Today we’d like to introduce you to Annie Lee Bartelamia.
Hi Annie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Lee Farms: Seven Generations of Heritage, Family, and the Women Leading Its Future
Nestled in the heart of Tualatin, Oregon, Lee Farms is more than a beloved seasonal destination, it is a living piece of Oregon history. For over 150 years, the land has remained in the hands of the same extended family, making it one of the region’s longest-standing family farms. What began in 1869 with the Jurgens family has grown through generations of hard work, perseverance, and family partnerships. The Martinazzi family joined the legacy in 1889, followed by the Lee family in 1936 through the marriage of Laurance Lee and Loyce Martinazzi, creating the family farming operation that continues today.
Long before pumpkin patches and sunflower festivals became traditions, the family’s livelihood came from the land itself. Early generations raised row crops, dairy cattle, hay, and berries, adapting with each generation while remaining committed to agriculture. In the 1960s, Loyce Martinazzi and Laurance Lee began inviting visitors to pick strawberries straight from the fields, laying the foundation for what would become one of Oregon’s most cherished agritourism destinations.
Today, Lee Farms is a place where agriculture and family traditions come together. The farm is home to a bustling farm market and bakery featuring fresh pies, baked goods, locally grown produce, and seasonal favorites. Throughout the year, visitors can enjoy Easter celebrations, berry picking, the Sunflower Festival, Fall Harvest Festival with pumpkins and corn mazes, and Christmas trees during the holiday season. While these experiences have become traditions for thousands of families, farming remains at the heart of everything the Lee family does.
The farm’s story is also deeply woven into the history of Tualatin. Loyce Martinazzi was instrumental in preserving not only her family’s farming legacy but also the city’s history as a founding member of the Tualatin Historical Society. Her dedication to preserving local history helped ensure that future generations would understand the importance of the families and farms that shaped the community.
Today, that legacy is being carried forward by the Lee sisters, making Lee Farms a women-led operation built on generations of family values. Together, they oversee the farm’s events, market, bakery, and daily operations while continuing to introduce new traditions that keep visitors coming back year after year. Their leadership reflects a commitment to honoring the past while embracing new ideas that help the farm thrive for future generations.
What makes Lee Farms especially unique is that the community becomes part of its story. Every family that visits, every child who picks out their first pumpkin, feeds a farm animal, gathers around a campfire, wanders through a sunflower field, or chooses a Christmas tree is helping create the next chapter of a tradition that has lasted more than 150 years. Generations of visitors have made Lee Farms part of their own family traditions, returning season after season to celebrate life’s simple moments together.
Whether you’re visiting for a homemade slice of pie, fresh Oregon berries, a wagon ride through the fields, or one of the farm’s signature festivals, Lee Farms welcomes everyone to experience a working farm rooted in history, hospitality, and community. As one of Tualatin’s last remaining historic family farms, it offers more than a day of fun—it offers the opportunity to become part of a story that has been growing for seven generations and continues to flourish with every visitor who walks through its gates.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I have been part of the farm my entire life, growing up here alongside my parents and siblings. There have been many challenges with the changing of our society and the demands of the business. As well as the changing of hands through the generations.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Lee Farms ?
Lee Farms: Seven Generations of Heritage, Family, and the Women Leading Its Future
Nestled in the heart of Tualatin, Oregon, Lee Farms is more than a beloved seasonal destination, it is a living piece of Oregon history. For over 150 years, the land has remained in the hands of the same extended family, making it one of the region’s longest-standing family farms. What began in 1869 with the Jurgens family has grown through generations of hard work, perseverance, and family partnerships. The Martinazzi family joined the legacy in 1889, followed by the Lee family in 1936 through the marriage of Laurance Lee and Loyce Martinazzi, creating the family farming operation that continues today.
Long before pumpkin patches and sunflower festivals became traditions, the family’s livelihood came from the land itself. Early generations raised row crops, dairy cattle, hay, and berries, adapting with each generation while remaining committed to agriculture. In the 1960s, Loyce Martinazzi and Laurance Lee began inviting visitors to pick strawberries straight from the fields, laying the foundation for what would become one of Oregon’s most cherished agritourism destinations.
Today, Lee Farms is a place where agriculture and family traditions come together. The farm is home to a bustling farm market and bakery featuring fresh pies, baked goods, locally grown produce, and seasonal favorites. Throughout the year, visitors can enjoy Easter celebrations, berry picking, the Sunflower Festival, Fall Harvest Festival with pumpkins and corn mazes, and Christmas trees during the holiday season. While these experiences have become traditions for thousands of families, farming remains at the heart of everything the Lee family does.
The farm’s story is also deeply woven into the history of Tualatin. Loyce Martinazzi was instrumental in preserving not only her family’s farming legacy but also the city’s history as a founding member of the Tualatin Historical Society. Her dedication to preserving local history helped ensure that future generations would understand the importance of the families and farms that shaped the community.
Today, that legacy is being carried forward by the Lee sisters, making Lee Farms a women-led operation built on generations of family values. Together, they oversee the farm’s events, market, bakery, and daily operations while continuing to introduce new traditions that keep visitors coming back year after year. Their leadership reflects a commitment to honoring the past while embracing new ideas that help the farm thrive for future generations.
What makes Lee Farms especially unique is that the community becomes part of its story. Every family that visits, every child who picks out their first pumpkin, feeds a farm animal, gathers around a campfire, wanders through a sunflower field, or chooses a Christmas tree is helping create the next chapter of a tradition that has lasted more than 150 years. Generations of visitors have made Lee Farms part of their own family traditions, returning season after season to celebrate life’s simple moments together.
Whether you’re visiting for a homemade slice of pie, fresh Oregon berries, a wagon ride through the fields, or one of the farm’s signature festivals, Lee Farms welcomes everyone to experience a working farm rooted in history, hospitality, and community. As one of Tualatin’s last remaining historic family farms, it offers more than a day of fun—it offers the opportunity to become part of a story that has been growing for seven generations and continues to flourish with every visitor who walks through its gates.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
When I came back to the farm and invested in the business by purchasing part of the business from my family. Because we are a farm we are so dependent on the weather for the crops to grow and people to come and visit. Every year we have to pivot and hope for the best!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://LeeFarmsOregon.com
- Instagram: @leefarmsmarket
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/leefarmsoregon
