It was a busy year at TLC Farm - we hosted many happenings this year and look forward to many more in 2025!
A place to Gather
Monthly movie nights
Potlucks and song circles
Ofd time music jams
Hosting meetings and conversations: Oregon Humanities, Jewish Voice for Peace, Red Machete, Pacific NW Forest Climate Alliance
A place to Learn
Willow Creek Forest School – pre-school & summer camps
TLC Farm’s Hands-on outdoor education program hosted field trips from Cottonwood School, Rvierdale School, Carpe Mundi, University of Portland, Lewis & Clark College, Girl Scout troops and more!
Skillshares and workshops
Elderberry School of Botanical Medicine classroom
Becoming Poeple of Place book club
A place to Celebrate
Annual Apple Fest – with over 200 people!
Tu B’shvat Seder with Havurah Shalom
Ten birthday parties – from thre years old to 37
A place to Grow
Many work parties focused on removing invasive species and tending the ecosystem. Joining our awesome land tending volunteers were our partners at the Tryon Creek Watershed Council, and the awesome goat herd!
Holiday time is coming and we invite you to come celebrate at TLC Farm. We have two fun events:
1) Annual Holiday Open House, Sunday, December 15th fron 1-3 pm
Our longest standing event has been on Covid-pause for a few years, but we're brining it back and hope that ou can brave the weather, share good cheer and hear about the last 20 years of TLC Farm and exciting plans for the future.
2) Movie Night: Muppet Christmas Carol, Thursday, December 19th 7 pm.
A new annual holiday tradition, we'll be showing the best adaptation of Charles Dicken's classic Christmas ghost story in the yurt. We'll provide snacks and hot spiced cider. Donations welcome, but not needed.
Hope to see you here.
Join us to celebrate that best of fruits - the APPLE!
For our fourth annual Apple Festival, we'll explore many wonderful ways to engage with apples - including:
We'll also have a tour of TLC Farm, with a special emphasis on the orchard, and music and activities for all.
This is a fundraiser for TLC Farm's educational programs with a suggested donation of $10-20, but no one turned away for lack of funds (kids are free!).
As always, there is no onsite parking! Ride your bike or organize carpools and catch the shuttle at Riverdale High School (9727 SW Terwilliger Blvd.)
Contact Carlos with questions: 925-263-6897
To register, please fill out this form.
*Save the date for Discovery Day, Saturday, July 23rd at 11am. This will be a fun mini-festival day for campers' family and friends! We'll have a potluck lunch, bike-powered blended smoothies with fresh TLC Farm goat milk, and performances by the kids and teachers!
Yes - it's even happening in the rain!!
Join us to celebrate that best of fruits - the APPLE! For our second annual Apple Festival, we'll explore the many wonderful ways to engage with apples - including apple tastings of our many heirloom apple varietals, apple cider pressing, bobbing for apples, an apple pie bake-off and sharing songs to sing to apple trees.
We'll also have a tour of TLC Farm, with a special emphaisis on the orchard, and music and activities for all.
This is a fundraiser for TLC Farm's educational programs with a suggested donation of $10, but no one turned away for lack of funds.
As always, there is no onsite parking! Park at Riverdale Highschool, 9727 SW Terwilliger Blvd. (which is 1/2 mile away) and catch our shuttle - which will run every 15 minutes. You're welcome to drop passengers off at TLC Farm and return to Riverdale to park and catch the shuttle.
There will be snacks, treats, and cob oven pizza for purchase, and a silent auction to raise money for the non-profit education work we do, so bring some funds for that!
Transportation (note: no onsite parking, and shuttle stop has changed)
1. Hike or bike to 11640 SW Boones Ferry Road in Portland
2. Take the #12 bus or drive to Barbur Transit Center -- 9750 SW Barbur Blvd -- and be picked up by TLC Farm's biodiesel shuttle running on the half hour and the hour
Cost: Sliding scale $10-20 per adult. Children under 12 are free. Worktrade available if arranged in advance - contact maralena@tryonfarm.org to volunteer.
12noon: Traditional Dance Ceremony
12:30: Wool Felting with Samantha Backer of Tinctoria, Making Natural Paint with Joshua Klyber of Living Walls; Omiza River plays at the main stage
1pm: Opening Circle
2pm: Sewing Circle, Food Preservation workshop with Connie Van Dyke, Herbal Medicine with Judy BlueHorse Seklton; Hope Medford drumming workshop at Main Stage
3pm: Water Ceremony with Robert Van Pelt, Tracking with Tony Deis from Trackers NW, Music Jam; Hope Medford and Tre Arrow play at main stage
4pm: Non-visual Plant Identification with Becky Lerner, Winterizing your Beehive with Jackie Friedman;O Horizon plays at main stage
7pm: Meddle plays at the Main Stage
8pm:The Dapper Cadavers play at the Main Stage
9pm:Lynnae Griffin performance at Main Stage
10pm - Midnight:TLC Farm All Stars Music Jam
Scroll down for the calendar. Click here to book your event.
Land Tending Work Party
Stay tuned for future Work Parties!
This working group works to support people in sharing life, learning, and liberation together as part of the land. We do this through
If you'd like to use the space for an event, please email events@tryonfarm.org.
If you'd like to join the team that organizes, or you have an idea for an awesome workshop, email workshops@tryonfarm.org
Thanks so much!
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
CEDAR 2011 (Cascadians Exploring Dreams, Action & Regeneration) will be convening on June 10th-12th at TLC Farm in Portland. Our intention is to offer support for those doing work in protecting land and people from exploitation, whatever form it may take. The weekend will include trainings on self-care and forest defense, support in crafting wise change-making strategies, and a chance to engage with your activist family just by having fun (there'll be ultimate frisbee, a game of Capture the Flag, and a no-talent show bonfire).
So, whether you're a grizzled campaign veteran in need of a recharge, or someone who's never organized an action before, take some time to come out to meet with your extended activist family.
June 10th evening programming: Don't miss our screening of "Shut Down: The Rise and Fall of Direct Action to Stop the War" -- an insiders' account of what went beautifully right and sadly wrong in the lead-up and aftermath of peace activists' successful effort to shut down San Francisco the day after the war in Iraq began. Discussion chaired by one of the film-makers will follow the screening.
Here's a link to the trailer: www.youtube.com/embed/znfPrP-uRgQ
LOGISTICS: We are asking for people to make a contribution of between $15-$50 to participate in this weekend. No One Turned Away For Lack of Funds. If you are available to work-trade the day before or the last day (set-up and clean-up), please contact outreach@tryonfarm.org. Please bring your own lunch and a poluck item for dinner on Saturday. We will run shuttles to People's Co-op (3029 SE 21st Ave) and Barbur Transit Center (9750 SW Barbur Blvd) per the schedule below.
Cars! On-site parking is available for cars that bring 3 or more people with them, subject to space availability. Contact us in advance if you're planning on being such a car. Go here to offer or request rides: tryonfarm.org/share/rideshare
Camping on-site is available on Saturday night for $10/space, contact cedar@tryonfarm.org before Friday, June 10th to reserve a camping space, please.
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FULL SCHEDULE:
Friday, June 10, 8 - 11pm - Screening of "Shut Down" followed by discussion chaired by one of the film-makers.
Rides: Our biodiesel shuttle will pick-up people from People's Co-op (3029 SE 21st Ave) at 6:30pm with a pick-up at Barbur Transit Center following, and deliver them back post-discussion
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Saturday, June 11, 10am - Late night - Workshops, skillshares, and conviviality!
9:15 - Shuttle pickup at People's Co-op (3029 SE 21st Ave) with a pick-up at Barbur Transit Center
10am -11am - Opening circle, Consent game
11am - 12noon - Tree Climbing Training / Land Tour / Open Space introduction for afternoon/ potential pickup game of ultimate if desired
12noon - 1pm - Lunch! (Bring your own)
1-5pm - Workshop lineup with open space offerings running in parallel, this means you have a chance to offer your unique workshop to your activist community!
1-2pm - Strategy forum: Support for individual campaigns and general discussion of change-making principles
2-3pm - Physical self-care, offered by the Rosehips Collective ("Herbal Remedies for Common Maladies")
3-4pm - Emotional self-care - personal and interpersonal
4-5pm - Know Your Rights training
5-6:30pm - Capture the Flag
6:30pm - Potluck Dinner! We'll provide the rice and beans, bring something to share...
7:00pm - Shuttle returns to People's and Barbur Transit Center
8-11:59pm - No-talent show and bonfire
11pm - Shuttle returns to People's and Barbur Transit Center
All those who wish to spend the night please contact cedar@tryonfarm.org before Friday, June 10th to reserve a camping spot!
Rides: Our biodiesel shuttle will pick-up people from People's Co-op at 9:15am, and make a return run after dinner and late-night. We will also make shuttle runs to and from Barbur Transit center between 10am and 11am, with dinner and late-night returns
Cars: If you drive and bring three or more people with you, you can park on-site. Contact outreach@tryonfarm.org to coordinate
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Sunday, June 12
9am - BREAKFAST POTLUCK. We'll provide the oatmeal. :-)
10am - Closing Circle, followed by either, both or none of the following, depending on interest: a field trip to play basketball, a spokescouncil
11:30am - Final shuttles leave for People's Co-op and Barbur Transit Center
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CEDAR 2011...because there's nothing sustainable about being pushed around by big corporations.
Feedback and participation welcome! Please send bug reports to web@tryonfarm.org