More Farmland Conserved

You might admire the grape orchard as you drive north from Ashland to access the interstate. Or maybe you remember your children going there each fall to pick a free pumpkin from the pumpkin patch. Perhaps you enjoy the view as you ride your bicycle past it on the Bear Creek Greenway. No matter how you know it, Eagle Mill Farm is an important part of our community.

The Southern Oregon Land Conservancy, working with the property owners, has permanently conserved the farm, which sits at the entryway to Ashland on the corner of Valley View and Eagle Mill Roads.

“It’s not easy to find 20 acres of land so close to an urban area like Ashland, with landowners who have a vision to permanently protect their farm as a farm,” says Executive Director Diane Garcia.

The land has been continuously farmed for more than 150 years. The McNabb family operated a dairy there from 1940 to 1982, when it was purchased by the current owners. Eagle Mill Farm, LLC is dedicated to continuing the farming legacy.

Each year, more than 2,000 students in the Valley visit the farm. Many come to pick their own Halloween pumpkin. Classes also come each spring and fall to prepare harvest lunches, through the Rogue Valley Farm-to-School Program. The conservation of the property helps guarantee that Eagle Mill Farm will continue to be an agricultural resource for children for years to come.

The conservation agreement with the landowners restricts development on the existing farmland and the areas near Bear Creek. It also ensures that the rural feel of the farm will be there far into the future. The agreement will be binding on all future owners.

This project could not have been completed without the incredible outpouring of support we received from community members like you. The project was also funded by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement
Board, the Bear Creek Watershed Council, the Friends of Jackson County, Cycle Oregon, and Polaris Surveying.