheeses. It is a place with a
diversity of microclimates, native and
medicinal plants, and great soils. Have
you discovered your foodshed yet? If you
haven’t, I invite you to get to know your
community food system. And I challenge
you to take one step closer to localizing
your diet, whatever that means for you.
If you feel like “eating local” is too
expensive, consider a few things: One, if
you qualify, you can sign up for SNAP
(Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program) to help your food budget. Turn
those dollars around and put them straight
back into your community. To learn if you
qualify, go to oregon.gov/dhs/assistance/
food-benefits/. Also, if you have access
to a little plot of land, or a friend’s place,
growing your own is one of the least
expensive and most rewarding ways to
support local food production. Be sure to
get localized and non-GMO seeds from
our many seed growers here in the valley.
There are so many ways to deepen our
relationship to our food, the place it comes
from, and the people who grow it. Here
are a few resources to support you in your
journey to meeting your local foodshed:
• Join a CSA. In the Applegate we
have veggie, milk, and meat shares!
“CSA” stands for Community Supported
Agriculture, and it is a way for our farmers
to get a leg up on the season and know
what to expect. You can find a list of
local CSAs in this year’s Rogue Flavor
Guide. Pick one up or find one online at
rvfoodsystem.org/rogueflavor.
• Shop hyperlocally at the Applegate
Evening Market in Ruch from 5-8 pm
Wednesdays (see coupon, page 22), or the
Williams Farmers Market on Mondays.
• Shop at Whistling Duck Farm Store,
a one-stop shop for basic organic and
local products. They now accept Oregon
Trail Cards (aka EBT—electronic benefit
transfer—aka SNAP—Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program)! Takubeh
and the Williams Farm Store also often
support small local growers and artisans.
• Find your neighborhood farm stand.
Eggs, cheese, milk, dairy, or veggies—you
can find it all. Consider it a treasure hunt!
• Meet your neighbors. Grow a garden
and share the bounty, or patronize your
neighbors’ businesses.
Want to get more involved? There
are some of us who just can’t get enough
of working towards a more resilient,
sustainable, and equitable food system.
We have a long way to go and need all
hands on deck, so please reach out and
let’s work together.
Alison Hensley Sexauer, Coordinator
Rogue Valley Food System
coordinator@rvfoodsystem.org
The Rogue
Va l l e y H a n g
Gliding and
Paragliding
Association has
been busy planning
the revitalization
of the annual
Applegate Open
Paragliding Race
after the global
health crisis forced
its cancellation in
2020. This year’s
race is scheduled
for June 19-
2 6 . Re s i d e n t s ,
businesses, and
spectators alike can
expect to see nearly
200 colorful wings soaring the skies from
Woodrat Mountain. Wells Land Vineyard
is the event host this year. Pilots often
land there and at LongSword Vineyard
during the week.
It’s likely you will see pilots landing
throughout the Applegate Valley and
beyond depending on the weather. There
are many locations open to the public,
including LongSword Vineyard, to view
the event. Organizers hope the public will,
for safety purposes, take advantage of the
many wineries to sip and watch rather than
stopping along Highway 238.
Organizers are hoping the community
will support the race! Here’s how you can
help: If you see pilots in need of a lift,
feel free to offer them one. If you see a
pilot in distress, please contact emergency
services immediately.
Pilots will be attempting to fly to
designated goal fields throughout the
valley, but sometimes they don’t make it
and land short. Pilots are briefed to avoid
fields where there are crops or where the
landowner has notified the local club
they are not welcome to land. But
sometimes it happens. If there are
problems, please contact the organizer.
Also, if you have a large field on your
property that you are happy to have pilots
■ EVENING MARKET
Continued from page 1
to the mellow tones of the Day Trippers
band as the sun made a slow journey over
the mountains.
It was all about community.
“We came here to support a local
event,” said Tracy and Eric Lindorf, from
Humbug Creek. “We used to go to the
Barter Fair and loved the local artisans.”
Alix Marmulstein, a local business
owner (Blissful Being, with massage,
yoga, and herbalism), said she had come
because she was “enthusiastic to support
the community.”
Haley and Andy Peterson, from
Thompson Creek, came out of curiosity
and because it was close. “If we had to
go all the way to town, we wouldn’t have
come,” Haley said. They were impressed
by the number of booths and attendees
at the event.
“Local” seemed to be the theme. Most
of the vendors were from the Applegate
or Jacksonville. The farthest away was
from Ashland.
The initial vision for the market was
clear. “Our dream is to have enough
producers and farmers so the community
can buy local meat, cheese, mushrooms,
bread, and produce so you won’t have to
go to town for a grocery store,” Alison
A pilot's view of Wells Land Vineyard.
Photo: Dan Wells.
land on, please contact Board@RVHPA.
org for further discussion.
Planning an event during a pandemic
poses some challenges, but organizers
want to assure the public that COVID-19
protocols are in place, including
vaccinations and negative testing for pilots
and staff. Attendees will be wearing masks
and social distancing. Hand sanitizer will
be available and proper cleaning standards
will be followed. Keeping the pilots and
the community safe is our top priority.
Area businesses wishing to offer
discounts or otherwise increase patron
traffic during race week are welcomed to
contact AO-Organizer@RVHPA.org to
discuss details.
Volunteers needed
Finally, we are looking for volunteers.
Each year about 30 non-race pilots travel
to support the event and get a few flights
in; however, the public health crisis is
forcing many to stay safe at home. If you
are interested in volunteering for the race
event, lunch is on us. Please contact AO-
volunteers@RVHPA.org to learn more.
Terri Stewart
President
Rogue Valley Hang Gliding and
Paragliding Association
President2019@RVHPA.org
Laura Ahearn
does double
duty in the
combined
McKee Bridge
Historical
Society and
Friends of the
Animal Shelter
booth. Photo:
Diana Coogle.
Community residents and vendors turn out in droves
for the new Applegate Evening Market. Photo: Sarah Osborn.
said. “Ruch Store is great for the things it
provides, but it’s hard for them to support
local farmers.” She hopes the Applegate
Evening Market will step into the vacuum.
The market has a good start for doing
that, with beef from Salant Family Ranch,
cheese from Huizache, produce from
Red Buttes and Red Fern farms, eggs
from Birds and Bees, and muffins from
Paulazzo Pasticceria.
The idea of having a farmers market in
the Applegate has been floating around the
valley for a long time. A Greater Applegate
(AGA) and the Rogue Valley Food
Network have been listening to Applegate
farmers, who prioritized a local market on
their list of needs. AGA gave the Applegate
Evening Market a boost with a Technical
Assistance grant for small businesses.
“It was a community call that was heard
and picked up on,” Alison said.
“A void that needed to be filled” was the
way Sarah put it. And she had the land to
do it on. When she bought the old Fiasco
Winery last year, she felt it had “tons of
potential” as a spot for hosting events. So,
as she and Sarah were brainstorming over
lunch at the Indigo Grill, the idea of the
Applegate Evening Market was born.
“Sarah took the idea and ran with it,”
Alison said, but Sarah has equal praise
for Alison: “She is amazing in making
things happen. She moved everything in
a forward direction.”
The third partner, James Mulhern,
market manager, has been equally
instrumental. He is “the face of the
market.” And he was thrilled with the
opening day’s turnout. “Applegaters are so
supportive,” he said. “There are so many
small businesses in the Applegate, we have
a waiting list for booths.”
The market will be open from 5 to 8
pm every Wednesday through October.
There’ll be music from 5:30-7:30 pm.
The market is ADA accessible and family-
friendly. Dogs and smoking are not
allowed. Masks and social distancing
are encouraged.
Ken Snope, with the Day Trippers,
neatly summed up the general feeling: “It’s
an awesome event.”
Diana Coogle • diana@applegater.org
