Adopt a Farmer

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Adopt a Farmer Connecting middle school students with farmers to learn where their food and fiber come from through dialogue, farm field trips and classroom visits.
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Pairing a middle school classroom with a farm or ranch for the entire academic year gives students the chance to see, hear, touch, smell and taste what life is like on the farm. The Agri-Business Council of Oregon funds a field trip and coordinates 2-3 classroom visits through the year to engage students in the science behind farming, while the farmer shares his or her story of Oregon agriculture. In a day and age where people forget that milk comes from cows and fruits and vegetables don’t grow at the grocery story, it’s more important than ever to engage Oregonians about where their food and fiber come from.

Did You Know? Hops only climb clockwise!Hop bines naturally wrap themselves around their support in a clockwise directio...
10/16/2026

Did You Know? Hops only climb clockwise!

Hop bines naturally wrap themselves around their support in a clockwise direction as they grow. Unlike many other climbing plants, hops won’t wind both ways. They’re hardwired to follow the same direction every time!

Those long, twisting bines can grow 18 feet or more in a single growing season, making hops one of Oregon’s most recognizable specialty crops.

As hop season in Oregon winds down, students in the Rachel Carson Environmental Science Program at Cedar Park Middle Sch...
10/15/2026

As hop season in Oregon winds down, students in the Rachel Carson Environmental Science Program at Cedar Park Middle School had the opportunity to learn about this climbing perennial crop and explore it using their different senses.

They were able to touch and smell three different varieties of hop cones, comparing their size, shape, texture, and smell. They then compared dried hops and pelleted hops before sampling hop water. There were some strong opinions on the flavors they noted in the hop water!

Here are a few hop facts that the students found particularly interesting:
1️⃣ Hops are often grown to add flavor and aroma to different products, most notably in the brewing process. Hops themselves are not used to make alcohol.

2️⃣ Hops have both male and female plants. Hops are pollinated by the wind, and one male hop plant within a five mile radius can pollinate female hop plants. Because of this, hops grown commercially are all female plants as the farmers don’t want the plants to set seed as there are processing regulations that limit the amount of seed, bine, and leaf material that can be mixed in with the hop cones.

3️⃣ Hops will always grow in a clockwise direction, so they must be trained up their trellis wires in the correct direction or they will fall off.

Meet Your Adopted Farmer: Brecklin from Stahlbush Island FarmsFor 41 years, Stahlbush Island Farms has been growing and...
10/14/2026

Meet Your Adopted Farmer: Brecklin from Stahlbush Island Farms

For 41 years, Stahlbush Island Farms has been growing and processing fruits and vegetables in Oregon. Founded in 1985, the farm grows an impressive variety of crops, including pumpkins, blueberries, blackberries, marionberries, black raspberries, butternut squash, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, green beans, beets and spinach.

What they love most about farming is the opportunity to grow and process healthy fruits and vegetables for families and food manufacturers.

And through Adopt-A-Farmer, they get to share that work with the next generation.

Brecklin enjoys giving students a hands-on agricultural learning experience and showing them what happens beyond the grocery store or cafeteria.

Because sometimes the best classroom is a working farm.

We’re grateful to Stahlbush Island Farms for creating meaningful, fun, real-world learning opportunities for students and teachers!

Students at Ashland Middle School got an inside look at life on the ranch when Diamond Bar Beef visited their classroom ...
10/13/2026

Students at Ashland Middle School got an inside look at life on the ranch when Diamond Bar Beef visited their classroom as part of their Adopt a Farmer experience.

The team shared the story of their operation and walked students through the journey of their cattle, from birth to butcher. They also introduced students to the role of the USDA and explained the rigorous standards and inspections in place to help keep our food safe.

As always, the students came prepared with plenty of thoughtful questions. They were curious about everything from branding and livestock identification to what happens when a cow or calf gets sick. Their questions offered a great opportunity to connect what they learn in the classroom with the realities of raising livestock and producing food.

Another wonderful day connecting educators to agriculture! Thank you, teachers, for spending your inservice day with Cul...
10/12/2026

Another wonderful day connecting educators to agriculture! Thank you, teachers, for spending your inservice day with Cultivating the Next GEN

Did You Know? You can identify every cow by its spots!While a cow’s coat color and markings can help farmers tell animal...
10/12/2026

Did You Know? You can identify every cow by its spots!

While a cow’s coat color and markings can help farmers tell animals apart, their nose prints are unique, much like our fingerprints.

So the next time you see a spotted cow, take a closer look! That cow’s nose print is truly one of a kind!

📚 Farm Book FridayThe Soil in Jackie’s GardenSometimes the most important part of a garden is the part we can’t see.This...
10/09/2026

📚 Farm Book Friday
The Soil in Jackie’s Garden

Sometimes the most important part of a garden is the part we can’t see.

This book introduces young readers to the world beneath their feet and the important role soil plays in growing healthy plants. A great way to get students thinking about soil, gardens and the connections between healthy land and healthy food.

All eyes were on Farmer Molly as she welcomed the newest students of the Rachel Carson Environmental Science Program at ...
10/08/2026

All eyes were on Farmer Molly as she welcomed the newest students of the Rachel Carson Environmental Science Program at Cedar Park Middle School. She introduced the students to her fifth-generation family farm and gave them a preview of what they can expect when they visit Pearmine Farms, Inc. for their upcoming fall field trips.

The students came prepared with plenty of questions. They wanted to know how different crops are harvested, how rising fuel costs are affecting the farm, and how the farm decides which crops to plant in different areas each year. Moose, the school’s therapy dog, joined the group, too, and seemed just as curious to learn more about Pearmine Farms!

The Rachel Carson Environmental Science Program is designed for sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students with a strong interest in science. Through nearly weekly field experiences, students explore environmental topics beyond the classroom—including agriculture through their Adopt a Farmer partnership with Pearmine Farms.

Meet Your Adopted Farmer: Aubrey KarimAubrey was born and raised on her family’s farm, so she likes to say she’s been fa...
10/07/2026

Meet Your Adopted Farmer: Aubrey Karim

Aubrey was born and raised on her family’s farm, so she likes to say she’s been farming her whole life! She began working full time on the farm in 2020.

Today, her family grows a little bit of everything: nursery stock, hazelnuts, pumpkins for seed, grass seed, straw and wheat. They also provide custom baling services for other farms in the area.

One of Aubrey’s favorite parts of farming is watching something start small and become something much bigger.

She loves watching a tiny plant cutting grow into a beautiful tree, then seeing that tree shipped across the country to a garden center where it will be enjoyed by someone new.

“There is something so magical knowing something that started on your farm, is now loved by so many others all over our country."

That same excitement is what Aubrey brings to Adopt-A-Farmer. She loves sharing what farming means to her, helping students understand where their food and plants come from, and introducing them to the many career opportunities in agriculture and horticulture.

Because this industry needs the next generation, and is excited to help inspire them.

📚 Farm Book FridayThe Day the Farmers QuitWhat would happen if farmers simply…quit? This playful story gives students a ...
10/02/2026

📚 Farm Book Friday
The Day the Farmers Quit

What would happen if farmers simply…quit? This playful story gives students a chance to think about just how much we depend on farmers and agriculture every day.

It’s also a fun jumping-off point for classroom conversations about food, farming and the many people who keep our food system moving.

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2195 Hyacinth Street NE #111B
Salem, OR
97301

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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+19716000466

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