Culture

Environmentally friendly, connected to the community, and a wonderful place for our farm to thrive. I have driven around this beautiful country several times and lived in the West, Midwest, South, and Caribbean. I wanted to find an area of the country that is not only a culturally diverse and positive-minded, but one that is proactive in supporting the protection of the environment. The Pacific Northwest is the perfect area to implement the methods of regenerative agriculture.

Climate

Portland is a place where food can be grown throughout the entire year. This presents more opportunities to expand and learn new techniques for sustainable food growth. The area just west of Portland is in USDA Hardiness Zone 8, meaning the average lowest temperature during winter does not get below 10-20F. According to the average temperate range, the lowest during January is not been below freezing so with greenhouses and hoop houses, it is possible to grow food all year long.

Resources

We had been living in Southern California for the past two years and acquiring acreage here has become wildly unaffordable and the extensive drought meant we would be fighting Mother Nature, not working symbiotically together. I have found 80 acres outside of Portland with ample sun and perfect growing conditions where plants can flourish and the seller is motivated!

The previous 20 acre property we had our sights on has since been taken off market, so another beautiful option we have found are these 80 beautiful acres with ample sun exposure that will be perfect to start Barefoot Acres Sanctuary. It is located southeast of Portland in Clackamas County. This expansive terrain is ready for acres of fresh vegetables, berries, fruits, nuts, culinary and medicinal herbs, raw honey, pasture raised eggs, fresh cut flowers, table and wine grapes, and exotic fruit with the help of grazing animals. The relative proximity to a major city means greater opportunities to interact with local schools to make a greater impact on the community, and have a more opportunity to provide people with organic produce. It will still be far enough away from air pollution and pesticide drift from any neighboring farms. Establishing the farm on this property qualifies it for a farm property tax deferral! 

The possibilities here are truly endless. 

Planned Research and Development:

• Absorb atmospheric carbon pollution with increased carbon content of soil

• Create drought-resistant soil to alleviate pressure from the western drought

• Improve yields using intercropping methods

• Improve local economy and wellness by recycling profits back into the community

• Increase species biodiversity by preserving a forested area and planting native plants

• Improve nutrient density of produce

• Empower women in agriculture both domestically and internationally

• Grow and produce bamboo for sustainable and renewable building material

• Grow and distill sugarcane as a source of biofuel

• Expand to grow organic Portobello mushrooms

• Experiment with mushrooms to clean oil spills, pesticides, & herbicides

• Establish a natural pond area to experiment in utilizing aquaponics within regenerative agriculture

• Grow and produce organic hops for local Portland craft breweries

• Establish an olive tree orchard for the production of organic olive oil

• Experiment with permaculture options of organic grape vineyards

• Establish a Nyssa ogeche orchard for producing Tupelo Honey

• Experiment in establishing a Leptospermum scoparium orchard for producing Manuka Honey

• Experiment creating a greenhouse tropical biome in USDA Hardiness Zone 8 to grow exotic fruits