When Andhi Reyna bought the 73-acre Branch Road Farm, just outside of Cottage Grove, in 2010, it wasn’t her first time farming. Reyna, 39, had farmed for many years, mainly in Dexter, with dairy goats, sheep and seasonal crops on her land.
But she soon found herself feeling isolated in the vast space of her new farmland. Other than farmers’ markets, she wasn’t able to identify much of a community for new or new-to-the-area farmers.
She also worried about the decline of multigenerational farms. “We’ve lost a lot of farmers, having to do it all on their own, not having it passed down,” she said.
According to the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture census figures from 2012, the median age for a principal operator of a farm is now around 58 years old, eight years older than it was in 1982.
Partly in response to Reyna’s and other farmers’ concerns, the South Valley Farmers Network has emerged, an informal organization based in Cottage Grove that allows farmers to share ideas, help out on each other’s farms with organized work parties, and find new ways to get information about their crops to the public.
The farmers’ network was organized following a Sustainable Cottage Grove meeting in late January.
“We want it to be a platform to share ideas,” said Jules Reynolds, a community food analyst for Sustainable Cottage Grove, a food movement group started in 2014.
In mid-February the farmers’ network held its first meeting, followed by its first work party on March 13, when nine farmers assisted Drew Renault, the owner of High Wire Farm, with fencing.
Renault, 36, began farming mixed veggies in 2010, and bought the farm, 11 miles outside of Cottage Grove, 21/2 years ago. But ever since he moved to the area, he has struggled to find a support network.
“I haven’t met very many established farmers here,” Renault said.
So, when the network came together last month, he was among the first couple dozen to join.
Taylor Larson, a co-owner of My Brothers’ Farm in Creswell, has been farming in the area for three years, along with his two brothers and parents. The family is raising hazelnut trees, cider apple trees, hop plants, pastured hogs and grass-fed bison on their 320-acre farm. Larson says he’s benefited from networking with the other farmers.
“I’m looking for information sharing,” Larson said. “I want the farm to be rooted in the local community.”
Erika Peterson, a member of the Dorena Grange, is another network member. Peterson, 45, moved to the area two years ago from a farm in Pennsylvania. She has experience with livestock, and is hoping to turn the grange into a farmland shared space.
“I’m just really into community support,” said Peterson, adding that she hopes to work with other farmers to purchase hay and feed in bulk.
Now, the South Valley Farmers Network has several dozen members on a private Facebook page, who share farming tips, announce events and broadcast needs. At a second meeting on March 16, 11 members showed up at The Axe and Fiddle in downtown Cottage Grove for an informal gathering to drink beer, eat burgers and discuss next steps.
At that meeting, the farmers scheduled two work parties in the next two months — one to build a fence for Peterson, and another to plant around 800 trellis hops for My Brothers’ Farm.
Reynolds, who knows staff at the South Lane School District, also suggested a collaboration between local farmers in the network and the school district, to provide locally grown radishes, peas and other produce for district students and staff to consume.
As the meeting wound down, some members joked about the relief of taking a break from the 24/7 job of running a farm.
Reyna said she’s hopeful that such meetings can turn a previously isolated bunch of Cottage Grove area farmers into a collaborative community.
“A lot of us farmers are scattered, and we do what we can to survive,” Reyna said. “This is a new wave.”
Follow Junnelle on Twitter @JunnelleH . Email junnelle.hogen@registerguard.com .
Originally Published in The Register-Guard
3500 Chad Drive
Eugene, Oregon 97408
Phone: 541-485-1234