Long-term opportunity for lease and farm partnership on 1-35 acres of our 50-acre farm with a conservation easement-15 miles southwest of Eugene

Description

• Atkinson Memorial Farm Conservancy Co-Farmer Invitation 

The Farm and Current Farmers

We are the Atkinson Farm Conservancy, a 50-acre farm, held by Paul’s family since 1964. The farm is located about 15 miles southwest of Eugene, Oregon, in the Coyote Creek basin of the southern Willamette Valley. The historical vision for this place has always been self-sufficiency. How do we make it possible to produce all of our food from this farm? In recent years we have created the conservancy (legally a 501-C6 mutual benefit corporation), overseen by a 3-5 member family board, dedicated to “preserving and protecting the farm for future generations.” We have enhanced the stability of that vision by donating a conservation easement to NWLCT (Northwest Land Conservation Trust) with the mission of feeding and powering “at least a family” from on-site sources, while “enhancing habitat for all climatically appropriate flora and fauna.” No chemical fertilizers have been used on the property for over 40 years, so organic certification is possible. With solar power installations, we are significantly advanced in powering the home and farm from on-site sources. We are also hoping to pursue bio-char production using wood thinned from surrounding forest land. The purpose of the conservation easement is to assure legal farm permanence. The farm property is also paid for. 

I, Paul Atkinson, have been renting use of land and buildings as Laughing Stock Farm for many years, integrating pastured poultry, dual-purpose cattle, dairy goats and cheese-making, pigs, sheep, and large gardens and fruit trees to work towards a sustainable farm eco-system. To reduce carbon emissions, I am working toward no-till planting. I am 72 years old, in good health, and intend to farm as long as I’m alive, while looking forward to spending more time on the habitat improvement of this place in the future (as younger co-farmers take over some of the daily care of animals, repair of fences, etc.). We currently don’t have a younger family member who is interested in the life of day-to-day farming. 

I, Sid Baum, have been married to Paul for 35 years and after teaching middle and high school for 30 years, am doing more of the daily care and feeding of animals. I currently feed the chickens and collect eggs twice daily,  assisting Paul with the egg washing for our licensed facility as needed. I am 70 years old and in good health, but I don’t have the strength to do a lot of the heavier work on the farm. Besides caring for the house and gardens and grounds near the house, I spend time working with local climate organizations to help accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. 

Possible Farm Projects and Resources 

1. There are many possible farming projects that could be pursued here to enhance the mission of our conservancy, depending on your dreams and farming passions. A full-diet CSA, small dairy, or cidery are possibilities, as well as introduction of draft animals, expanded poultry production, more sheep, more fruit trees, tea plants, mushrooms, and greenhouse vegetables. We are open to most farm ventures, but cannabis production is not one of them. 
2. We have some legal irrigation water and constantly work at water storage, but careful, limited use is important. Our domestic water is from a small steady spring and is legally purified for dairy, egg, and other food projects. 
3. Housing is limited on-site. We have a barn with an insulated room upstairs with electricity and water, along with a bathing room and composting toilet room downstairs. The upstairs room has a door that open onto a large deck that could support a yurt, or an added room, if someone needed additional living space. There is an unfinished tiny house adjacent to that barn that someone could choose to finish and live in. Anyone living in our on-farm housing pays toward monthly utilities and laundry facilities use, but not rent for the living space. There are possible housing rentals on a neighboring property in the future. 
4. The family farm conservancy board has the ability to offer up to a 99-year lease of parts of the farm to co-farmers whose farming work fits the conservancy mission and who decide they wish to farm here long term. A new co-farmer would begin with a basic rent toward maintenance of any fields, orchards, and buildings they use. The conservancy mission doesn’t include making a profit on leasing land or buildings. 
5. We are seeking a co-farmer who…
6. is an individual or couple old enough and experienced enough in farming that you can know yourself/yourselves to be called/inspired to farm life and farm dreams despite the prospect of long hours and low financial returns. You are the next generation, at least 25 years younger than we are, and could potentially continue farming here after we are gone. 
7. is morally/spiritually/or religiously motivated to “care for land” during your life and pass it on more “whole” than when you began, rather than “owning” “your” land to increase your financial position during your life. 
8. appreciates the fact that you couldn’t pay for land with farm income and care for it as you should, and you don’t foresee having the financial resources to buy your own farm. 
9. is interested in living simply. Integrating the plants, animals, and people (wild and domestic) of this place into the web of life that “might be sustained” is an exciting, worthy, and motivational purpose for your life. 
10. is willing to take on some of the daily work of caring for the animal species in the current farm operations, in addition to any farm projects you will be starting and running yourself. The type of animals-goats, pigs, laying hens, turkeys, cows, sheep- you choose to work with is negotiable and you may work toward taking over all or part of that operation as part of your own farm business.

Owner’s Short Term Vision for the Property

We'd like to have a new young farmer or farmers create their own farm business on the property that enhances our mission: to be working toward feeding and powering "at least a family", while “enhancing habitat for all climatically appropriate flora and fauna.” The new younger farmer(s) will also work with us to maintain the farm's existing animals, plants, orchards, and infrastructure for the benefit of all.

Owner’s Long Term Vision for the Property

The Atkinson family will maintain the farmhouse long term and oversight of the farm conservancy.
New farmer(s) will take over some portion of the current farm operations over time and continue their own farm business in line with the farm conservancy mission.
The farm property will remain as farmland in perpetuity and cannot be divided. The habitat for flora and fauna will be maintained and enhanced into the future.

Current Use

Pastured chickens and turkeys
A few cattle
Sheep
Hogs in barn
Dairy goats

Available Water / Irrigation

Legal water storage right for large garden area or greenhouse.

Soil Type / Quality

clay and clay loam class 3
deep soils, no rock

Buildings and Structures Available for Farm Use

barn with living space and large additional kitchen
shop with tools
some portion of large livestock barn
trailer set up for cheese making
space to build additional greenhouses

Farm Equipment Available for Use, Sale or Lease

Use:
25-horse electric tractor
29-horse diesel tractor
Cultivation equipment
rototiller; manure spreader; disk; mowers

Any Restrictions That Could Limit Agricultural Production

The property has a year-round spring with limited water production. There are several water tanks with considerable roof catchment capability and three ponds. Two of the ponds have irrigation rights. The conservation easement on 44 acres of the property doesn't allow additional buildings. Moveable pens and greenhouses are allowed. The property is zoned 40-acre minimum agricultural land.

What are you doing as a landholder to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for everyone on your land and in your community?

We have been open to a wide range of people, including school children, coming to the farm to enjoy and learn about what we do. We sell our products to people from a wide range of ethnic and religious backgrounds, accommodating their practices and cultural and religious methods of processing animals for their food needs.
We use no agricultural chemicals and strive to discover and use sustainable practices for this place.