There is a new landmark on the Milo Academy campus in Days Creek, Ore. When you cross our iconic covered bridge to spend time with us, you will see the new Milo Market farm stand sitting in the corner of the market gardens and orchard.
Summer 2018 marks the third growing season of the new Milo agriculture program. The last three years have been filled with building infrastructure. We began with clearing invasive blackberries and volunteer trees in the gardens in the fall of 2015, which was followed by building a deer fence in the spring of 2016. Greenhouse renovation for two of our five tunnels was completed fall/winter 2016–2017, and installing a drip irrigation system in the gardens came last spring, in 2017. During the summer of 2017 we began marketing produce at the Canyonville Farmers’ Market. This spring we have continued our farm’s growth by adding our new farm stand, the Milo Market.
The stand is a 200-square-foot old-fashioned “store front” style shop with a cool room to keep the produce fresh and a dry goods area. Our vision is that various programs on campus have the opportunity to share the space to sell items created by students in their department, which will benefit the respective departments. We also hope that the availability of fresh, naturally grown produce will meet some needs of the local community, as it is a long drive for quality food. We are hoping to open early summer after trenching in power and water lines.
This fall and winter we would like to complete a new strawberry project and add some caterpillar tunnels in the gardens for season extension. If you would like to know more about this exciting program or be a part of it, email our farm manager, Jeff Birth.
