#142 Putting Down Roots - Amanda Martinez, Thimbleberry Collaborative Farm

Meaningful Marketplace Podcast

There are wheat farms, corn farms, even fish farms, but not a lot of thimbleberry farms. In fact, we only know of one and that’s the Thimbleberry Collaborative Farm located in east Multnomah County, Oregon. So what is a thimbleberry anyway? It fits on the end of your finger as does a thimble and is similar to a raspberry with a bit more tartness. It grows wild and makes a great hiking snack, so look for them on your next outdoor trek. When the founders of Thimbleberry, including Executive Director Amanda Martinez, came up with their concept of a sustainable collaborative farm, the thimbleberry plant made the statement they were looking for. Thimbleberries grow by expanding through their root system; they pop up naturally in all kinds of locations. That made it a popular symbol for the founders as they wanted their farm concept to grow in the community the same natural way. It also is notable the group calls their farm a collaborative and not a collective. The founders recognized there were other great organizations that had been serving the community longer than they had and so collaborating with them in workshops, education, CSA efforts and so forth expanded everyone’s reach and success in the community. Thimbleberry has focused on the vegetables and fruits that grow well in the region with impressive results on a half-acre plot. That will change soon as they expand to a five-acre plot close to their current location. The farm is a constant experiment in agriculture to always be on the leading edge. The founders just started a deep mulch initiative, which will allow for an earlier start to the growing season. And there is a learning garden for experimenting with new foods and new growing practices as well as producing food for the community members and serves as the classroom for their field trips and workshops. Although not open to the public at all times right now, the group has applied for all the necessary permitting for their new, larger farm to allow much more public interaction. Amanda’s background is a natural for her Executive position. She grew up in the hills near San Jose, CA, where she and her family raised farm animals as pets. She attended Stanford University, where she studied Sustainable Food Systems and Agriculture on the University farm. She has worked on educational farms, directed summer camps and managed nonprofit organizations which shaped her dream to start an educational community farm. Additionally, Amanda recently graduated from an MBA program at Yale School of Management. Find out more at Instagram is @thimbleberrycollaborativefarm. Website: https://thimbleberrycollaborativefarm.org/. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Thank you for Listening to The Meaningful Marketplace Podcast with your hosts, Sarah Masoni of Oregon State University's Food Innovation Center and Sarah Marshall, owner of Marshall's Haute Sauce. Connect with us on Instagram @meaningfulmarketplacepodcast.

Audio engineer, mixer, and podcast editor: Haley Bowers
Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design
Production Coordinator: Kayleen Veatch