A Bountiful Decade:
the Growing of Seed to Table

Reprinted with permission from Sisters Visitors Guide, a publication of The Nugget newspaper

Words by T. Lee Brown
Photography by Emily Green

A love of gardening and a deep feeling of kinship for her community brought Audrey Tehan back to her hometown of Sisters after college. Invited to teach local students about farming, she founded Seed to Table ten years ago.

Folks know the farm's salad greens and radishes, garlic scapes and broccolini. Many don't realize the extent of its reach.

A nonprofit with the official name Seed to Table Oregon, the organization provides farm-based education and gets fresh, local produce to hundreds of eaters. Students in school, residents facing food insecurity, and shoppers at the farmers market all partake in the bounty.

Seed to Table has reached a milestone: a full decade of growth, to be celebrated with community events this summer. Tehan was 23 years old when she founded the farm, now a bustling nonprofit with a staff of eight, supported by eight board members.

Ten years later, carrying the title of Executive Director, she sometimes feels like a different person. "I am grounded in all of the same values and loves, but it's been such a big heart journey," she reflected.

 Tehan described being inspired by IEE, the Interdisciplinary Environmental Expedition program at Sisters High School, and by friends who leased land from Tehan's parents for their farm, Mahonia Gardens.

 She credits them, her team, supporters, and partnerships over the years with Seed to Table's success. Tehan explained, "It really is a community effort."

Every bit matters to Tehan and her team. Working on a cold day this spring, they were greeted by a supporter bearing gifts: eggs from their chickens, and a giant box of donuts.

 "There's been so much encouragement and belief that we can do it," she said.

 Hands-on education anchors the farm. Each year, it hosts some 1,500 student visits, teaching kids to plant, tend, and harvest farm-fresh food. "However many times a kid grabs a beet and bites into it like an apple, it's always hilarious," said Tehan.

Local resident Mandee Seeley was delighted when her son took part, walking to the farm from Sisters Elementary. Sweet, crisp carrots stand out in her memory.

 "They were fresh and dirty and straight out of the ground," Seeley recalled. "My son ate most of them before he got home."

 In a typical year, Seed to Table grows over 75,000 pounds of produce sustainably. The bounty reaches over 750 individuals through produce shares and over a dozen community partnerships.*

 Seeley and her family first came to know Seed to Table "through local food banks," she said. "We try to eat healthy. Having access to local, fresh produce makes that easier. I'm grateful."

Amid sunflowers and plants on a Central Oregon farm, small child wearing turqouise and adult wearing a pink Patagonia hat tend to flowers. Child waters with a blue watering can.

The farm also sells its wares every Sunday in season at Sisters Farmers Market. Beginning in 2020, the market became a program of Seed to Table, which provides leadership and management.

 Residents appreciate having so many access points. The Seeleys especially like the community-supported agriculture (CSA) produce share. Food assistance partnerships, sliding scale fees, and SNAP/EBT cover their costs.

 "It's always an event when you pick up your CSA at the farm," Seeley enthused. "You get to see your neighbors and meet the farmers. I just love the community-building and community wellness aspects of it."

 Seed to Table will hold a special Fall Harvest Dinner celebrating their 10th anniversary on September 9. Visit seedtotableoregon.org to join in. Tickets go on sale August 1.*

 "Our ten-year anniversary is a tribute to the community," explained Tehan, "a thank-you for something they believed in deeply, something that makes Sisters more Sisters."