From Pasture to Plate

Longtime family farm raises fresh food for the community

By Angie Helvey, Active Media

We’re lucky here in Canby to have farms throughout the area and opportunities for fresh, local bounty. Vale Garden Farm, located near the Molalla River on the south side of town, has beenin Farmer Marcus Wolf ’s family since 1960, and it’s one of our community’s best sources of tasty, farm-fresh eggs, pasture-raised chickens, turkeys, beef, and more!

Marcus’s parents both came from farm families, and after the Great Depression, the couple came to Oregon to raise their family. A picturesque 50-acre property in rural Canby was the perfect landing. “The main reason was for the kids to grow up on a farm,” Marcus explains. Marcus’s father had cattle and ponies and raised hay, and after both his parents passed, he bought the farm. “Dad really wanted it to stay in the family,” he says.

Nowadays, eggs are big business at Vale Garden Farm. They have 300-400 laying hens at any given time, who live pretty luxurious lives for chickens, with plenty of free-ranging on the farm to eat greens, chase bugs, and sun themselves. The eggs they lay are lovingly washed by hand when they’re typically just a couple of days old before being sold. Additionally, they raise chickens for meat, which are sold whole or in individual cuts, and have fresh turkeys at Thanksgiving, an offering that’s been wildly popular with customers. “It’s a time-sensitive process. We butcher them Monday of Thanksgiving week, and people pick them up Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving,” Marcus says. “It’s worth it, as it keeps the meat fresh and moist — one of our customers said it was the best turkey she’d ever tasted.”

Vale Garden Farm is also home to a herd of Lowline Aberdeen Angus cattle that Marcus raises for meat, which he primarily sells live. The flavor of fresh, pasture-raised beef is unmatched, and the breed’s reputation for high-quality meat, along with their gentle nature, has proven true at the farm. They’re slightly smaller than regular Angus cattle, which works out perfectly for customers who don’t have much freezer space.

Orders can be placed on the farm’s website, and customers can arrange pickup at the farm or at Wolf ’s NE Portland home. Eggs are also available on the porch of their home every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Vale Garden Farm sells eggs to Portland restaurants and is always open to chat with anyone looking for a supplier. The farm is run by Marcus, with the help of his brother and partner Sharon. They’re also working on adding fresh flowers to their offerings!

Vale Garden Farm is proud to grow high-quality food for the community and use no chemical herbicides or sprays. They’re also intentional about keeping prices reasonable while ensuring everything they sell is exceptionally fresh. “It makes a big difference in the taste, which is very important to us,” Marcus says. Vale Garden Farm is located at 8551 S Vale Garden Rd in Canby. Please visit their website at www.valegardenfarm.com.