Just in time for gardeners to plant some veggies, Food for Lane County’s Youth Farm is having its spring plant sale. It's at a new location this year on Seavey Loop.
Volunteers bustled around a barn at Food for Lane County’s Youth Farm on Thursday, getting ready for this weekend’s sale.
Jen Anonia, the nonprofit’s garden manager, took a break from preparations to talk. She said the nonprofit purchased the new site in 2024. It offers several upgrades from the previous location, which was on five acres of Springfield Public Schools property.
“This property is over 25 acres, so quite a bit bigger and it's got a lot of outbuildings. We had tiny sheds and shipping containers at the old site, so that really has broadened what we're able to do,” Anonia told KLCC. “And then the soil here,” she added, “I mean, we had good soil at the last site. The soil is even a step above. So the plants are growing really well.”
Anonia said the district was generous to allow them to use the school-owned site for 30 years.
She said the sale is a fundraiser for FFLC’s guidance programs here and at the Grassroots Garden.
“We have a summer crew of teenagers that we work with that we call our ‘youth farm crew.’ It's 14 teens ages 15 to 18,” Anonia said. “They work with us out in the fields, they learn all aspects of growing this food.”
Anonia said starting in June, the youth crew helps run an onsite produce stand and a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. They also learn about leadership, financial literacy, and nutrition. Applications for this summer are available on Food for Lane County’s website.
Saturday’s sale features plant starts for tomatoes, lettuce, peas, herbs and much more. It’s from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Youth Farm at 34596 Seavey Loop Road, near the base of Mount Pisgah.
Anonia said they’ll be offering tours of the new farm every hour, starting at 11:00.
