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.