On a warm, sunny day during Oregon’s mid-winter season, people from throughout the Willamette Valley spent their Saturday mostly inside for an opportunity to learn how to care for their land.
Some dropped off jars of water for free nitrate testing while others perused resources available to the public.
It was Saturday, March 7, the day Oregon State University Extension’s Small Farms Program held its first Rural Living Day event since COVID had put a moratorium on the program in 2020. The event provided free instruction on a variety of topics at Junction City High School that could satisfy an urban dweller or large-scale farmer.
Rural Living Day offered land owners an opportunity to sit in on workshops for vermicomposting, soils, hay assessment, tree identification, septic systems, chainsaw safety, maple syruping, growing berries, defensible space, pasture renovation, tools and maintenance, harvesting rainwater, growing small-scale grains, drying herbs and seasonings, creating a pollinator meadow, and assessing what one can do with their small farm.
Attendees came from across the Willamette Valley, including as far away as Gervais.
The OSU Extension Service is “a bridge from the university,” explained Teagan Moran, OSU Extension’s ag small farms coordinator.
“We work in communities, not on campus, to bridge the expertise, the research, the resources, and actually make sure they are applicable and have an impact in our communities,” she said. “We want to see healthy communities, healthy economies.”
To do that, Extension offers a diversity of programs throughout different counties under the focus areas of 4-H youth development, agriculture and natural resources, family and community health, forestry and natural resources, Juntos, KidSpirit, Native American and tribal programs, open campus, Outdoor School and the Oregon Sea Grant.
Master Gardeners is among the most well-known programs offered through Extension.
“In the Willamette Valley, we are fortunate to have some of the world’s most rich, amazing soils that means we can do amazing things on just a little bit of land,” Moran said.
For the Small Farms Program, Extension serves a diverse population of small scale farmers “who tend to sell at farmer’s markets” or into the local food system. They also serve farmers who are not necessarily selling what they produce, but are considered stewards of their land.
Moran said Extension’s Small Farm Program helps people explore what is possible with the land they steward – be it less than an acre, or more – including ideas such as livestock capabilities, marketing, niche crops, and “just figuring out what is possible” and what the best fit per person is.
The Small Farm Program will work one-on-one with people to help these landowners thrive, she said, and they have a variety of partnerships and resources to help.
“Just know that there is this whole ecosystem of support,” Moran said. “I like to say Extension is really a great entry point into learning about those resources.”
But the workshops offered at Rural Living Day were not just for people who have a large plot of land to tend. They ranged from backyard gardening to larger scale farming, from food preservation to well and septic programs, and from tool maintenance to tree identification.
“Really, today is a unique program for our Small Farms Program because it really leans heavily into just rural living,” Moran said. “And if the Small Farms Program isn’t a great fit for some of your questions or needs, we have a variety of other programs that we can tap people into.”