County 2011-2012 COMMUNlTY RESOURCE GUlDE AND ...

Serene green
Oregon Lavender Farm
Jim Dierking
Rich farming lands, with a variety of products, are a part of the land tapestry.
Christmas trees, lavender
farms, flower bulbs, horses,
forests, hazelnuts, vegetables,
wine grapes or other farm products;
Clackamas County offers them in
abundant variety. Area residents and
visitors enjoy a variety of Farmers’
Markets, offering straight from the
farm foods and flora; area restaurants
and grocery stores showcase
locally grown on their menus.
Cut your own, pick your own, ride
along; all are activities among the
many farming areas that dot the North
Clackamas landscape. Fall brings
pumpkin contests and corn mazes.
Summer provides many opportunities
for Farmers’ Markets shopping. The
southern part of the county has a special
designation, Horse Country.
Take a walk with Jim Dierking
through his 90-acre Oregon Lavender
Farm on Harris Road just beyond
Carver where he lives and works and
exudes innovation. Be it through extraction
technologies, aromatherapy,
breath fresheners or the one-day annual
Lavender Festival in June, this
renovated Carnation egg distribution
site and former rabbit farm stirs innovation
from every corner. What began
as a 13- barn plot of land in need of
much attention now hums with a global
operation that seems to be good for
the neighborhood and beyond.
He and other area agriculturists
practice sustainability, and Clackamas
County embraces the concepts.
“This is one of the county’s shining
stars of sustainability,” said Cindy
Hagen, the county’s business and
economic development coordinator.
“Jim stepped up to serve on our
Green Ribbon Committee and continues
to mentor new business owners
who are trying to establish healthy –
and sustainable – practices here. He’s
definitely ahead of his time.”
Dierking has said that looking over
the fields just beginning to bloom, he
notes that his obligation to farm the
land and strive toward sustainability
is based on plain common sense, contributing
back to the local economy.
The growth on the farm swirls around
him, significantly located adjacent to
the historic Oregon Trail.
16 2011-2012 North Clackamas County Chamber of Commerce Business Directory www.yourchamber.com