Terra Farma

They bought the land in 2001 with no intention of farming it, a friend gave them seven chickens, and that flock grew into a mixed livestock farm of goats, turkeys, pigs, sheep and finally cattle. The name is a play on terra firma, and the farm works to rebuild soil fertility through multi species rotational grazing, on farm composting, minimal tillage and protection of sensitive riparian ground. Linda took a degree in environmental science and left her job at an environmental testing laboratory in 2011 to farm full time. Mike trained as a geologist, joined her full time in 2020, and has served on the board of the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District since 2012.

Today the farm sells pasture raised meat and eggs, mainly through a monthly meat CSA. Each share weighs 10 to 12 pounds and carries meat from at least three species, and over a year members see beef, pork, chicken, lamb, goat, rabbit, duck and guinea fowl. Shares are collected at one of three points: the farm itself on Sunday afternoons, Woodstock in south east Portland on Tuesday evenings, and Kenton in north Portland on Thursday evenings. Whole chickens are a separate seasonal offer, raised in moveable houses that are shifted every single day and sold fresh once a month from May through October. Terra Farma once sold raw milk from its own cows, and the farm states on its site that those sales ended permanently after it could no longer find insurance cover for a small raw dairy.