My name is Amanda Stefan and I am looking for roughly 15-25 acres in North or Mid Willamette Valley to grow mixed vegetables and cut flowers before expanding into wheat and animal byproducts from chickens, goats, and rabbits. I’d start by focusing on building out a CSA program and developing relationships with restaurants before expanding into an onsite farm stand. My goal is to feed the community I’m a part of, as well as to create a third space for people to spend time outside of work or home by hosting different types of workshops, dinners, and events like concerts and open mics (which I’ve had practice doing at the nursery where I’m currently employed), while also encouraging an appreciation for our relationship with the earth.
I was born and raised in Los Angeles before heading off to the University of Michigan for college, followed by a two year stint in Long Island, NY where I first fell in love with farming (so I do have some experience working through the cold, I swear!). My east coast farming experience ended after I farmed my second season during the first year of the Covid-pandemic, where the reality of needing to travel 9-12 hours during a family emergency became too daunting. Since moving back to Southern California I have worked jobs that scratched the Farming Itch while I developed a business plan for a farm of my own.
I love to cook, and to be as resourceful as possible with my ingredients. I also love a good DIY and enjoy general craftiness in my free time. If there’s an opportunity to make something for myself instead of buy it, I’ll jump on it. Whether it’s embroidery and woodworking, or jewelry making and floral crafts, I’ve tried it. I also love to write, both fiction and nonfiction, and enjoy making educational material based on my different interests. In my head I see such a clear path for all of these interests to merge with my passion for farming to create a business that caters to both the farmer and the artist in me, while also benefiting my community.
Features of the property that are essential to me include water rights, an on-site sewer, rights to build a residential space on the property, as well as barns and other storage structures. I would also need to be able to (at least eventually) have a commercial kitchen, and sell value added products and produce from the property itself.
My farming journey began in Amagansett, NY as an apprentice at Amber Waves Farm before returning as a crew leader and flower department assistant the following year during the Covid-19 pandemic. We focused on growing mixed vegetables, cut flowers, and grain, with chickens for egg production, all of which we sold through a CSA, on-site market, restaurant accounts, and farmer’s market stalls. After the conclusion of my second year farming, I returned to Los Angeles to be closer to my family, where I worked as an urban farmer for a private gardening company where I serviced between 20-24 clients weekly for a couple years before settling in as a plant specialist and assistant event coordinator at my local nursery.
The short-term goals for my farm business would be growing mixed vegetables and cut flowers, focusing on building out a CSA program as well as developing relationships with the chefs and staff of restaurants in the community to sell to. I would also love to be able to consider selling to restaurants in Portland, depending on circumstances. When applicable, I would also focus on generating value-added products. I would also host dinners for my CSA members, starting with once a year, before building to once a season by year 5. I would plan to open a farm stand by year 2, ideally on-site, but situationally dependent, and would like to have established at least a few bee hives on the property. By year 3 I would expand to chickens, with a focus on egg production, and would like to begin hosting workshops at this time as well. By year 5, I would plan on beginning the process of expanding the farm stand into an on-site market, and have established a focused value-added processing branch/brand.
Once comfortable with chickens, I would hope to expand into rabbits around year 5 or 6, and goats after that, at year 7 or 8. I would open a cafe attached to the market I’ve established on-site by year 6. I would increase the the seasonal CSA dinners to a bimonthly schedule, and would be hosting consistent workshops, while starting to host larger events like open mic nights, and small concerts. By year 7 I would also plan to expand into grain, beginning with oats and wheat. I would do all of this while maintaining my CSA memberships and restaurant accounts. I would also like to begin an apprenticeship program between years 8-10.
I would need to be able to live on the property. If housing isn’t currently available on site, I would just need to be allowed to build/have a residential building on the property (as far as zoning restrictions go) while living in some kind of temporary mobile living situation on-site until a long term housing situation is finalized.
As a farmer, and an owner/operator of a business, I would commit to paying a land tax given to the appropriate native communities whose land the farm is on. I would also accept SNAP payments at my farm stand and market, and would commit a regular donation to local food banks based on their needs. I would also invest time, energy, and resources into building a DEI program, focusing on hiring from a wider pool of people by ignoring graduation requirements and having applicants expand on personal experiences as opposed to relying on conventional work and educational experiences when looking for employees. As a continued commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, I would also focus on allowing for employees to maintain a flexible schedule when needed to attend to child-care and personal needs.
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