Beating a Path to Whole Grains: Bob’s Red Mill
Within 10 seconds of meeting Bob Moore, the face and founder of Bob’s Red Mill, it’s instantly clear just how special this place really is. On a typical day at the Bob’s Red Mill headquarters, it’s not unusual to find Bob playing one of his two pianos in the factory—his executive assistant playing along on … { more }
From Dairy to Dahlias…
Nick and Margaret Gitts took a big leap when they purchased an Oregon dahlia business, uprooting their family and leaving their Washington dairy behind. The couple grew dahlias as a hobby in the 1950s, operating a small dahlia business known as Laurel Valley Dahlias, but the dairy farm was their livelihood. Switching from a steady, … { more }
Woodburn Nursery & Azaleas: Running a Family Business with Family Values
With a single 25 x 96-foot greenhouse, Bob and Jeanne Fessler started Woodburn Nursery & Azaleas in 1967. Today, the multi-generational operation includes 400 acres of nursery production, including 100 acres dedicated to greenhouse production. Along the way they’ve had their share of successes and growing pains that led the operation to focus on efficiency. … { more }
Oregon Shepherd Natural Wool Insulation
Ten years ago when the wool market was depressed, Margaret Magruder decided to come up with an alternative use for wool to turn the market around. Magruder has been a sheep farmer at Magruder Farms the last 30 years in Clatskanie, Oregon, the farm she grew up on started by her grandfather in the early … { more }
The Art of Growing Poinsettias
What do most Poinsettia growers want for Christmas? Not Poinsettias! Don’t get me wrong, I do like them, but come mid November it is time to send them on their way since their journey began back in late May. That’s right, over 5 months ago the process started! Who wants to think about Christmas in … { more }
Vineyard Harvest 2011
Here’s how an ideal grape harvest goes. Several weeks before harvest, the winemaker takes the crop estimates from the vineyard and works out a time line with approximate harvest times and fermentation space. Scheduling is done based on estimated crop size from each block or vineyard, estimated time of grape maturity, and amount of fermentation … { more }
Baumgardner Pickling Company
When Judie Jamison was a child, pickle making was a family tradition. She grew up eating her grandmother’s pickles, a recipe brought over from Germany by her great grandmother. Her father continued the tradition, and every year he would choose a couple of days for the whole family to get together to make a few … { more }
From Farm to Fashion Show
Dear Friends… We had quite an experience this month, as the “headliner” for Portland Fashion Week with our Imperial Knits Collection. It’s very rare for a hand knit collection of patterns to be featured on a ready-to-wear runway, but we were. The ongoing relationship between Imperial Yarn (Imperial Stock Ranch) and our knitwear designer Anna … { more }
Christmas Tree Production Through the Year
Finally, the spring rains, that feel as though they drag on well into what should be summer have gone away, and the hot sun is drying out the tree fields. It is of course that rain that we complain about so much that gives us our most favorable growing season for trees. For each week … { more }
