A new tiny dream

Welcome to the first chapter of Less Than One Acre Farm.

Transitioning from the grand vision of a sweeping, multi-acre ranch to the intimate reality of a micro-farm is more than a change in footprint; it is a shift in heart. Here, on the rugged Oregon coast, we’ve learned that a “small” farm doesn’t mean a small life. It means thriving within the boundaries of a manageable, intentional dream.

Well that title is a bit misleading, the “Big Farm” still has a place tucked in my heart, but sometimes life puts you right where you are supposed to be not always where you thought you should be.

The Myth of the “Big Farm”

By choosing to focus on less than an acre, we haven’t settled for less. We have traded the overwhelming scale of a “big farm” for the precise, intensive beauty of a small one. On a micro-farm, every raised bed becomes one less trip to the grocery store.

Life in the Coastal Micro-Climate

Farming on the Oregon coast is a unique dance with the elements. We aren’t defined by a specific town, but by the shared rhythm of the Pacific:

• The Wind: It’s a big challenge, forcing us to build clever windbreaks and choose resilient, low-profile plants.
• The Salt & Soil: Our sandy coastal soils requires great quality organic compost and raised beds to keep nutrients where they belong.
• The Fog: It keeps our greens crisp and our summers mild, extending our growing season for hardy crops like kale, peas, and berries that thrive in the cool maritime air.

Thriving, Not Just Settling

Thriving here means realizing that you don’t need 50 acres to be a farmer.

1. Creative Design:This is something that is always growing and changing, we strive to put in as much as possible.
2. Diverse Ecosystems: Instead of a monoculture, we cultivate a tiny paradise of heirloom vegetables, medicinal herbs, and a small flock of , slug-patrolling chickens and ducks.
3. Community over Commodity: Small-scale farming allows us to be stewards of our specific neighborhood’s ecology and join a growing movement of Oregon coastal micro-farmers who value quality over quantity.

This blog is an invitation to witness what happens when you stop waiting for “someday” and start growing right where you are. Whether you have a window box or a half-acre, there is a farmer in you ready toWhat is the “big dream” you’re currently scaling down into something beautiful and manageable?