Sauvie Island Organics

Nervous chairs dreading the approaching lunch crowd

This Saturday we visited the local farm where our vegetables are grown! Beginning this month we are switching to Sauvie Island Organics for our CSA delivery, which we will pick up weekly at the local drop-off site about a mile away. One reason we switched was simply to try something new, but another reason is that this farm is much closer to home - only 15 miles from downtown Portland.

It was a beautiful day on the farm as we took a guided tour of the fields and shared a potluck lunch with other members. Much of the crop was just starting out but we got to see little lettuces, little arugulas and little broccolis! The farm is about 16 acres according to the website, and they use all natural practices for raising and maintaining the crops. Unlike a huge commercial farm that only produces one highly fertilized crop to sell in mass quantities (like one variety of potato to sell to fast food restaurants for fries), small organic farms work the land in ways that promote its natural health and then sell straight to individuals and local markets. The crop diversity is different from one season to the next which contributes to the health of the land and the vegetables produced.

Sauvie Island is the largest on the Columbia River, and primarily farmland.

Wee vegetables!

!!!

Sarah samples the arugula

Outdoor lunch

There were are lot of small children with their parents at the farm this weekend. It's encouraging to see these youngsters learn about organic farming and start their lives eating healthy food. We're very lucky to live in Portland which has farms, forests and mountains close by, just beyond the city.