Fine Art at the Farm

Flower Farmer hosts annual artsy soirée

By Angie Helvey, Active Media

It’s the perfect time to visit Flower Farmer, Canby’s treasured spot for corn, basil, beautiful flowers, and whimsical train rides! This month marks the 26th Annual Basil & Art Festival, which showcases the Canby area’s local artists and the fresh, seasonal produce that comes straight from the farm. 

You might know Flower Farmer by its red barn and miniature railroad located near the Canby Ferry and Swan Island Dahlias. Leo Garre (1942-2023) built the small Italian family basil farm from scratch through the 1970s, and in 1984 installed an old-fashioned miniature railroad that takes visitors of all ages around the property to see colorful flowers, friendly farm animals, and abundant crop fields. Leo’s son Louis is the proprietor, and he’s continuing the farm’s many seasonal traditions. “Leo wanted to invite the community to experience the farm in its most bountiful season and support local art,” explains Jenni Kadwell, who has been continuing the festival as the Art Coordinator for the last four years.

This year’s Basil & Art Festival is scheduled for Saturday, August 22nd through Monday, September 7th. It’s open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is free to enjoy. Jenni transforms the main building on the farm into a curated art gallery featuring more than 20 local artists from across the Canby area, including Aurora, Oregon City, Woodburn, and Wilsonville. 13 are returning from previous years, and over 10 are from right here in town. Visitors can peruse an array of unique art pieces created in a wide range of media, including original acrylic paintings and watercolors, pottery, mosaics, ceramics, lavender bouquets and sachets, chalk art, jewelry, and other handcrafted items. All of the pieces are for sale, so you’ll have the opportunity to take them home if by chance you fall in love!

Flower Farmer is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from July through October. The Basil & Art Festival intentionally coincides with the ripening of basil, which the farm grows in delicious varieties, including cinnamon, Italian, Genovese, and lime. Fresh basil will be sold at the event, along with an abundance of sweet, juicy corn, tomatoes, peppers, a variety of other vegetables, fruit from the orchard, and bouquets of fresh-cut flowers. Louis also brings in local fruits and melons. Pesto and other homemade Italian samples will be available primarily on weekends, along with free wine tastings from Catman Cellars. The train, the Phoenix & Holly, will be running on the weekends and Labor Day, featuring a pleasantly picturesque ride around the farm, visiting friendly animals and passing colorful rows of blooms. 

Flower Farmer is excited to welcome several returning artists to the Basil & Art Festival, including Heather Andrews, Lowe’s Lavender Farm, Rhoda Bohr, Jeannie Hemming, Holly Kroening, Brad Isom, Kim Ferguson, Kris Kuester, Jeanne McTavish, Karen Lamb, Songbird Soap, Becky’s Cozies, and Laurel Purdy. You’ll also see many new additions, including: Cobin Newkirk Ceramics, What Is Art, Diane Gauthier; Jeannine Wibbels, a watercolor painter; Linda Conn, who creates stunning mosaics; and potter/ceramicist Sandy Rousseau.

Jenni has some fun new surprises in store this year, like chalk art for the kids, and she’s created wooden pedestals from recycled wood for the art displays. Per tradition, the Basil & Art Festival is part of Canby’s Big Weekend, which is August 28th through August 30th, so it’s the ideal time to explore all that Canby has to offer!

For more information about the Basil & Art Festival, please contact Jenni Kadwell at flowerfarmerartfestival@gmail.com & visit the Flower Farmer website at www.flowerfarmer.com