Contact us

We practice sustainability at the farm. Crop rotation, use of drip irrigation and re-using the flower water each week are some of the ways we are being kind to the earth.

We have two harvest boxes available for this coming 2019 season as of May 19th. If interested please email Lorrie at shadymaplefarmcsa@gmail.com and leave me a note. I will send you information. 18 weeks of fresh produce, herbs, berries and tree fruits when they are in season along with a weekly bouquet of beautiful flowers for $500.
We do have just flower subscriptions available.
A Full Flower Share is 18 weeks of gorgeous bouquets for $230 or a Half Share, every other week for a total of 9 weeks of flowers for $115.
Please email Lorrie at shadymaplefarmcsa@gmail.com if you are interested.

Pick up would be on Tuesdays between 4:00 - 6:00 pm at Shady Maple Farm, 8005 Portland Rd. N.E. Salem, Oregon. Our season lasts from May 28 to September 24, 2019.


Saturday, May 16, 2015

Planting Day 2015

Many of our friends and family have volunteered their time to come out and help plant thousands of plants today. Other chores that needed to be tackled were accomplished, also. 
Thank you everyone!
The man to the far right even brought his own knee pads. Bryan Hatzenbihler teaches CAD, Computer Aided Drafting, at Sprague High School when he isn't helping us out at the farm. The helpful young man down the row in a red shirt is my daughter's fiancee. Not even totally IN the family and brought 3 of his friends along to help plant. He lives in eastern Oregon, too. Thanks Nick. And thanks to Derek, Thomas and Ryan going along with Nick on this one. We appreciate it!

The first row on the right is finished.  Some people are putting the plants in to the opening through the plastic according to the maps we had for the field.  Hatz in gray, is moving right along. Each "planter" must remember to find the drip tape underneath and gently tug it over near the newly planted plant.

Chris (currently an instructional assistant at South High School), the lady in blue walking with the flat down the right side is putting tall marigold plants by each white tomato variety sign. She is also picking up any little red circles of plastic that may be blowing about. The people planting make sure there isn't a piece of red plastic in the bottom of the hole that would inhibit drainage. Chris was an instructional assistant in my Horticulture classes at Sprague when I taught there. We had fun working together for several years.

Jamie, who is expecting her second child this summer, finds it easiest to plant on all fours. She also always wears gloves as she doesn't like the feel of dirt under her fingernails. She coached the varsity softball team at Sprague for  many years alongside teaching her health classes. I was her assistant/sidekick on the softball field.  Good times!

Notice most of the holes have been cut through the plastic. Not a loafer out here!

Cutting through the plastic while not cutting the hidden drip tape AND getting the hole deep enough is tough. Florencio has passed this task on to my nephew (Lisa's son) Andrew. He is another hard worker in our family and merrily took on the task. I don't think he has noticed the black plastic hasn't been cut yet. Shhh.

The man in green to the left is in his second year of Veterinary school at Oregon State University. He is married to my niece Anna, and they live here at the farm with their four cherubs.

Aren't these the best family and friends??? Look at how industrious they are.

My brother in law Jim trying to fix up the very old cold frames. His little granddaughter helper is bringing the hammer.

She is getting her swings in.


Meanwhile, Anna and her cherubs are preparing lunch for the crowd. Anna is our version of "Pioneer Woman" from the TV cooking show.

Bowls of all kinds of yumminess all over the place. Emma is wearing her birthday apron made by Auntie Brea. Ethan gets the top step of the step stool.

2 month old Levi is all tucked in and cozy while his mom cooks.

Slightly roasted broccoli will go into the soup of the day.

Just a tad bit of bacon :) to add in.

The beginnings of a rather large pasta salad. Roasted asparagus from the garden with dark olives underneath.

Seasoned pasta awaits added goodies.

Freshly washed snow peas from the garden.

Emma and Ethan are on pea chopping duty. The cold drip coffee concentrate Anna makes is at the ready in front of them. And what farm kitchen counter doesn't have a bouquet from the garden and a coffee cup full of twizzle straws?


Sauteed onions in with the milk and broccoli to be pureed into the soup. 

And then there was DESSERT!

Thanks Anna and Lisa for all the sweet treats.

Florencio used the farm's Troy Built "Horse" with the furrow attachment to make the trenches for the pepper patch.

As the guys start planting the peppers, Florencio is hand broadcasting 16-16-16 fertilizer in the trenches. Fertilizer is listed in this order: nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium. Triple 16 is a balanced fertilizer.

These poor guys, they aren't small men and those onions behind them keep getting in the way.

Now they have their rhythm down.

Meanwhile the zucchini and yellow crookneck plants are being placed along the row of black plastic. Andrew (in blue) and Scott (green) are getting advice from Louise on how to dig the holes through the plastic.

My mother in law, Mary, has arrived and Nick introduces two of his buddies. "Grams" is a fixture at the farm helping out in many ways. To the left the guys are still digging holes through the plastic. They can't step on the plastic which wears on a person's back.

Everything you have seen so far on this post occurred before 11:00 am. Nick and his buddies needed to leave by 11:00 so here is our group photo shot. Lisa and I (who grew up here at the farm) are behind Florencio who is holding Lisa's dog, Cody. My friend Jane, is by Florencio's right elbow wearing red under a dark jacket. Andrew's wife Likzy is between him and Grams. On the far left is Brea, who arrived just in time for the photo op but helped out all afternoon. Thank you everyone!

Nick, Derek, Thomas and Ryan left with their box lunches and the rest got right back to work. These are yellow crookneck squash varieties. Dad always said plant more than one variety in case a variety has a bad year.

Hello Jane, Jamie, Chris, Likzy and Bryan, aka Hatz!

Planting through a small hole down into a 6 inch deep circle is tough. Now think about doing that without getting on the plastic. Hmmm.

And then remembering to find the drip tape and gently pull it near the planted plant. All of this wears on a person's body.

A little girl might just get a bit dirty helping out on the farm. Thanks Dad for the ride!

Left to right: Grams, Chris, Bryan aka Hatz, and Jamie have the best seats in the house for lunch. What a wonderful backdrop.

Florencio and Jane dish up while Likzy, Andrew next to his Dad, Jim settle in and start eating.

Brea checks in on the kiddos table. Louise, Ethan with his ferocious face, and Emma enjoy their lunch. Brea made Emma's apron for her birthday a couple weeks ago. So pretty!

Andrew and Likzy kid around while eating their soup. Notice the seats? There was a huge black walnut tree taken down a few years ago right behind where they are sitting. Our brother Karl brought down his LONG chain saw and cut these chairs for us. They are used continuously.

Lisa's dog Cody relaxes with all the people around.

Muddled raspberries in with Crystal light lemonade, next to a pretty white container of water.

Grams and Anna share a laugh while Anna writes more field signs and baby Levi takes a nap wrapped up in blue.

Florencio digs yet MORE holes, Brea sets out 4 inch pots of cucumbers while Likzy and Jamie plant even more.

The pepper patch is filling in nicely. Scott has taken to crawling.

Richelle and her little dog have arrived. Richelle is married to nephew Nick. 

Grams is out of peppers so Likzy gets to rest standing upright for a minute.

Brea and Ethan double team a pepper plant.

Hatz is marking where each pepper will be placed for spacing. The man works tirelessly.

Anna's buddy Brea has two helpers!

Richelle is juggling peppers, tags and trying to set down a pepper plant for Scott to plant.

It appears she has her balance back and has gotten ahead of Scott.

Scott pauses to grin for me. But not for long.

Ethan and Likzy smile, too.

Grams and I share a moment while someone else mans the camera. You might notice my left ring finger has no ring? When I got home that evening and was really washing my hands I noticed my ring was gone. So many places to look. After we looked for two days, Florencio found it Monday out by the peppers. Whew! Happy dance.

Louise just fits between peppers as Brea firms them in.

Ethan knows just how to gently ruffle up roots that have started to wrap around and could strangle the plant. This pepper plant has a tiny pepper starting.

The tomatoes in red and the zucchini, yellow crookneck and cucumbers in black. The last unplanted row will be the start of the melon patch. They will be planted later.

Jim has measured everything, made his list of what needs replacing and gone to the lumber yard.

Now the cutting begins. Amazing he could save most of the cold frames and fix them with some new boards.

The large leaves in this half barrel are horseradish. Another experiment this summer. This could be an invasive plant so we have corralled it in this pot. Next year we could dig up the roots and grind some of them up in a well ventilated space to make our own horseradish. White alysum is good for a garden. Not just pretty, it also brings in beneficial insects.

A cheery sunflower. The pepper patch is almost complete at the far end of this field. Beyond all the helpers is a field of peppermint on our leased out land.

Nick, my nephew, power washes the cooler. It is getting a face lift and will be painted soon.

Likzy, Richelle and Richelle's dog Zeddy take a break.
Notice the empty Popsicle containers to the left? Anna made frozen yogurt bars for an afternoon snack. Thanks :)

Are you two laughing at me???

The cooler looks worse after being pressure washed. Oh well, it will be better soon. To the right is Andrew's big work truck. He is a big rig mechanic and brought all his tools "just in case" we might need something fixed. Usually we do!

Ethan appears to be guarding his uncle Andrew's truck while equipment is moved around behind the gray trailer.


Andrew also mows all the grass around the orchard, berries and grapes. He makes it so much easier to get around. Thanks.

The area where Lisa does her flower magic. Two refrigerators, one chest freezer, a hot water tank, shelves and a sink have been moved. None of them were in working order. Now she has some serious space :)

Nick finishes the east side. I hope I have purchased enough paint!

Their husbands, Andrew and Nick, are doing one person jobs. They are taking the chance to catch up! They married brothers, my nephews.

Louise likes to go UP the slide just as much as sliding down it.

And she loves her Oma's puppy, Cody.

Scott got the tiller out and trenched one final row for peppers.

Louise helps her daddy.

Hatz was like the energizer Bunny. ALL DAY LONG.

The finishing touches on the pepper patch.

This zucchini, crookneck and cucumber patch is done for the day.

The large gap between the red and black plastic is our golf cart road. These fruits and veggies get heavy along these 300 foot long rows.

Florencio has hooked up the drip irrigation to the tomatoes and they are being watered.

Louise is telling me the cooler is all wet.

Scott and Nick hook up all the equipment and move it away from the cooler. Our CSA harvest box people will now be able to park near here.

The double bottom plow is relocated.


Brea is heading home with a small token of our thanks.

Anna writing more tags while Levi cuddles and naps.

Jim is taking this wood home to build the replacement frame tops for the cold frames. He will work his magic so the three frames without glass will have a fitted frame to hold the new glass. The new glass will need to be ordered.

Items have been moved back into the end of the cooler. The guys also moved gravel around the outside of the cooler's concrete pad. Much smoother and less ankle rolling will occur.

They are also moving gravel in front of the dumpster so the sanitation truck doesn't sink this coming fall when the rains start again.

In this space between the black plastic and the blueberries flowers will be planted. There will be five rows. This end will be all zinnias, the far end will be the taller sunflowers.

Louise and her family's dog, Sheila, relax in the front room after Louise's bath. A long day for all.


This is the area where Florencio found my ring. I had been organizing these pepper flats and didn't feel it slip off. It is now sequestered at home when I am out at the farm.

The box lunch Anna sent with the guys after the 11:00 group photo.


What a successful planting day. I never imagined we would get so much accomplished.
Thank you so much!