Seed to Table in Sisters extends growing season in a big way
Produce Share members, food pantries get additional produce
SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) – The 2022 growing season has proven to be better than Seed to Table Executive Director Audrey Tehan hoped for.
“Wow! What an incredible season it’s been. With a combination of our greenhouse expansions, warm October weather, and our amazing farm team's experiences we will be continuing the produce share through November 16th!” said Tehan. “We have 110 families in our produce share. They’ve received S2T produce for 30 weeks this year!”
This will make S2T produce share (also known as a CSA- Community Supported Agriculture) one of the longest running shares in Central Oregon by a staggering eight weeks.
Volunteers have enjoyed the fall bounty as well; while helping harvest thousands of pounds of delicious, sweet crunchy carrots. Teamwork has allowed the S2T storage house to be filled with winter squash, onions, potatoes, beets and carrots. Located just outside downtown Sisters, S2T has shown that with hard work, years of experience, trial and error and many skilled hands, it is possible to grow fresh veggies in Sisters Country, for more than half of the year.
The S2T team will be extending the growing season by five weeks with robust harvests of the sweetest salad, spinach, winter squash, onions, leeks, potatoes, hakurei turnips, head lettuce, radish, and more. “Our farm team has been working incredibly hard this year and we’re onto a new journey this fall to explore how we can keep our community fed for as many weeks as possible!”
Freezing temps have come, but sensitive crops were harvested and stored and the Remay (protective covering) has come back out to protect those greens! Also, because of the added greenhouse expansion in 2021, all of their late successions of greens and roots are kept safe in protected structures. The added greenhouses are critical in making it tolerable for plants and humans over the last few weeks leading up to November 16th.
Already in 2022, S2T has donated over $100,000 in fresh produce to local food pantries and schools. It’s way more than Tehan anticipated. The S2T team was ambitious and steadfast in their growth goals allowing for food to be distributed through partnerships with Wellhouse, Kiwanis, Sisters School District, High Desert Food and Farm Alliance, and Neighborhood Impact.
To support their future contributions, Tehan is asking folks to consider donating at www.seedtotableoregon.org/donate-today. Funds go directly to filling families' fridges full of fresh produce and are essential to allowing S2T to continue work through November.
Seed to Table is a 501(c)3 non-profit entity, tax ID number 82-3795618, with a mission to increase health and wellness of the Central Oregon community through providing equitable access to locally grown, farm fresh produce and offering opportunities in farm-based education. For more information contact: Audrey Tehan at: audrey@seedtotablesisters.org
