Tryon Life Community Farm

TLC FARM BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER TO ROOT INTO RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER AND THE LAND, BY SHARING TOOLS FOR COMMUNITY-BASED SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIAL CHANGE, AND TENDING RESILIENT ECOSYSTEMS.

EDUCATION PROGRAM: *WILLOW CREEK FOREST SCHOOL* OUR NATURE IMMERSION PRE-SCHOOL PROGRAM SERVES 10 CHILDREN & THEIR FAMILIES DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR AND RAN A SUCCESSFUL SERIES OF SIX SUMMER CAMPS THAT SERVED OVER 60 CHILDREN. *FIELD TRIPS* OUR HANDS-ON EDUCATION PROGRAM CONTINUED TO REBUILD FROM THE PANDEMIC AND HOSTED FIELD TRIPS FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF GROUPS, FROM GIRL SCOUTS TO PRE-SCHOOLERS, HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS TO SENIOR CITIZENS - APPROXIMATELY 150 STUDENTS CAME TO LEARN ABOUT SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT AND HANDS-ON SERVICE.

COMMUNITY CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAM. *EVENT HOSTING* THE LAND PROVIDED A WONDERFUL STAGE FOR FUSE THEATER ENSEMBLE'S INTERACTIVE "SHROOM SHOW" IN WHICH THE AUDIENCE FOLLOWED THE PAYERS THROUGHOUT THE LAND TO DIFFERENT SCENES. THIS PLAY RAN EVERY WEEKEND FOR ALMOST TWO MONTHS! WE HOSTED SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONAL RETREATS AND MEETINGS FOR GROUPS LIKE THE PACIFIC NW FOREST CLIMATE ALLIANCE, THE PORTLAND SHADE EQUITY COALITION, AND 350PDX. WE ALSO STARTED HOSTING BIRTHDAY PARTIES AGAIN! *LAND FESTIVALS* EVEN THOUGH WE HAD A RATHER POOR FRUIT HARVEST BECAUSE OF THE VERY WET SPRING, WE STILL HAD A GREAT ANNUAL APPLE FEST, WHICH INCLUDED TASTING SEVERAL VARIETIES OF APPLES, MAKING AND TASTING CIDER AND LEARNING ABOUT THE RICHNESS OF PERENNIAL FRUIT PRODUCTION. *FISCAL SPONSORSHIP* TLC FARM CONTINUES TO BE THE FISCAL SPONSOR FOR MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS WOMEN USA, AND ARE PROVIDING ORGANIZATIONAL AND BOOKKEEPING SUPPORT.

DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM. *INCREASED LAND ACCESS* WE RE-GRAVELED THE NEW ACCESS PATH AND ORGANIZED A WEEKEND WORK PARTY TO KEEP IT WIDE AND CLEAR! *ORGANIC GARDEN & FOOD FOREST*: WE MAINTAINED THE LARGE EDUCATIONAL GARDENS AND TWO FOOD FORESTS (MULTI-LEVEL PERENNIAL FOOD PRODUCTION SYSTEMS THAT MIMIC THE PRODUCTION OF A NATURAL ECOSYSTEM). A VERY WET SPRING LED TO MUCH LOWER POLLINATOR ACTIVITY AND LOW FRUIT HARVEST, BUT THIS IN ITSELF TAUGHT EVERYONE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF POLLINATION AND THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE INSTABILITY ON FOOD PRODUCTION. *ANIMAL HUSBANDRY*: TLC FARM IS ONE THE ONLY EDUCATIONAL URBAN FARMS IN THE PORTLAND AREA TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO A DAIRY GOAT HERD, WHICH IS VERY POPULAR WITH ALL VISITORS, AS WELL AS AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT WITH AND LEARN ABOUT TRADITIONAL FARM ANIMALS. OUR GOATS HAD BABIES IN THE SPRING - WHICH ALWAYS DELIGHTS VISITORS. OUR ROVING CHICKEN FLOCK ALSO PROVIDES EGGS, EDUCATION, AND FERTILIZATION. *INVASIVE PLANT REMOVAL* CONTINUED OUR SYSTEMATIC PROGRAM OF ERADICATING BLACKBERRIES FROM MOST OF THE LAND AND REPLANTING WITH NATIVE PLANTS, BY THE USE OF HAND WORK AND OUR GOATS.