SOREDI News: Getting Back to the Basics – Farm Life!

Jaymes Tadlock, Business Development Manager for SOREDI, and Steve Vincent, SOREDI Board of Directors Past President, recently visited the Rusted Gate Farm in Central Point and were given a tour by John Souza and Micah Hillis. This location is actually one of six properties, 154 acres, that comprises this non-profit farm.

Beginning in 2014 with the purchase of a single property, the farm was later founded as a non-profit in 2019 by Christy Walton and her sister, Rachel Hall, a longtime resident of Central Point. Rachel noticed the small farms disappearing from the local landscape and wanted to find a way for farmers to sell and retire without losing the legacy they had built over the years. Pooling their resources, she and Christy became resources for farmers to do just that by creating Rusted Gate Farm.

Rusted Gate Farm’s vision – “Through sharing outcomes of experimentation with traditional, alternative, and innovative farm practices, Rusted Gate Farm intends to identify a mix of income producing activities that will increase average farm income, promote environmental health, and insure long term financial security for small farms.”

Farming the land for food products is the commitment of the farm, including helping local farmers market produce, find ways to be more productive, and to learn about technologies available to help farmers better prepare for the changing environmental conditions. The focus of this farm is on the Southern Oregon region to help us better connect to fresh produce as opposed to relying on produce that can be trucked from as far as 1,500 miles away.

Visit the Rusted Gate Farm Stand, which has goods from several local farmers. It is located at 5461 Upton Rd, Central Point, OR 97502.  They are open Tuesday through Friday 10AM-5:30PM and Saturdays 10AM-4PM. They sell no-spray produce, antibiotic & hormone-free grass-finished and grain-finished beef. They accept SNAP, Farm Direct coupons, dollars, and card.

SOREDI is committed to businesses and organizations that look for innovative ways to keep Southern Oregon strong in the marketplace. Rusted Gate Farm is a great example of our mission to advance business in Southern Oregon to foster economic vitality by helping companies and entrepreneurs Launch, Relocate and Prosper.