Passion In Action

There is a house close to the Linfield College campus in McMinnville where a very quiet and cheerfully determined revolution is taking place. David Keller-Rode and Alex Freeman have developed a plan to bring us healthy food. 

David’s pathway started in Wasilla, Alaska where his family had a small garden and he learned to fish and hunt. He played sports and enjoyed outdoor activities of all kinds, and in whatever he does, his father’s message rings loudly and clearly.  David agrees: Take the time to do what you do the right way, right from the first. He earned a degree in environmental policy from Linfield and found he prefers hands-on action for growing healthy food.

Alex is from Massachusetts and came to McMinnville to visit friends at Linfield. Although his degree in neuroscience was originally preparing him for medical school, further study including time in India lead him to understand that in order to be healthy in all aspects (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual) you must live a healthy lifestyle.  He has developed a way to bring some of that healthy food to us.

Together they formed Home Grown Food Products which takes healthy vegetables raised locally and prepares them in an age-old way that has become a lost art: fermenting. Fermented foods actually are a tasty way to bring beneficial bacteria into our digestive system.  Eating a small portion of fermented food daily increases the ability of the body to absorb dietary nutrition better.

Sauerkraut prepared for canning

Currently Home Grown Food Products offers several varieties of sauerkraut, kim-chee and pickles at the McMinnville Farmers Market on Thursdays as well as other farmers markets in Portland and Beaverton, and is also available for sale at the Farmer’s Plate and Pantry in Carlton.

In addition to the value-added products prepared by Home Grown, David is also actively growing food. At their home as well as on several other acres in the area, he raises herbs, vegetables, fruit and egg-laying ducks and chickens.  David is offering a CSA and still has some shares available.  The season has already begun and the cost of the CSA is prorated for new members.  Contact them now to join!

http://homegrownfoodproducts.com    https://www.facebook.com/homegrownfoodproducts https://www.facebook.com/WalnutCityHomestead   http://communitysubsistence.blogspot.com/                                               walnutcityfarms@gmail.com   503-883-1758                                                                             1138 SE Davis Street, McMinnville, OR