The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Beginning this Thursday, November 19, Seed to Table (S2T), Sisters’ education farm, will launch a virtual silent auction to support its much needed 2021 farm expansion. The auction will feature a wide variety of offerings for special holiday gifts, local adventures and beyond — ranging from farm-to-table raft trips and brunches, exquisite jewelry to just about everything in between.

Over 25 unique items have been donated by Seed to Table supporters. The two-week auction period, will kick off with a free, virtual screening of the farm-to-table film “Kiss the Ground” at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Throughout the event additional movie screenings and free classes are offered by Seed to Table staff and a local chef.

The auction closes Thursday, December 3, when participants can virtually join our team with a recommended Seed to Table recipe and bottle of wine. For more information on the auction and the free offerings visit www.seedtotableoregon.org/auction.

Despite growing 39,000 pounds of fresh produce this year, much of it going to local food banks and COVID-19 relief, the unmet demand for Seed to Table’s nutritious fresh food is ever increasing. The High Desert Food and Farm Alliance estimates that Central Oregon’s food bank demand, which has nearly doubled due to COVID-19, will remain elevated for years. In the face of this need, Seed to Table’s board and staff decided that it was time to get serious about a long-discussed expansion of the farm.

The expansion will double S2T’s acreage, add two new greenhouses and dramatically increase productivity with the purchase of a specialized tractor.

Besides doubling the farm’s production capacity, the expansion will also provide space and staffing to enhance S2T’s education programs throughout Deschutes and Jefferson County.

In order to ensure the safety of staff and community and increase outdoor educational opportunities during these trying times, the educator staff will need to be nearly doubled to ensure social distancing.

With more and more requests for science-based field trips from schools across Central Oregon, the farm annex will offer much-needed space and instructors for student exploration.

All of this new capacity comes with an $80,000 price tag, a daunting amount for a small nonprofit like Seed to Table. An anonymous donor has stepped up to provide S2T with a $40,000 matching grant to support the expansion. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the silent auction will be put toward meeting the match requirement.

As a thank you to its many supporters, Seed to Table is inviting the public to join in for two free on-line movie screenings of the award-winning farm-to-table films “Kiss the Ground” and “The Biggest Little Farm.” In addition, Seed to Table staff will present “Fireside Planning for Spring Garden Success” and local chef Pam Wavrin will offer a Thanksgiving farm-to-table dish cooking class; both free of charge. Visit www.seedtotableoregon.org/auction to sign up to join in the fun, engage with others, and bid on items.