Our Practices

Our passion

We do not use chemical sprays or synthetic fertilizers. This keeps our soil and water clean and our farm full of pollinators and beneficial insects. Our no till farming method and raised beds reduce our reliance on the extremely polluting fossil fuels, while hosting a thriving ecosystem of insects, microbes, and fungi. We only use clean, organic, and almost exclusively local inputs for fertility. This includes local straw, alpaca manure, wood chips, and leaf compost. We only use organic mulch which greatly reduces our use of plastics. It also feeds the soil and reduces water usage while keeping weeds down.

There are many reasons we have chosen to farm with a no-till method. Tilling is primarily employed for weed control. By tilling the soil, as much as a foot of the soil can be disturbed and overturned. This disrupts the life-cycle of pests and weeds in the soil, but also damages the healthy microbial life within the soil, exposes the soil to erosion, and eliminates topsoil, the layer most rich in nutrients from previous crop residue and amendments.

No-till farming is soil conservation farming. It is also a practice in water conservation. By not disrupting the topsoil, we are leaving much of the crop residue from last year which nearly eliminates soil erosion. The soil's water retention is also increased, meaning less water evaporates and the amount of water needed to water a given crop is reduced. No-till farming also promotes vast biodiversity in the soil. The microbes and organisms aren't being disturbed, and therefore flourish, creating a more balanced and nutrient rich environment for growing delicious, clean, healthy crops.

About the Farmer, Alex VanOutryve

Who we are

At any given time on any day, Alex can be found working in one of the hoophouses, working in the garden, or planning even more exciting things for the future. His kids, Nataliah, Lee, and Veda, can be found nibbling from the garden, helping where they can, and dazzling everyone with smiles at farmers markets. Alex continues to learn more each year about farming, much through experience but also by reading and connecting with other growers. He is constantly on the search for more knowledge about efficient small-scale market farming, natural building, and alternative energy to live a more sustainable and self-sufficient life for his family and community. You'll be hard pressed to find a person who puts as much emphasis and importance on feeding clean, healthy, sustainable food to his community.

Find us at Farmers Markets

Thursdays, June-October Portland South Waterfront Market 2p-7p
Saturdays, April-October Salem Farmers Market 9a-2p
Saturdays, May-October Happy Valley Farmers Market 9a-2p
Saturdays, July-October Lake Oswego 8:30a-1:30p 
 

Address::

16310 Ellendale Rd
Dallas, OR


Contact:

avanout007@gmail.com
516-784-6889

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