Sustainable Sunday: Rogue Hopyard

Well last week I talked about wine, so I decided to go with beer on this fine Mother's day. A lil while back I hit up the Rogue Hopyard with friends for beer, food, and a look at hops in action.

The trip was enjoyable - well off the beaten track in the Willamette Valley (Independence to be exact). We drove in past rows of hop fields with patriotic and maverick names (they boast 42 varieties on site), to the hophouse which sits right next to the Rogue Hop 'n Bed bed and breakfast house. We missed the tour (2pm on Sundays), but were able to stand in the tasting room and enjoy a wide variety of beers and good conversation with the staff.

What I like about Rogue is they do not go for what Michael Pollan dubs "supermarket pastoral" in their advertising or labeling. They grow hops locally, and are committed to things like sustainable farming, but they don't use this as a gimmick to get people to like them. In fact, their website copy is even a bit tongue in cheek about it, stating that they use 'free range' coastal water along with their other ingredients. Though I am the first to shout about sustainability from the rooftops, there is something to be said about not taking things to seriously.

The beers were excellent, including one that had hints of juniper, making me long for the Utah desert sunshine (it was sunny that day though!). With locations up and down the I5 corridor in Oregon and even into California - I say check out the Rogue Nation!

Sustainable Sunday: South Stage Cellars

When visiting House Alive! a few months ago, we dropped in on a local landmark that houses the South State Cellars' wine tasting room. What we ended up with was a chance to support winemakers who practice sustainability, make good wine, and support local business!

Built in 1865, the then private residence of Patrick Ryan has been host to more local businesses than any other building in town. Currently it is the home of South Stage Cellars, a vineyard-based tasting room and wine garden. We sat in the old-world style tasting room and talked with the others there while sampling a series of award-winning wines, and eventually walked away with a bottle of their 2009 Early Muscat, sold on the promise from the woman in the tasting room that it served both as a delightful dessert wine as well as an aromatic white. It felt like a big claim to me and so was intrigued. I was impressed with the quaint, cozy feel of the tasting room along with the rows of medals and awards that lined the wall behind the bar. The 2008 incarnation of the Early Muscat won Best of Show at the 2009 World of Wine Festival.

We were also excited to see how committed South Stage is to supporting the local economy and community. The grapes come from owners Don and Traute Moore’s vineyard, Quail Run, a local 300 acre operation that utilizes no insecticides and utilizes cover crops as a means to enrich the soils. We noted that there were several events aimed at locals providing discounts and entertainment. Our friend Coenraad had been there just the night before performing at a local’s night.

Some weeks later we decided to give our southern belle a try. A pale straw color, I expected something touted as a potential dessert wine to be more syrupy, but it seemed more like an aromatic in the glass. The nose consisted of honey and a tropical fruitiness that we were initially unable to identify along with hints of clove. I found the taste to be powerfully sweet on the tongue with a slight sparkling texture and a lightly bitter finish, almost like grapefruit. Jason noted that he found a “zing” at the top of his palette that was just as much texture as it was flavor. After exploring this further we decided that this was the tropical fruit we’d gotten on the nose – guava. The whole experience was threaded with the light spiciness of clove that carried through from start to finish.

We decided that the claim that this wine could be either a dessert wine or enjoyed by the glass with food stood up to the test. The Early Muscat provided more than enough complexity and crispness to drink chilled with a citrusy piece of fish or a mild Thai curry. However, its bold sweetness and bitterness would make it an excellent complement to dark chocolate or summer fruits. I definitely enjoyed this versatile wine and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys sweet wine with a kick.

Sustainable Sunday: Corvallis Hydroponics and Organics

If you read the lovely post we got from guest blogger Stephanie "Working Homemaker" Duckett, you would have noticed a new business mentioned that provides for gardeners here in Linn and Benton Counties - Corvallis Hydroponic and Organics. Out on Philomath Blvd., the store promises "a one stop shop where they [gardeners] can purchase all the needed supplies to successfully start and maintain their gardens."

Stephanie was excited about this place because it was where she found vermiculite for her square foot garden. I am excited about its wide variety of items aimed at helping people grow quality organic produce at their own homes. I also enjoy that the company aims to educate people about hydroponics - the science of gardening without soil.

Though hydroponics often gets a bad rap because of its association with growing marijuana (we make no judgments either way), it can be an excellent choice for people living in cities because it does not require that people have soil in their yards. Hydroponics can be done indoors, on rooftops, in empty lots, and in places where the soil has been too polluted for growing veggies. The folks at Corvallis Hydroponic and Organics also make note that despite the fact that it seems hydroponics would use more water, that it takes about 10% of the water in traditional gardening. They also argue that one can yield the same amount of produce in 1/5 the space.

I feel a hydroponic experiment coming on...

Sustainable Sunday: Benton Habitat for Humanity ReStore

I LOVE BUILDING SUPPLIES!!!

You may have read the glowing article about the ReBuilding Center up in Portland...well, here in Corvallis we have another amazing place that does the same thing - the Benton Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

Located at 1327 NW 9th Street here in Corvallis, this rambling maze of a warehouse and home furnishings store provides people in the Willamette Valley low-cost reclaimed building supplies. I frequent their back rooms and outdoor lot scanning for doors, lumber, chicken wire, plant pots, and other items I can use or reuse in my projects. Recently I went in to pick up the stakes I used to put up my pea playground. I also bought the screens that I used for my start shelf and drying rack.

The staff at the ReStore are friendly, fun, and helpful. Many of the people I have met there are volunteers who come in to help out. Monies made at the ReStore are also recycled - they go toward Habitat For Humanity projects in the area. It's great to see materials AND money staying local.

I really enjoy places like this. Even if you are not here in the Willamette Valley I encourage you to see if there are any places that sell reclaimed building supplies in your area. It is a great way to keep things out of the landfill, do projects on a budget, and give back through your purchases.

Sustainable Sunday: Youth Garden Project

Starting off, if you are reading this (and of course, if you are reading this you are reading this) please know that if you have a favorite business dedicated to sustainability please write in so we can highlight them!!! Our hope here is that we can cover businesses all over as opposed to those in Oregon and Utah. We know there are places out there in Chicago, and New York, and Europe, and anywhere else you might be checking in from!!!

This week we wanted to touch on a Utah nonprofit that is near and dear to the heart. The Youth Garden Project is dedicated to the cultivation of personal growth, self responsibility, and and community awareness in young people through the understanding and practice of organic gardening. Deep in the heart of Moab, UT, YGP is tucked up against the high school grounds (go red devils!), and offers a series of programs and events meant to teach children about health and sustainability.

Most of the staff are Americorps volunteers - young adults learning about themselves while putting on events such as a multi-week summer camp with weekly themes such as superheroes, recycled fashion show, and putting on a play. During the school year they offer after school programs and host field trips. They also host after school clubs.

YGP also does community events not aimed at children. They host workshops such as chicken coop tours, canning, baking bread, and bee keeping. Over the summer a bi-weekly weed and feed program provides a free meal to community members who come and help out for a couple of hours. Every Saturday you can find them pedaling their amazing veggies, pastries, jams and other items at the local farmers' market that they host. They also bring in local chefs to put on fund-raising dinners with locally-sourced food.

When I lived in Moab I was very privileged to be able to work with the incredible people over at YGP. If you are ever in Moab stop in to see the geodesic dome, earthbag walls, veggies, and incredible people!

Sustainable Sunday: Shonnards

A couple of the wonderful women I get to work with at Oregon State University and I have formed a little support and information group around home gardening. Besides being fun (and giving us an excuse for extra coffee runs), it has been a great way to share ideas, troubleshoot, and generally share a love for semi-urban homesteading (love ya Stephanie and Kristi!). Recently our little crew too a field trip to a session on organic gardening put of by Corvallis gardening center Shonnards.

I will say that Shonnards is not a business that solely focuses on organic gardening, but they do provide products and advice that allow even the greenest (no pun intended) organic gardener to get started. The session was informative, and covered topics such as making raised beds, soil maintenance, what and when to plant, watering, pest control, and other general gardening topics. Even I, who have been playing with organic gardening on and off throughout my life, found that it was a great resource - especially topics that pertained to the local soils and ecology of the Willamette Valley. I was reminded that just as one needs to learn the culture into which he or she moves, one also has to relearn some gardening techniques.

I am not going to review Shonnards here - I did not go into the store because the event was held in a nearby conference room - but I did want to say thank you for putting on a great event that was free to the public. I will also say thanks for bringing my attention to an idea that I'd not thought about much - wall gardening. I know that this has been a common practice of late, but I had not seen much about it until the speaker brought in a planter box that can be mounted on the wall. I was inspired. With my interest in avoiding purchasing things I can make, I am resolute in trying this out some time over the summer. I will keep you posted.

Sustainable Sunday: WabiSabi

Ok...I have a confession.

I stole the CD fish idea.

Not so much stole, as used the idea since it was taught to me. I learned it this past summer along with a bunch of other recycling-themed craft projects while working for the business we are profiling today - WabiSabi.

I spent my last summer working at WabiSabi, or Wabi for short - a nonprofit devoted to sustainability and community empowerment in Moab, UT. Wabi offers two thrift stores - the Warehouse and Thriftique - aimed at reducing the flow of goods into landfills as well as providing low-cost goods to people in a community rampant with rural poverty. The monies earned from the stores is given out to other nonprofits in the area, thus supporting their efforts throughout the county.

It's an amazing system - one I would love to see replicated across the country.

WabiSabi also puts on a series of community events, workshops, and other services. They offer the Make a Difference Grant, a twice-annual offering of money to community members who want to put on an event, workshop or project that improves life in Moab. In the summer the WabiSabi Kid's Art Tent travels to local festivals to provide recycled-themed arts and crafts projects for children (hence the CD fish). Over the holidays Wabi puts on Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, and throughout the slow (tourist town) season, they offer a series of free Sunday brunches.

This weekend WabiSabi put on its largest annual event - the WabiSabi Fashion Show. It started nine years ago as a fundraiser promoting local artists and recycling held in a small, local, business. It has grown into a massive affair in the Spanish Trail Arena, showcasing fashion made by local artists and providing an opportunity for the community to kick back for an evening. This year's Fashion Show, themed Intergalactic, was held last night and was a wild success.


All in all, WabiSabi is an incredible example of how a business can promote sustainability and bolster its community. Next time you are traveling through Southern Utah be sure to stop in for some awesome new-to-you items!

Sustainable Sunday: First Alternative Natural Foods Co-op

Nearly every food posting we have done includes some mention of the First Alternative Natural Food Co-op here in Corvallis. Whether baking bread, brewing kombucha, making chai, or getting our weekly groceries, we at Semi-Urban Homesteader LOVE this amazing Corvallis landmark.

The Co-op was started in 1970 by a group of 100 local citizens who wanted a source for healthy foods and the opportunity to educate others about sustainability and organic agriculture. Today it boasts over 8000 owners and two wonderful locations. Both the South (flagship) and North Co-op locations provide fresh produce, salad bar, deli items, prodigious bulk options, and high-quality natural and organic foods.

Some of our favorite Co-op features include the North Co-op's wheat grinder, South Co-op's bulk tincture selection, and both stores' ethically-sourced meat, quality wine and beer, and the "Feast Alternative" deli foods.

The Co-op does not just provide food, but events, workshops, and lectures on local issues and educational opportunities. They also work to support local business. The Local 6 program focuses purchasing efforts to buy from farms and businesses in the 6 most immediate counties around Corvallis. Currently they are earning money for local schools by dedicating a percentage of owner share monies.

All in all the First Alternative Natural Foods Co-op is an amazing example of people coming together for the health and welfare of their community.

Sustainable Sunday: Afton Field Farm

We want to profile an amazing business that Jason visited this week - Afton Field Farm. While chatting about local sustainable agriculture with a pal from Corvallis Brewing Supply, Jason learned that Tyler and Alicia Jones of Afton Field Farm followed in the practice of one of Jason's agricultural heroes, Joel Salatin, owner of Polyface Farms. Jason and I both read about Salatin and his "grass farming" ways in Michael Pollan's book, "The Omnivore's Dilemma." Jason learned that Tyler had apprenticed with Salatin and was eager to see the sustainable farming guru's methods put into practice in real life.

Afton Field Farm is self-described as "a pasture-based, beyond organic, multi-generational family farm in Corvallis, Oregon." Their website boasts a wide variety of meats and other animal products including beef, chicken, pork, eggs, and turkey. Customers can make purchases right at the farm, at local farmers' markets, or in a myriad of regional and local restaurants and grocers.

The Jones' are very welcoming of visitors, having an open farm policy Monday-Saturday. All they ask is that people give a call before arrival so they they know someone is coming. Jason sent them an email and was invited to come by on Wednesday afternoon.

Happy pig out on the farm (picture from Alicia's blog)

Jason found the Jones' very friendly. They offered him a view of the farm from up on top of a hill and were apologetic that winter is a slow time with less to observe. Jason enjoyed seeing the pigs who were hanging out near the orchard. He also saw the laying hens in the coop, and the 'fleet' of eggmobiles in the field housing the broilers. He was able to see their new slaughter house where they prepare chickens for sale.

Jason found the experience to be inspiring and exciting. Not only did he get to meet an incredibly cool young couple who share our ideals, but also walked away with pork chops, bacon, a roast, and plans to return for eggs at $4.00/doz. The best part of his experience was being able to actually see the innovative methods that he'd only until then read about.

We are currently thawing the roast for dinner tonight, and will update you with a review.

I was really excited to be able to check out Alicia's blog, describing how a city girl brings her own style and thought to the farming experience.

Sustainable Sunday (OK - belated): The ReBuilding Center

There were doors.

Rows and rows and rows of rough-cut racks holding up doors. Interior, exterior, old, new, wooden, metal, glass...i stood in awe looking at all of them, my mind dreaming up new projects one after another.

This was the experience I had on my first visit to the ReBuilding Center in Portland. I found this nonprofit organization dedicated to recycling, waste-reduction, and art a veritable smorgasbord of reclaimed building supplies. The door-lover in me rejoiced.

The ReBuilding Center offers a number of incredible services to the Portland community. From taking donations of used building supplies, to offering demolition and reclamation services, the ReBuilding Center seeks to promote sustainability and recycling while providing people with low-cost supplies for construction. Housed on N. Mississippi, the Center is a warehouse labyrinth where one can get lost amid piles of used tile, shelves of old sinks, and stacks of lumber. Visitors are encouraged to wander through the warehouse seeking treasures. Once ready to check out, one finds an employee who assesses the wares and issues a ticket bearing prices.

The Center also offers a great number of community-building programs, events and workshops. They offer classes such as window repair or project planning, provide tours of the Center to community groups an schools, and work with local artists to raise funds through the creation of "rebuilt" furniture and auctioning off doors that have been turned into masterpieces.

On our first trip to the Center we walked away with a cupboard door and a couple of newel posts that Jason has turned into a coffee table. This weekend I purchased door knobs and a door jamb that I will be turning into a couple of coat racks. Whatever the project, large or small, a great way to find quality materials at low, low prices is to head on out to the ReBuilding Center.

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!

Sustainable Sunday: House Alive!

So one goal I have set for this blog is to shine a spotlight on businesses that promote recycling, sustainability, permaculture, and homesteading. These will mostly be local or regional to Jason and I in Corvallis unless we are traveling. There are plenty to choose from here!

Last summer Jason decided he was going to take a natural building workshop. We'd returned from New Zealand having spent a week learning from people through the WWOOF program and he wanted more. He spent some time online looking for programs and found House Alive!

Situated in the wooded hills outside of Jacksonville, OR, House Alive! is a program run by Coenraad Rogmans. Jason chose to attend a course there because it not only covered building with cob, but other natural building techniques as well as use of greywater systems, photovoltaic electricity and passive solar. He opted to take the "Incredible Cob: The Complete Shelter" - an 8-day workshop.

Jason's time at House Alive! was vibrant and exciting. He felt it was a great balance between hands on work and theory. He learned a lot while camping in a scenic area and eating wholesome and delicious vegetarian fare. Upon returning home I heard tales of beautiful buildings, innovative ways to build sustainable homes, and kindness from Coenraad and his family.

Beyond hosting workshops on his property, Coenraad also takes his show on the road, doing workshops and internship opportunities in places like Mexico and South Dakota. Thus far, the 2011 schedule includes an 8-day workshop and an internship at Full Bloom Farms in Jacksonville.

Jason and I went down to Jacksonville this weekend to visit Coenraad and his family. We stayed in this lovely cabin.


The property is beautiful and covered in cob and hybrid buildings as well as a man-made pond, cob oven, and plenty of garden space. Coenraad and his family were wonderfully hospitable, fed us well, and shared with us some great ideas and philosophies. Here is a pic from the House Alive! website of their living room.


Jason and I were invited to tour the property. We saw the sauna, worksheds, greenhouses, and the inside of this cabin. I LOVE the desk pictured here!


I will say finally that not only is Coenraad an excellent teacher, but he truly lives the principals he shares with others. I want to thank him and his family for a great time!