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Heading back up to Portland on Friday to talk more with some of the neat farmers we met on Saturday in Corvallis. We are visiting Shari's Dancing Roots Farm, Katie and Casey of Oakhill Organics and Steve and Mish of Abundant Harvest. We are also meeting with a man who owns a farm in the Northwest hills of Portland and is looking for organic farmers to use it as a growing site.
We will also get to see some of the Icelandic Horse ladies at our friend Rachel's and visit with our dear friend Anna while we're in town.
we must confess...part of us is.. always on the look out for cats. our cat is happily with Mamo until we're ready for him, but it is so sad to be without him right now. and everywhere here - there are cats. cats on porches, just behind fences, prowling down the block. and there are cats that come running to us. cats that tumble down and nuzzle the ground a few times on their way over to us. cats that meow back to us. we are in love with all of the cats. we crouch down, put a cat nose finger out, speak meow and hope they'll come over. we worry this may make us a bit pathetic. yet... no dent is made in our indulgence of cat spottings and affection. time stops and some unique balance takes over.
we do appreciate the wise sages who look with curiousity at the humans excitedly taking notice and attempting to speak cat with them, but stay firmly rooted on their porch or lawn. we don't try to lure them. it is unlikely we would let Jeff roam free... and why tempt cats who are living so responsibly.
last night we decided that we would stay on for another month at the hostel apartment through march. it was a complicated decision and a relief to settle. we are trying to have a sense of stability while also trying to stay flexible to other possibilities. bittersweet. extremely and rewarding and challenging in the same moments - to try to take this time to choose how we would like to live our lives and gaining strength in being open (versus any umm.. panic at not taking the 'safe' reliable path).
so, while working last night, there was suddenly something in the window. we are on the second floor. my heart jumped up in my throat. then we processed. through the foggy window was a cat, all the way up on our window ledge. we opened the window so she could come in. she did and purred loudly the whole time. we were in heaven. lots of petting and nuzzling, then she toured our room, lots of sniffing. very soft and well behaved. we recognized her as one we see outside. i actually relocated her a couple mornings ago, she seemed to have come out from under the old volvo early the morning of the Small Farms conference.
we take this unique cat visitation as a good sign. we also just opened my make shift curtain, realizing that if she were to.. umm... come back again... how would we know if the curtain is closed?!... we're home! come over! any time! animal withdrawl!
simple happiness from fuzzy animals : )
* 7th Annual Small Farms & Farm Direct Marketing Conference *
This conference was excellent. These are the sessions we attended:
1) What to Eat: Personal Responsibility vs. Social Responsibility - Dr. Marion Nestle (NM+NW)
2) Novel Crops for Niche Marketing - Panel of four experts from very different fields (NW)
3) Farm to Cafeteria: How Small Farms Can Sell to Big Institutions - Reps from OSU, OHSU, Bon Apetit and Dave from Egor's Acres (NM)
4) Farmer's Markets: Finding Your Best Fit - A panel of market managers (NW)
Women & Small Farms: Exploring an Oregon Women's Agriculture Network - led by two extension agents, Melissa Matthewson and Melissa Ferry. With talks by Linda Moist from Pennsylvania's Women's Ag Network and Nicole Strong from Oregon's Women Owning Woodlands Network (NM)
5) Soil Fertility Management - Dan Sullivan, OSU Extension Soil Scientist (NW)
6) Explore Divers Direct Marketing Opportunities - Shari from Dancing Roots Farm, David Hoyle from Creative Growers and a woman who runs a serious blueberry farm (NM)
7) Five Things You Should Know About Your Customer - Lucy Norris, a researcher with the Hartman Group (NM+NW)
OSU's Small Farms program has also started Oregon Small Farm News, a free online publication.
The image at the top is their 1st issue, available now. We love the resources on the Small Farms site!
Heading back up to Portland on Friday to talk more with some of the neat farmers we met on Saturday in Corvallis. We are visiting Shari's Dancing Roots Farm, Katie and Casey of Oakhill Organics and Steve and Mish of Abundant Harvest. We are also meeting with a man who owns a farm in the Northwest hills of Portland and is looking for organic farmers to use it as a growing site.
