Grape Lane Poultry Farm was farmed by the Calapulia Indians before a Trapper named Frazier (due to family conflicts during the Revolutionary wars, spellings varied) came to the site about 1836, seven years before the first wagon trains came to Oregon. In the style of the Calapulia, Frazier built a two room, two story trappers cabin and then left to go back East for his wife Sara and his daughter and two sons. Somewhere along the way back he died, leaving Sara a widow who, in 1843 spurred by the knowledge of the home her husband had left her in the Oregon Wilderness; with her children traveled to Oregon on the first wagon train. Arriving in 1843, Sara married Mr. McHaley and together help found the city of Aumsville, leaving her son William to homesteaded this farm. The original structure built by her first husband still stands today in the interior of the home pictured above with the sheep. In 1915 our family traded Land Grants for the farm, and the farm has stayed with us ever since. In 1926, Mrs. Davis, who was born in the house, was working on the farm cleaning eggs for our family. As she was cleaning eggs she stated to our family that the portion of the home she was standing in was almost 100 years old.
We grow an unusual historically significant garlic competitve in size with Elephant garlic, at times tipping the scales at 3 pounds! The garlic traces its roots back to the 1700's in Europe and was hand carried here by an early pioneer. In 2000 we discovered 6 remaining garlic plants and began raising them for seed. Now we grow an approximate acre per year and sell to dedicated accounts.
We have antique walnut trees and make walnut butter.
Our apple trees were planted by pioneers and are some of the best late apples I have ever eaten.
Our 100 year old pear trees were planted by the early settlers and are a bumper crop each year. We make a fabulous pear honey with them.
The farm was named Grape Lane Poultry Farm in the 1900's because of the hundreds of grape plants lining the road and the 1000's of chickens raised and sold each year. We have salvaged two remaining grape plants from the original stock and they are a rare and early pioneer wine making variety. We are also working to preserve the antique two story chicken house built in 1901. The picture above shows it as it was being built and as it stands today. We have 100 years of farming photographs of the farm operations, including farm receipts, feedsack clothing, feedsack fabrics, and much more.
We make a dried candy from our plum trees.
We raise a small herd of Black Angus mix cattle.
We practice composting with leaves, manure from our cattle, llamas, and horse. We manage and apply this according to Oregon Tilth Certification Standards.
We grow a variety of grains for hand harvest, cleaning, seed saving and sprouting for food products such as breads and crackers.
We keep bees.
We harvest rain from our buildings.
We promote solar energy.
We practice rotational grazing.
We promote Chicken Tractors.
Of the 7 grants I wrote, I received 5 to revive the farm and create an award winning Upland Savanna Riparian program
We are horse powered.
We teach classes on sustainable living.