Schroeder Law Offices, P.C. legal assistant Melissa Teter, has volunteered at The Growers  Grange, a local farm in Corbett, OR, for the last two growing seasons. The Growers Grange is a small farm run by Bianca and Ethan Nati. Their focus is on preserving their Italian tradition by growing heirloom vegetables and fruit.

In addition to vegetable production for the local community and restaurants, Nati’s utilize 1/8 of an acre for saving seeds of select crops for True Love Seeds and The Italian Garden Projects. Some favorite produce grown by the Nati’s are eggplant, basil, garlic, Anellino beans, a variety of peppers, and of course, tomatoes.

In 2023, Natis added fig trees in collaboration with The Italian Garden Project’s Legacy Fig Collection. They are hoping to offer fruit from these trees in a few years.

While volunteering, Melissa helped harvest, seed, and weed, and even participated in a work share program where in exchange for her work, she received a box of produce. In addition to produce, the farm hosts goats, geese, and chickens, as well as 4 large guard dogs that deter bears and cougars. Mateen, the oldest of the dogs is pictured below.

Melissa’s favorite volunteer activities included trying new fruits and vegetables that she otherwise would not have tried and learning more about farming in Oregon.

Across the United States roughly 20% of office spaces remain vacant; one of many lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. With increasing permanence of hybrid and remote roles, some studies project more than 300 million square feet of United States office space will become vacant by 2030. As these empty buildings serve as a frustration to many landlords, municipalities are working to find creative solutions for these empty offices — a prominent one being vertical farming.

Surprisingly, office buildings already provide a well-suited environment for farming. Office buildings are air conditioned, heated, and well ventilated. These features allow individuals to monitor change temperatures in response to their crop production. Vertical farming can be a more cost-effective way to utilize empty office spaces, unlike converting these spaces into housing.

When done correctly, vertical farming can yield just as much produce as traditional farming methods. Vertical farming allows for more control over the uncertainties of climate and pests, allowing for more consistent, year-round production. Vertical farming also uses 95 percent less water than traditional methods, which touches on concerns regarding increased water scarcity.

AgriPlay Ventures, an indoor farm in Calgary, Alberta, is an example of how successful this method of farming can be. Although currently operating on only one floor of the Calgary Tower Center, AgriPlay is able to provide fresh produce, with some crops providing 30 harvest a year, to a community with the highest rate of food insecurity among Canadian provinces. AgriPlay illustrates that indoor farms are an asset to the community, not just property owners.

While vertical farming should not be the only solution to these unused spaces, it is a solution that can mitigate multiple problems at once and reshape our urban centers. By utilizing empty office spaces in this way, we can support the local community by alleviating food insecurity. This solution also creates local green spaces. Vertical farms are an innovative development in adaptation to our changing environment.   

Read the full article here:

Smithsonian: Empty Office Buildings Are Being Turned Into Vertical Farms | Smithsonian (smithsonianmag.com)

Oregon Women for Agriculture hosts its Annual Auction and Dinner on April 20^th, 2024, at the Linn County Fairgrounds in Albany, Oregon. The theme for this year is “Bee for Agriculture.” Senior paralegal Tara Lomacz, a member of the Yamhill County chapter of OWA, helps organize the event and will attend once again on behalf of Schroeder Law.

Willamette Valley farm women organized OWA 50 years ago. These women were concerned with regulatory issues impacting the grass seed industry. Since then, this all-volunteer group has broadened its scope to include nearly all facets of agriculture and areas of the state of Oregon. OWA provides volunteers and fundraising for Oregon AgFest in Salem every year, reaching 20,000 people. Volunteers put together bus ads and radio spots in metropolitan areas to help citizens understand where their food is grown. Further, OWA provides support for teachers who participate in Summer Agriculture Institute at Oregon State University. It is through these projects and more that OWA can accomplish their mission of working together to communicate the story of today’s agriculture.

The OWA Annual Auction is the only fundraiser of the year. The event includes a silent auction, dinner, and oral auction beginning at 7:15pm. If you want more information on this event, then visit the event website here. Tara hopes to see you there!