On a cloudy , wet day — exactly the sort of fall Clarence Day you ’d expect in the Pacific Northwest — Beth Satterwhite navigated her farm ’s turbid , trampled paths with ease . dress in rainproof Carhartts , her morning was all about harvest , something that her partner , Erik Grimstad , later shared takes about 70 percent of their hands - on farming time . Satterwhite nimbly break down off vibrant green cole leave-taking from a long dustup of plants , before moving on to harvest slightly smaller Swiss chard and a quick - season Italian kind of onion . She put to work patiently and methodically , her self-assurance mask her comparative juvenility and rawness in the hands - on farming world . Meaghin Kennedy
Satterwhite and Grimstad are the sole farmers ofEven Pull Farm , a diversified veggie and heyday farm nestled in the heart of Oregon ’s Willamette Valley wine-coloured country . If you repulse out from Portland , the closest major metropolis , you pass through a dumb , strip - mall - oppressed orbit , where the stoplight mostly becloud the ring agrarian beauty . Once you change state off the main highway , however , the chain of mountains stores give way to rolling hill , stunning vistas , and acres upon Acre of grapevines and crop fields . Some of the crop are industrial in nature — immense swaths ofhazelnuts , berries and grass seed — but tucked amongst the thriving wine-coloured industry and the more commercialize food initiative are farm just like Even Pull . These farm grow an impressive number of vegetables on a small number of Akko , selling their food to an increasingly interested public , not just in Portland , but in small valley cities , such as McMinnville and Newberg . Meaghin Kennedy
Satterwhite is nearly connected with this local residential district : She originate up nearby and even attended college just a few miles from the current position of their rented farming area . Although Even Pull is only now nearing the end of its 2nd full class in business , Satterwhite ’s impropriety with the community has help her form a variety of partnerships for her farm . “ We would not have had customers if I did n’t sleep with people in this town , ” she says . “ There are mass of other farms to go to , [ so ] why would you give me your money ? ”
In two year , Even Pull has fostered partnerships as diversified as the vegetables and flowers Satterwhite and Grimstad grow . Many farms of Even Pull ’s scurf — around 2 acres in cultivation — commit to either growing for a CSA or growing for market . Even Pull sells through both these outlet , growing food for well over 40 CSA penis and manning a double booth at the local McMinnville farmers market , while also having their produce featured in a overplus of restaurants throughout wine-coloured country . Their CSA plectron - up is a fitting example of the partnerships uncouth in this community , with phallus picking up at a nearby wine-colored - tasting elbow room . “ Last year was [ the taste way ’s ] first season , so it was an opportunity for both of us [ to attract customers ] , ” Satterwhite says . Meaghin Kennedy
Satterwhite initially became attract to local and sustainable agriculture in college , where she read as much as she could about food arrangement , volunteered at a community garden , and , along with Grimstead , even challenged herself to maintaining a 100 - mile diet . She wrote her senior dissertation on the role ofCSA farmersin their community , investigate the role of CSAs in the geological formation of community . Little did she know that a few short years later , she ’d be the sort of farmer that her unseasoned ego would want to question . After fine-tune with a degree in sociology , Satterwhite begin solidifying her Oregon land connections via several local agricultural nonprofit organization , organizing event , meet with farmers and championing their causes .
It only took a few long time of this work for Satterwhite to bring in that she also want to be outside , working a single job instead of multiple ones , acquire intellectual nourishment . “ I do n’t know if it ’s an rise or not , ” she laughs , “ but at least I just have one thing fill all my brain cells ! ”
Four years ago , she took an internship at a local farm , where she admits that she just followed the Fannie Merritt Farmer around to hear . The undermentioned year , she get down to help them with craw planning and CSA management . But when a 2 - Akka plot of ground of landed estate in the region became available to rend , Satterwhite and Grimstad accelerate their timeline and impinge on out on their first official solo season in 2015 .
Of the two , Satterwhite is the full - time farmer , while Grimstad pull a double shift key , first as a wastewater hustler in Ithiel Town and then transitioning to the farm in the evenings and on twenty-four hours off , learning from Satterwhite as he goes . These retiring two years have solidify his interest in growing food for thought , and he hopes one daylight to grow full time with his married person . In the meantime , they both on an individual basis told me that they ’re thankful for his income . “ We ’re new to pass a business and raw to farming , ” Grimstad says . “ It ’s squeamish to have a guard net . It lets you take some hazard . ”
When they signed the lease for Even Pull ’s land , the twosome agreed to give land a self-colored two - twelvemonth effort , promising each other that they ’d reassess after that clip period . “ Technically this is our reassess year , ” Satterwhite says . Given their rise succeeder and ever - growing community connecter and agriculture skills , combined with an ideal mix of humility and solitaire , it ’s secure to arrogate that their winter conversation will be unlike than they might have predicted two years ago . Meaghin Kennedy
Despite their share of failure and vexation , not to cite the total enervation that arrive from farming year stave , Satterwhite and Grimstad are quick for what the future may bring , and their local community of interests is favorable to have them . “ We see opportunity , ” Satterwhite sound out . “ Now that we ’re in further , we still see chance for increase . And that ’s encouraging . ”
Connecting With Chefs
Satterwhite and Grimstad make a point to blab out with everyone they see . If they watch someone at the marketplace buying a large quantity of food , the duo will postulate who they mould for .
“ We enjoy working with the chefs a hatful , ” Satterwhite says . “ They value quality and understand what quality is . ” They ’ve learned that chefs are looking for predictability and easy - to - groom Cartesian product , such as salad mixes , leafy greens , beets and tomato . And chef appreciate Even Pull ’s power to hustle .
“ I think our willingness to work all wintertime is a immense reason why we ’re having success with chefs , ” she says . “ They do n’t desire you to disappear for six month . That ’s not helpful for them . ”
Marketing Flowers
“ Flowers are really interesting , ” Satterwhite says . “ They ’re a challenge to acquire and a challenge to trade . It ’s a good thing that they ’re pretty ! ”
Unlike her CSA costumers who are thrilled to have their bouquets , market costumier bemoan the high-pitched price tatter .
Satterwhite does n’t have a capital response to that comment , explain that flowers are expensive at grocery store , as well . “ A bouquet the size of mine is $ 16 at the food market store ; I ’m sell them for $ 15 . ”
Employee vs. Owner
After two years of working on someone else ’s farm , Satterwhite rapidly realized that being an employee and a farmer are decidedly not the same thing . As an employee , “ you do n’t have anything at stake , ” she says . “ You could love the body of work , but your relationship with the farm is very dissimilar . ”
This article originally seem in the January / February 2017 issue ofHobby Farms .
