|
|
|
Fall Fundraiser Dinner at the Farm - Help Valley Flora Go Solar!
For the past ten years at Valley Flora we've been harnessing horses to help get the farming done, but wouldn't it be great if we could harness the sun itself? For a long time our goal has been to make this little farm as climate-friendly as possible through the use of horses and our electric tractor, but solar has been out of reach financially. We looked into solar panels in 2010 but it was way beyond our budget.
Then, this past winter we found out about a couple solar grant programs that were about to sunset - one with the state of Oregon and the other through the US Department of Agriculture. With invaluable grant-writing assistance from a non-profit called Spark Northwest we applied for both grants. We just found out this month that our solar-powered-produce dream is finally coming true: we were awarded both grants! Combined, they'll cover 45% of the cost of a 12 kW solar installation big enough to power most of the farm: our irrigation pump, walk-in cooler, freezers, and new propagation greenhouse.
Our hope is to have solar panels on the roof of the barn by next spring, but we need to raise matching funds to make it a reality. To help get us part of the way there, we're hosting a fall fundraiser dinner at the farm on October 20th! There will be an afternoon of cider pressing and farm tours, followed by a 5-course dinner with wine served in our new greenhouse. Dinner will feature all the Valley Flora produce we can stuff into five courses, with the masterful help of chef Kali Pestana of the Loft.
Cider pressing and farm tours start at 3 pm; dinner will begin at 5 pm. Cost is $100 per person. Everyone will go home with a jug of cider.
If you'd like to join us on October 20th, please RSVP and we'll save you a seat! Let's raise a glass together: to the power of the sun!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|