From the Land to Your Table: A Partnership with Nature, Farmers, Distributors and Marlene’s
It’s no secret that farming is the bedrock of society. In our busy modern lives, few of us give much thought to what it takes to keep a steady supply of produce flowing into markets, restaurants, public institutions and factories. But can you imagine if distribution between farms and your table didn’t exist?
Could you grow everything you need to feed your family and yourself? Could you make trips to a farm once or twice every week to buy your produce? So much depends on that reliable distribution link, and our rock-solid distributor is Organically Grown Company.
Marlene’s Market & Deli has been proud to partner with Organically Grown Company (OGC) for a good long time! For the past 45 years, OGC has been an industry leader by promoting health through organic agriculture and sustainable business practices. Their longstanding relationships with farms and growers ensure that we always have fantastic local and global organic produce on our shelves.
Last autumn, OGC invited a few lucky and enthusiastic produce department workers, buyers and managers to visit some of the local farms around the fertile regions of the Hood River Valley that supply us with the top-notch organic vegetables, greens and fruits that you’ve come to love and expect from Marlene’s.
At that time of year, the harvest was in full swing for many of the farms. It was most gracious of these hard-working growers to take precious time away from their fields and share an inside look at the workings of their farms and orchards. Here’s a little peek at few of our favorites:
Nottinghamshire Farms
Fifth-generation farmers, Anthony and Amanda Stevens, met in New Zealand where they were working on farms and studying farming methods. For the last decade, they’ve been the proud owners of 120 organic acres, where they use their combined knowledge to produce some of the most delicious strawberries, corn and cucumbers in the Pacific Northwest.
These adventurous young growers are eager to try out different methods of organic farming to maximize their yield and minimize their impact on the land. They leave some acreage open every year to experiment with a variety of practices like no-till farming and selective grass planting to choke out nutrient-hungry weeds while leaving the soil intact.
Columbia Gorge Organic
The Stewart family began their farming venture in 1979 on 95 acres in the Hood River Valley. Believing there was a better way to grow fruit for people and the planet, they transitioned to organic in 1989. The transition was not without challenges though, and they battled a particularly difficult pest invasion at one point. Left one year with a harvest of broadly blemished fruit, they realized that the flavor, nutrient content and integrity of the fruits were not compromised. What to do with ‘perfectly ugly’ produce? Make juice!
Marlene’s team members Joe (left) and Ashley (right) with one of the Columbia Gorge founders (center).
Now, in addition to managing more than 60 varieties of fruit on their 175- acre organic orchard, the Stewarts also squeeze, puree and pack fresh juice right on site.
The next time you’re shopping at Marlene’s, be sure to visit the Columbia Gorge Organic juice case and try some of their outstanding blends!
Siri & Son Farms
Fourth-generation farmers, the Siri family history in Oregon dates back to the early 1900s. Siri & Son Farms proudly became certified organic growers in 2005, reseeding 800 acres with trusted organic seed sources. We count on their fields for many of the succulent vegetables and fragrant herbs you see in our produce department like broccoli, kale, collard greens, rainbow chard, green beans, beets, tomatoes, turnips, parsley and cilantro to name a few!
In the warmer months, crops go straight from the field into a custom cooling chamber which keeps them ultra-fresh for transport by OGC.
Part of Siri & Son Farms’ method of pest control is to use beneficial insects to keep the crop-damaging pests in check. They test their soil annually to ensure that nutrient levels are at their peak by the time seeds will be sown for the next growing season. What kind of organic cover crops (also known as ‘green manure’) that will be used that year is determined by these soil checks.
If you’ve been enjoying the robust quality of their produce that you’ve purchased at Marlene’s, you already understand that they really know what they’re doing!
Mustard Seed Farms
David and Nancy Brown have been farming in the Newberg region of Oregon since 1965! Yep, you read that right.
Their farm became certified organic in 1991, and they’ve been bravely battling the striped cucumber beetle without chemical pesticides ever since. Over many long years, they’ve made all kinds of friends throughout the area, and they depend on their neighboring ranches for various manures to enrich the soil for 45 acres of the best darn squash imaginable. In fact, if you’ve ever bought any of the wide variety of wonderful winter squashes available at Marlene’s, chances are they were grown at Mustard Seed Farms.
As organic farmers face the acute challenges of shifting climate conditions, they’re saddled with new problems; for example, crop-destroying pests that are new to our area and can endure more extreme conditions. There are longer stretches of drought, increasing wildfires, and more dramatic soil erosion. Trusted suppliers of organic seeds, vegetable starts and fruit tree saplings are also deeply affected by these issues, and as a result, the flow between suppliers and our farmers has been greatly strained.
Deep heritage, fresh faces, tradition, ingenuity and enduring partnerships all play a role in getting the amazing produce we rely on from the farm to your table. Next time you’re enjoying the abundance of our produce department, consider all the connections that sustain our families and communities.
Some of Marlene’s produce team members: Joe (left), Cyrus (center) and Ashley (right).
