Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Walker.
Hi Julie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My late husband, Gordon Miller, had purchased the farm in 1999. At that time, much of the acreage was overgrown with blackberries and poison oak. With his vision, the farm was cleared of the overgrowth and the irrigation system was installed. In 2008, nut rees were planted and in 2012 berries and orchard trees followed.
In the beginning, when the fruit trees and berries began bearing, most all of the fruit was donated to different organizations like Food Share and Union Gospel Mission. Then in 2014, we had a 1917 Model T Huckster that we used to sell fruit and vegetables from in front of his office at Willamette Valley EyeCenter. That was short lived, as his office was sold the following year, and I had to scramble to find an alternative location to sell our produce. Fortunately, as the future would tell, I was not able to find any other location and that is when we began selling u pick to the public from our farm.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The U pick operation was slow in the beginning with lots of fruit and few customers due to the loss of our fruit stand location on Commercial Street in Salem. However with patience and advertising on u pick sites, the numbers grew from year to year, so much so that we continue to expand.
Another challenge, like most farmers, is the battle with pests, disease, and animals. One morning you’ll wake up and find the kale that was growing nicely, chopped to the ground or pulled out by deer. After a particularly rainy spring, you will find leaf curl on fruit trees or powdery mildew on table grapes.
A final bump on the road is the constant increase in costs on most everything from nursery stock, fuel prices, and the minimum wage. Just when you think you will make a profit, costs increase.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Miller Farm is in a beautiful country setting surrounded by towering trees and lavender fields. Customers often refer to it as a small piece of heaven in a tranquil location.
Our big specialty on the farm is blueberries which run from late June to late September. But we also have so much more. Along with blueberries, we have raspberries, table grapes, orchard fruit like apples, pears, and cherries as well as organic vegetables, tomatoes and fresh cut flowers. It always brings a smile to my face to see our cut flowers being used for weddings, proposals, anniversarys, and other celebrations.
Even though we are not a certified organic farm, we do not use any glyphosphate; everything is hand weeded. In fact we only use organic products on our produce except on blueberries and raspberries where we do add nitrogen.
We know that not everyone likes to pick or have the time to pick for themselves, so we also take orders for our products and have some availability at our fruit stand.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
We like the convenience of being close to Salem and Independence. Both have some wonderful shopping and good restaurants. We enjoy the many beautiful parks and history.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://millerfarm.wordpress.com
