Give us suggestions, accolades, critique, or anything else that can help us serve you and the world better!  The best way to do this would be to email us at farm[at]tryonfarm.org for general feedback, or edu[at]tryonfarm.org for feedback about our education programs.  You can also call us at 503-245-3847, or post something on our facebook page! 
 
 

Tryon Life Community Farm is located at:
11640 SW Boones Ferry Road
Portland, OR 97219

Getting to the Farm is quicker than is often thought!  It's just 30-45 minutes by bike from central Portland, and by car it's just 10-20 minutes to anywhere the freeway goes.  (Without traffic.)

Please note that we have limited parking at the farm and encourage folks to carpool or use other forms of transportation. The lot at the top of the driveway is for visitors to Tryon Creek State Park, not people coming to TLC Farm (also, theft of goods left in cars is very common from the Park's lot!).

Our solutions:

• Bike!  It's easier than you may think.
• Bus!  The #38 and #39 run during rush hours right to our driveway, and the #35 gets you within a beautiful walk through the State Park -- hourly, 7 days a week, early till late.
• Carpool!  We have an online rideshare coordination system to help coordinate.  When you park on the land, please do so as tightly as you possibly can (even if it means parking people in), and make sure your car can be moved if someone needs to get out.
• And for our bigger events, we run a shuttle, usually to one or more of Riverdale HS, Barbur Transit Center, or Peoples Food Coop. Check event details.

By car -- see below or try the mapped directions from downtown or your ZIP code:

From I-5 headed South:
Take the Terwilliger exit #297. Make a right off the off-ramp onto SW Barbur Boulevard and then another quick right at the light onto SW Terwilliger. Pass over the I-5 overpass heading towards Lewis & Clark College and Tryon Creek State Park. Continue straight through 2 lights on Terwilliger, the 2nd being SW Taylor's Ferry Road. Pass Riverdale High School on your right. At the next light (the 3rd on Terwilliger), take a slight right onto SW Boone's Ferry Road. You'll head down a hill. Halfway up the other side of the hill look for the Sturdi-Built Greenhouses sign on the left and then Coronado St. on the right. The next turnoff you can make on the left after Coronado St is a parking lot and trailhead for Tryon Creek State Park. Turn into this lot. Our longish dirt driveway is on the far (south) end of the little lot.

From downtown or central Portland:
Head South on SW Barbur Boulevard. About 3 miles from downtown, take a left at a light onto SW Terwilliger (A-Boy Hardware is on the right, Kaady Car Wash on the left, before you get to Fred Meyer's). Follow the directions above from Terwilliger.

If you're coming from south of Powell in Southeast Portland, you may prefer the Sellwood Bridge. Once on the west side of the river, turn right onto Macadam going north to the light at Taylor's Ferry Rd. Turn left onto Taylors Ferry and head up the hill to Terwilliger. Take a left onto Taylors Ferry. Pass Riverdale High School on your right. At the next light, take a slight right onto SW Boone's Ferry Road. You'll head down a hill. Halfway up the other side of the hill look for the Sturdi-Built Greenhouses sign on the left and then Coronado St. on the right. The next turnoff you can make on the left after Coronado St is a parking lot and trailhead for Tryon Creek State Park. Turn into this lot. Our longish dirt driveway is on the far (south) end of the little lot. then take a left and follow directions above. (Note: do not illegally turn left onto Boone's Ferry from Taylor's Ferry. Or better, for more peaceful biking, have someone show you how to bike through the cemetary from the bridge!)

From Lake Oswego:
Take Country Club Rd west till it meets Boones Ferry Rd, and bear right onto it. After two or so miles you will go through an intersection with Stevenson Rd at a flashing yellow light. About 200 ft afterwards, after a curve, there will be a small dirt parking lot on the right. Beware, it comes quickly; don't speed! Our longish dirt driveway is on the south (near) end, so turn around in the lot.

From I-5 headed North: From I-5 N take the Kruse Way exit (#292B), turn left (that's east) onto Kruse Way, and continue till you dead end onto Boone's Ferry Rd. Turn left onto Boone's Ferry and continue straight through the Country Club Rd intersection. Follow directions from Lake Oswego above.

By Bike

There are two main ways to come from central Portland by bike: the fast way, and the scenic route. Click on the links below for customized bike maps.

• Barbur: the easy way. Barbur is a gentle incline with a bike lane all the way from downtown to Terwilliger. With practice, you'll be cruising uphill thinking deep thoughts and breathing strongly, making sure to check out the gorgeous views of Wy'east (Mt. Hood) on the bridges. At the intersection with Terwilliger, get in the left turning lane. Cross the bridge over the freeway and continue straight through 2 lights on Terwilliger, the 2nd being SW Taylor's Ferry Road. Pass Riverdale High School on your right. At the next light (the 3rd on Terwilliger), take a slight right onto SW Boone's Ferry Road. You'll head down a hill. Halfway up the other side of the hill look for the Sturdi-Built Greenhouses sign on the left and then Coronado St. on the right. The next turnoff you can make on the left after Coronado St is a parking lot and trailhead for Tryon Creek State Park. Turn into this lot. Our longish dirt driveway is on the far (south) end of the little lot.
• Springwater Corridor: the beautiful and challenging. A long flat and gorgeous track along the river and Oaks Bottom takes you from the Hawthorne Bridge (and points north) to the Sellwood Bridge. Walk or bike (carefully) across the bridge, and then follow the car traffic as if you were going south on Macadam. Instead, at the light you'll cross directly to the entrance to the Riverview Cemetery. There are now well marked bike directions all the way through to the top of the hill. Note that it's a fairly steep incline throughout, with sections that are downright hard. Some people dismount and smell the flowers; others ramp up their cardiovascular powerhouses. At the top, take a right on Palatine and then a left onto Boones Ferry, doglegging left on Terwilliger to bear right back onto Boones Ferry and into one of the more exhilirating downhills in town. Then a short steep uphill section to keep you warmed up, and you're here!

By Bus
The Tri-Met #38 (schedule) runs past our driveway to and from downtown, only during rush hours. During rush hours, the #39 (schedule) meets the #12 (schedule) from downtown near the Fred Meyer by Terwilliger and Barbur; ask the driver. It also drops off right near the driveway.

At other times, including weekends, and leaving downtown from 5:30 am to 11:30 pm daily, the #35 bus (schedule) runs along Terwilliger just through the park from us. You get off at the Law School, or at the main Park entrance for an even shorter less than 20-minute walk through beautiful woods; see map at right.

By foot, through the park
Maps with trails marked: see map at right, or in the PDF file attached below. It might help if you can print out the map and bring it with you.

The entrance to our land is on the West Horse Loop trail, just west of the cutoff to the Boone's Ferry parking lot.

• From the Law School, take the bike path until you see the sign for the Lewis & Clark trail on the right.
• Take it all the way to the High Bridge.
• Cross High Bridge and bear slightly left towards the West Horse Loop.
• Follow signs to turn right onto the West Horse loop (towards Engelwood Drive), ie. counter-clockwise.
• Go past the turn-off for Boones Ferry Rd parking on the right (that is, don't turn right).
• About 150' after this Boones Ferry fork, you will see a cedar tree with a right-angled bough on the left, and a medium-sized trail off to the right; you will notice a small sign welcoming you to TLC Farm a little ways down this path.
• Take this trail and enter this magic realm!

And if you're desperately lost, call us at 503-245-3847.

TLC Farm is a place to connect. As a forum for community sustainability, opportunities are endless!

A meeting, retreat, celebration, private class, spiritual event or other gathering at TLC Farm is something special. Here, the life of nature is woven into human experience: this place merges indoor and outdoor, living and artificial, wild and domestic. This program supports our work in bringing various communities and organizations into deeper relation with this beautiful place of the earth, and through it, each other

You are welcome to hold your own event at TLC Farm; by bringing your own group here you contribute to the fabric of the farm—sustainability to us is linking the many networks and threads of our social, ecological, political, economic and cultural ecology. Each group brings its own story, sometimes transforming a piece of TLC Farm, sometimes leaving information, sometimes getting others involved.

We are particularly interested in hosting multiple groups at the same time that can informally interact with each other, or gatherings that are focused on bringing different constituencies into closer and more meaningful interconnection. Let us know your ideas and needs

Contact the Events Working Group at events@tryonfarm.org to book your reservation.

Click here for testimonials from folks who have hosted events.

Money

We are committed to welcoming groups to this land.  This is especially true of those aligned with our mission to support ecological & social justice movements, and structurally marginalized communities.

Space
Village Green: On the north end of the land is our lovely Village Green. This sloped, grassy area is surrounded by the sauna, fire circle, composting toilets, Yurt, T-Whale, Outdoor Kitchen and stage. It's a great spot for picnics and game
Yurt: A 30' diameter year-round insulated event space, with electricity and radiant heat, a mandala-floor, and earthy energy
Cob Cave: A beautiful, handmade earthen cave room, this lovely space fits 15-25 people in a cozy space without lots of light, great for healing practices or meditation gatherings. It naturally stays wonderfully cool in the summer and warm in the winter
Outdoor Kitchen: Facilities include a wood-fired, super-efficient "rocket stove"; a four-burner propane stove; running hot water and sink; various counters; and electricity. There is also a heated earthen bench and picnic tables. We have a stack of washable plates and cups available. Wood must be provided by event host, or otherwise arranged.
T-Whale: This whimsical teahouse was originally built for the Earth Day Celebration at Sunnyside Elementary School, and was soon thereafter adopted by TLC Farm. Made into the shape of a whale, the body provides an organic space for 10 people to sit and the tail is a fun spiral tower, great for kids! Between the body and tail is a small tea serving area.
Stage: Our 144 sq. ft. carpeted and covered stage is the perfect place for bands, theater, or just a nice flat spot to sit!
Perch: The back porch of the yurt is a multi-level wooden deck shaped in a spiral with a heart at the center. It overlooks the garden and is a lovely private-feeling spot.

Maple Grove: Eight big leaf maple trees in a circle form this sacred space, and a wonderful spot for intentional conversations, meetings or ceremony. Bring special items for the two alter areas.

Lower garden areas/edge of forest: The eastern edge of the land is the wild boundary between farm and forest, and contains many niches for gathering.

Forest: TLC Farm is surrounded by Tryon Creek State Park, with 700-acres of secondary forest and miles of trails. TLC Farm's trails connected directly into the Park.

The residences and other structures on the land are not available for use (they are part of Cedar Moon, the intentional community at TLC Farm). Composting toilets are available in the Village Green
 

Services
 

Services are offered by our talented community members based on availability, and therefore may not be available at all times. We pay our service providers a living wage stipend of $15/hour, and ask that you cover this cost.

Catered Food: We have a variety of on-call cooks who can create fabulous menus for your group. We specialize in vegetarian, vegan, raw, or local/in season meals. And/or, we can arrange to have your event catered by local restaurants in our community.

Childcare: We have a group of on-call childcare hosts and lots of fun places for children of all ages to play! We even have a pack of small children (under ten years old) living at the Farm who are often welcoming hosts for other kids.

Meeting facilitation: Our facilitators specialize in consensus-based processes and can facilitate groups of all sizes.

Publicity: If appropriate, you are welcome to post your event on our Facebook page or emai. (free)

Farm Tour: Guided tours are a great way to learn about TLC Farm's sustainability demonstrations, inspiring history, and ongoing community success stories. Tours can be from a half hour to two hours in length; recommended time is one hour. (free).

Workparty facilitation: If your group wants to get down and dirty, we can facilitate workparties in the garden, native habitat restoration or a building project.

Educational Programs: TLC Farm offers a variety of educational opportunities -- please see our website for details.

Farm Host and CoCreated Agreement

Your link to TLC Farm is the Farm Host, and is coordinated through the Forum Working Group. You and the Farm Host will work out all necessary details for your gathering. If your event is ongoing, than your host might only need to be there just the first few times, or until you “learn the ropes”. Alternatively, we can train you to be your own Farm Host.

The CoCreated Agreement is a written document that outlines the details of the event, our agreed upon exchange, and TLC Farm’s guidelines. We will ask you to sign this (we will too)

Parking and Transportation

Parking provides us with our biggest opportunity for creative fossil fuel independence. We encourage people to get to TLC Farm via bikes, public transit, hikes through the park or carpooling. As an incentive, we will reduce the per hour rate of using the farm by $5/hour if you use zero or one parking spot! Directions for bus, biking, hiking and driving are on our website.

Bike: Definitely the most fun way to get to TLC Farm, biking takes about 45-55 minutes from downtown and only 30-40 minutes back!

Hike: During the day, you can park at Tryon Creek State Park Visitor’s Center on Terwilliger Blvd. and hike 15-minutes across to TLC Farm. Beautiful!

Bus: The #38 bus has a stop at our doorstep, but only runs M-F during rush hours. The #12 bus runs up Barbur Blvd, within two miles of TLC Farm. And the #39 runs from the #12 to Lewis and Clark College, a 25-minute hike through the woods from the farm.

Cars: We have four parking spots for visitors, and if your gathering will require more parking areas then we suggest carpooling or shuttling. Want to know our secrets for these successful car dances? Read on:

Carpools: Arrange to have your group meet at someone’s house or the Barbur Transit Center (two miles away) or New Seasons (3/4 mile away) and then share cars. It’s fun to carpool!

No parking in our neighborhood or in the State Park parking lot. We are very respectful of our impact in the surrounding area and ask that you be as well. As an event host, we will expect you to ensure that your event participants respect this request.

Guidelines
 

Animals: Friendly dogs are allowed but must be kept on leash at all times (we often have children, chickens or goats browsing the land).

Cleanup: All cleanup from should be done immediately following the event. The Outdoor Kitchen sink may be used to wash dishes. Recycling and compost containers will be provided by TLC Farm; please plan to carry out your trash.

Noise: Part of TLC Farm’s work is to be a good neighbor, and as such, we do not allow extended drumming or amplified music without prior consent of our closest neighbors. Quiet hours begin at 10pm

Smoking: There are two places to smoke cigarettes at TLC Farm: at the top of the driveway and at the bottom of the driveway, in the parking lots.

Alcohol: If kept to a central area, alcohol can be consumed in a respectful manner (and of course, for over 21 only). Alcohol cannot be sold without an OLCC permit.