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.

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

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.

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!

Centennial Celebration at Luscher Farm

The city had a huge Centennial Celebration on July 17th.

From 11am until around 9pm everyone could wander the farm

and enjoy all the different exhibits. This photo is of all the Farm Partners

at our information booth. It was a fun day with all of us together

as we had time to chat through the day in between answering

questions from all the people who dropped by.

Laura Masterson of the CSA was there, Conner Voss from Oregon Tilth, and

Jan Wirtz and Karen Davis who are with the City of Lake Oswego.

Karen is the Community Garden Co-ordinator and Jan Wirtz

is the Recreation Supervisor for Cultural Programs/Luscher Farm.

Here's a photo of Morry Fealy next to the Farm Partners booth.

We called these two scarecrows "The Polyester Sisters"-

Polly and Esther....hahah!

and here's a link to the Lake Oswego Review's coverage
of that day:
http://www.lakeoswegoreview.com/news/story.php?story_id=127975011862130900

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!