The Growing Importance of Local Farming

The Growing Importance of Local Farming
In the Portland Metro area, the popularity of farmers markets and local agriculture continues to grow, fueled by small-scale farms that emphasize sustainability. Given Lake Oswego's focus on sustainability, small farms are vital to the local food system that urban Oregonians celebrate every week emphasized by crowding into our local farmer's markets. The Oregon Farmers’ Markets Association estimates the number of farmers markets in the state has grown from 12 to 158 since 1987.
In addition to Farmers Markets there are more than 50 Community Supported Agriculture plots (CSA) located in the Portland Metro area.
http://www.localharvest.org/search-csa.jsp?m&zip=97201&lat=45.49862&lon=-122.692&scale=9&p=12
Here we are fortunate to have our own CSA located at Luscher Farm associated with over 150 Lake Oswego Community Garden plots for our local citizens. The Luscher Farm Community Supported Agriculture project is a joint venture between the 47th Avenue Farm and Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation. Owner Laura Masterson began the 47th Avenue Farm over 17 years ago in the Woodstock neighborhood of S.E. Portland in order to provide top quality fresh local produce. The CSA project has expanded over the years and now manages land throughout the Metro area including Luscher Farm and the goals and dedication to quality have remained the same.
The CSA model offers a unique opportunity to strengthen the relationship between farmers and consumers. Local residents reap the benefit of each season’s bountiful harvest. Members come to the farm through the growing seasons to pick up their sustainably grown produce. In this way, the farmer and families form a network of mutual support. In addition to the great produce, the CSA offers members a chance to really get to know their farmers and learn more about sustainable farming and gardening. As an addition to the CSA and Community Gardens at Luscher Farm we are also fortunate to have Oregon Tilth. Oregon Tilth is a nonprofit research and education membership organization dedicated to biologically sound and socially equitable agriculture. They offer educational events throughout the State of Oregon plus providing organic certification services to organic growers, processors, and handlers internationally.
Oregon Tilth’s demonstration garden at Luscher Farm occupies over 6,000 square feet of rich, cultivated soil. The garden features a variety of organic food growing demonstrations, from year round gardening to urban composting techniques. This garden is a teaching tool for the public to learn about organic gardening techniques and serves as a hands-on classroom workshop. Their goal is to educate urban gardeners about the ease and abundance of organic gardening and supply them with the resources needed to put organic and sustainable techniques into practice.
With the increasing awareness for the importance of sustainability, growing ones own food, and buying locally it is crucial that Luscher Farm remain a resource for the citizens of Lake Oswego. As a matter of fact the latest phone survey done by the city in November of 2011 shows that 77% of the residents supported the Luscher Farm urban agriculture program over sports fields. Sadly our City Council and Parks and Recreation Department might choose short term regional sports fields over long term sustainability fields. Please let them know how important it is for our community that Luscher Farm remain a farm.
For more information about Luscher Farm please go to the city website http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/parksrec/Luscher/default.htm
or to The Friends of Luscher Farm blogsite

http://friendsofluscherfarm.blogspot.com/

Making sure we're not forgotten....

Periodically we need to put our two cents into the public forum.
If we don't do this we run the risk of people forgetting that we face
some serious challenges to the future of Lusher Farm.
Here's the latest Opinion piece sent into the Review and Oregonian:

Since January of 2011 there has been a push to change the basic personality and usage of Luscher Farm.
The Parks and Recreation Department has visions of ball fields overlaid on top of fertile farmland and turning the Community Gardens into a backdrop for public and private events. Parks and Recreation does not recognize that there is a desire not only to have a place to grow one’s own food, but for a respite from the urban noise we all have to endure. We all need open and non-developed spaces to breath. Forested paths to walk along and room for children to explore and stretch their imaginations.
There seems to be a disconnect between Parks and Recreation and what is happening food wise. There is a huge ground swell of local and national support for buying and growing food locally.
In this month’s Clackamas County “Going Beyond Green” publication there is an article about the 2011 School Garden Grant Project. Having children engaged in physical and academic school garden activities.
The Oregonian’s July Homes and Gardens featured Sustainable Bounty: growing your own food at home or in a Community Garden.
Even a New Seasons Market advertisement says “Let’s hear it for Home Grown” and Lake Oswego Review October’s special publication showcases our Farmers Market and Oregon Tilth’s demonstration garden at Luscher Farm.
Meanwhile the Parks and Recreation Department’s latest plan for Luscher Farm would move the CSA and Oregon Tilth Demonstration Gardens. Why would anyone place a ball field on top of land that has been feeding families for the last 7 years? Wouldn’t it make sense to place a ball field elsewhere? We need to keep our CSA fields exactly where they are and we want to keep Oregon Tilth located here at Luscher Farm.
Lake Oswego is located next to cities that are investing in land and protecting their open lands to potential inappropriate development and or destruction.
Here are some fine examples:
West Linn’s Oak Savannah: Grass root volunteers have been raising funds and working on restoring these 14 acres for the last 5 years. 100 Oak seedlings have been planted and non-native invasives are being eradicated .
The city of Tigard recently acquired 43 acres of unspoiled park land. This will eventually help link natural areas stretching from Beaverton to the Tualatin National Wildlife River.
Hagg Lake: owned by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, maintained and operated by Washington County, the Park features numerous picnic areas, two boat launching facilities, a fully stocked lake for fishing, more than 15 miles of hiking trails, and observation decks for wildlife and bird watching.
The Tualatin Hills Nature Park is a 220-acre wildlife reserve in the heart of Beaverton, Oregon. It is made up of evergreen and deciduous forests, creeks, wetlands, ponds and meadows. There are approximately 5 miles of trails. About 1.5 miles are paved, the rest are well maintained soft surface trails.
There are plenty of other places in Lake Oswego to place ball fields if indeed more are needed. The Armory comes to mind along with that stretch of land along Iron Mountain Boulevard past the Hunt Club. Let’s leave our dear Luscher Farm a Farm .
After all- we already have 27 Parks, 13 School Facilities, 9 Recreational Facilities and 22 Natural and Open Spaces but we only have one Farm.

City Council Meeting July 12th 6pm

The Vultures Are Circling Luscher Farm

Please attend the Lake Oswego City Council
Study Session July 12th at 6pm
We are not allowed to testify, but we do
need to show up and observe and take notes.
There are many issues within this Master Plan.
Read through very carefully this staff report:
http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/calendar/CouncilMtgs/documents/071211packet.pdf
They thoroughly outlined the public process to make it look extensive and complete. And on page 4 it suggests that it doesn't need to go thru the planning commission. And of course since they didn't ask about farming in any of the surveys, then they can now say that farming didn't show up as having much interest...

CSA Facebook Posting

Today is the last day to comment !

Take a look at this link from the CSA
http://www.47thavefarm.com/2011/06/luscher-area-master-plan/

Introducing LOStewards

We are partnering with LOStewards.
Why? Because we share the same
beliefs in "true sensitive lands".
We believe that our city should care
for our public lands as much as we
care for our private property.
It's as simple as that!
Please go to their web site and check it out!

http://www.lostewards.org/

then go to the city's Master Plan for Luscher Farm
and see what damage they plan for our precious farm:

http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/parksrec/LAMP.htm

Thumbs Down on New Master Plan for Luscher Farm

Hedgerow planted last year by CSA, Friends of Luscher Farm and Parks and Rec.
Hedgerow is just the beginning of restoring wildlife habitat.
This will be demolished with the new plan

AFTER READING BELOW PLEASE COMMENT TO ALL COUNCILORS:

Mayor Jack Hoffman jhoffman@ci.oswego.or.us
Councilor Mary Olson maolson@ci.oswego.or.us
Councilor Mike Kehoe mkehoe@ci.oswego.or.us
Councilor Jeff Gudman jgudman@ci.oswego.or.us
Councilor Bill Tierney btierney@ci.oswego.or.us
Councilor Donna Jordan djordan@ci.oswego.or.us
Councilor Sally Moncrieff smoncrieff@ci.oswego.or.us

We received the following email yesterday from Parks and Recreation Department. After reading and going over it thoroughly we cannot support this plan. Luscher Farm should never be brought into the UGB and shold actually have it's own special code.
Bringing it into the UGB will only enable the developers free access to our beloved Luscher Farm. Notice how Luscher Farm is not called Luscher farm, but rather Luscher Area. Please go online and comment and spread the word. The link is noted below. We are only given until July 10th to comment.
Did you provide comments on the Luscher Area Site Plan Yet?
On June 15, 2011 the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board met to review the refined Luscher Area Site Plan. The meeting included a presentation on the background of the properties associated with the plan, the site plan and on the site design. Public comment was taken after the presentation. The Advisory Board took public comments and findings from system plan needs analysis into consideration and directed the design team to make site plan modifications.
To view these changes and provide your comments please visit the webpage at
http://www.luscherplan.org/
The comment period will be available June 27, 2011 to July 10, 2011.
Thank you.
Ryan Stee
Parks Project Manager

Eloquent Opinion Piece

The Luscher Farm Master Plan is out- and it's a disaster! Here is an eloquent Opinion piece written by a fellow Luscher Farm gardener Ann Christensen:

Guest Opinion
PRAB acts in ‘slash-and-burn style’
By Ann Christensen

Jun 23, 2011

On June 15, I attended a Lake Oswego Parks & Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB) meeting where the Luscher Area Final Draft Site Plan was presented. As many already know, Luscher Farm is an award-winning gem of beauty, refuge and environmental stewardship. It is the demonstration home of Oregon Tilth, an organic certification entity whose influence is international in scope. There is a successful CSA. The farm provides education, classes and clean, local, affordable food for hundreds of families, including a half-ton donated to local food banks. Calls come in nationwide asking how this model can be implemented elsewhere. Because Luscher Farm is so popular, citizen demand cannot be met and there is a three-year waiting list to be admitted to the community garden.

But, in stunning industrial slash-and- burn style, PRAB’s plan wants it all gone in favor of a mega sports and entertainment complex, turning a rural gem into an overdeveloped urban nightmare, with new roads, new parking lots, increased traffic and light, noise and waste pollution issues. All of the very popular farm programs that have made Luscher Farm what it is today will be destroyed, moved or repurposed. Sustainability, natural resource and cost questions were raised at the meeting and dismissed by the board. Other elements in the plan were very poorly thought through. And for months, public opinion has been sought as input, and options have been developed – with votes taken and tabulated. The majority of votes indicate that public opinion sides with keeping the Luscher area mostly as is. The four most popularly desired elements for the use of this land are already being met – as is. But, lest they lose control, PRAB then proceeded to lecture the attendees that such public input was not “representative.” Wow, since when was a majority opinion not valid in a democracy? Answer: Since PRAB’s co-chair Steve Dodds publicly stated that Parks & Rec will do what it wants – period –making all the meetings and public opinion surveys just an expensive taxpayer-funded quasi-democratic dog and pony show to prettify their blatant takeover of LO citizen wishes. During the meeting, Dodds made no effort to disguise his irritation with citizen after citizen who pled that Luscher Farm be protected and preserved.

In a further show of power, Parks director Kim Gilmer denied the Natural Resource Advisory Board’s request that the June 15 meeting be held jointly, thus keeping NRAB’s input out of the meeting. We cannot allow Parks & Rec to simply railroad this plan through. Lake Oswego’s Natural Resource & Sustainability Advisory Boards need to get involved and take an unbiased look at the data and impact of this proposed plan. The public supports keeping organic farming and environmental stewardship front and center at Luscher Farm and the master plan should too.

Ann Christensen is a resident of Lake Oswego.

My Testimony for This Evening

Children love to feed the chickens

It's an Important Evening Tonight-Please Show Up!!!

West End Building June 15th 6:30 -8:30pm

Just when did the word “farm” get removed from Luscher Farm?

It’s not a park. It’s a farm. It’s not urban. It’s rural.
Luscher Farm and the adjoining properties need to be set aside for the generations to come as a place of tranquility and peace. Luscher Farm needs to be in a special classification by itself. Never to be brought into the UGB and never to be developed and paved over . There are plenty of properties still out there for active sports; let us keep these lands to be used for agricultural, educational and passive activities; a place of peace, beauty, refuge, solace and health.
When I first moved here my favorite part of this city was Luscher Farm. That was back in 1978. It still is my favorite corner of the city. And little did I know that someday I would have a wonderful garden here. Not only have I been able to grow my own food here for over 15 years, but I have had the pleasure of enjoying the closeness to nature that this precious land can give to all of us.
And where else can one meet such down to earth friendly people while pulling weeds? We are a multi-generational neighborhood of people who want that connection to nature and closeness to the earth. We have enough noise and chaos around us all day and this place brings us back to the basics by being immersed in nature. We want this for ourselves and our children’s children.
Standing quietly in the stillness of Luscher Farm as the sun first comes up and seeing and hearing the farm wake up is a stellar experience. One not to be missed nor dismissed.
Let us ensure that we don’t look back years from now and say

“Oh if only we had left Luscher Farm a farm.”

Luscher Area Master Plan Open House

Luscher Area Master Plan Open House

April 21, 4 to 7 p.m.

West End Building

Please plan on attending this Open House!

It's important for us to have our opinions

heard in regards to the three alternatives

that will be shown this evening.

The Parks and Recreation Department is hosting an open house to review three site plan alternatives for the Luscher Area Master Plan. The design team created the plans based on feedback from the January 22 Design Charette where people shared ideas for improvements to the park, farm and natural areas. The event is an open format. Drop by, look over the alternatives and provide input on the future of the Luscher Area! Read more about the Master Plan and open house. For more information, please visit Luscher Area Master Plan or contact Ryan Stee at 503-697-6575.

Luscher Farm Design Charette 1/ 22/2011

Luscher Area Master Plan
Design Charette 1-22-11

This is to let you know that the Luscher Area Master Plan process begins on January 22nd. This is an important step in planning the future of Luscher Farm and the surrounding properties that make up the Luscher Area. The City of Lake Oswego's first step in this process is to have a Design Charette (workshop). This event will give the us an opportunity to discuss existing and future uses, location of amenities, and site opportunities and constraints.

It is important for the City and Consultants to understand the wide range interests of the community. Please plan on attending this event as we need representatives who will help plan a good future for Luscher Farm. Your participation and perspective is essential to making sure Luscher Farm continues to have the focus of community gardens, health, environmental education and restoration of wildife habitats.

The event will occur Saturday, January 22nd from 9:30 am to noon at the Lakeridge High School Cafeteria. The city's webpage is: http://www.luscherplan.org/.

Please plan to attend!

Our T-shirts have arrived!

Our beautiful t-shirts with the

Friends of Luscher Farm logo

have arrived!

They are 100% cotton, pre-shrunk and made

in Honduras and only $15.00.

We will have them available this weekend

at Lake Oswego's Centennial event at Luscher Farm. http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/documents/LO100festvalposter071710.pdf

Many, many thanks to Jeff Foster

and Etta Wilkins-Foster for our gorgeous logo!
http://www.jefffoster.com/pages/homestead.html
If you would like to purchase a shirt either

email us or come to the event this Saturday!

The Beginnings of a Hedgerow!

Yesterday, June 5, 2010 we began planting the beginning of our hedgerow! It's been a long time coming and it was very satisfying to finally put some plants into the ground . We planted a few roses, a lot of red and yellow willows, Service Berry, Dogwoods, Nine bark and other appropriate native shrubs. We planted 3 rows of 375 feet long and spaced the plants out 4 feet apart with 5 like plants in a row before skipping to another variety. The planting plan was provided by the Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District. http://www.conservationdistrict.org/
In all we planted about 280 plants. Below are a few photos of our beautiful day.

This trailer was filled two times.
We accomplished a lot with just a few
people. The plants were propagated
last year by Americorps volunteer Aulani Johnson and taken care of by CSA's Laura Masterson and her crew.

At the end of the day we had lots of empty pots,
a lot of sore muscles, and a huge accomplishment!

Walking the line of plants and making sure the plants were properly placed! Doesn't it look great? Thanks to the CSA"S Laura Masterson of 47th Avenue Farm. http://www.47thavefarm.com/ and the City of Lake Oswego's Park and RecreationDepartment.

http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/parksrec/Luscher/default.htm

Luscher Farm chicken coop dedication honors efforts of Riccardo Spaccarelli

Usually it is things like ships, statues and buildings that receive dedication ceremonies.
But the chicken coop at Luscher Farm was deemed suitable for this honor by
the Friends of Luscher Farm.
After all, without the chicken coop there might no longer be a Luscher Farm.
And for the chicken coop, Lake Oswego must thank Riccardo Spaccarelli.
“We wanted to dedicate the sign as a way to thank Riccardo for all he’s done,” said Laura Masterson, director of 47th Avenue Farm. “It is also a way for people, when they come to the farm, to learn more about what the Friends of Luscher Farm group is doing.”

So recently, a friends group – Spaccarelli, his daughter Maria Morrison, Kathe Worsley, Tom Schirle, Russell Jones, and Masterson – showed up in cold, drizzling weather to dedicate the sign.
Also in full attendance were the chickens and all of the other birds who live in the coop, and they handled the frigid weather much better than the humans.
But the beautiful sign was worth the effort. On it, Spaccarelli explains the history of the chicken coop. There is also a photo of Spaccarelli, his dog Buck, and his old pal Rudie Luscher, the late former owner of the farm.
“There was no Rudie Luscher signage around here,” Spaccarelli said. “We needed to have some. Rudie sold this farm to the city and made the project possible. He started a precedent.”
The Riccardo-Rudie friendship began one day in the early 1990s when Spaccarelli was out running with his dogs near the hills of Luscher Farm.
“I was wanting to have access to the property and also do some bird training,” Spaccarelli said.
I decided to come to the farmhouse and knock on the door. I introduced myself to Rudie and he was very kind. We developed a friendship.
“Rudie loved to chat. I used to come over and talk to him for an hour before running my dogs.”
Luscher ended up almost like part of the Spaccarelli family. He allowed Spaccarelli to build a bird run to raise pheasants, quail and other birds. Spaccarelli repaid him by picking berries for Rudie’s wife Georgette to bake pies.
“Rudie became part of my extended family,” Spaccarelli said.
As the friendship evolved, so did the dream of Luscher Farm – as a rural spot in an urban setting, as Lake Oswego’s experiment in sustainable living. The city of Lake Oswego took over the farm after Luscher’s death in 1997 and allowed Spaccarelli to keep raising his birds.
That set the tone for everything that followed. The city liked what was happening at Luscher so much that it continued to purchase agricultural property, and now has 100 acres. To preserve “this special property” the Friends of Luscher Farm,
a non-profit organization,was formed in 2004.
While Masterson farms the land, the chicken coop thrives.
“The coop is a big draw to kids,” said Worsley. “They love to come watch the birds.”
All of this makes Spaccarelli quite happy.
As he says on the sign: “Perhaps the best legacy of my friendship with Rudie Luscher is this development of the FOLF through which we can support ongoing farm projects.
“Specifically, we hope to endorse projects which are consistentwith the dreams of Rudie Luscher.”

By Cliff Newell The Lake Oswego Review, Jan 7, 2010