about the farm

About Blue House Greenhouse Farm

Blue House Greenhouse began in the spring of 2010 as a backyard experiment in growing vegetable seedlings in a compost-heated greenhouse I built with my partner, Jeff. Soon the seedlings grew along with our ambitions and we began to sell the plants to friends, neighbors, and passersby on weekends in front of our house (which is blue). Hence the name, blue house greenhouse!

Blue House Greenhouse Farm is a small farming business managed by myself, with immense support from friends and family. It is based out of our home and a nearby vacant lot in Portland, OR. Using sustainable farming practices, we grow a variety of vegetables and, in the greenhouse, vegetable seedlings for the farm and for sale.  I choose to farm in the city because I believe that food should be grown close to eaters, and that farming in the city can be productive and beneficial-by greening our urban environment and making part of our food system visible. Vegetables and seedlings are for sale at the farm stand and to restaurants!

Amanda and Jeff with the newly built blue shed

About Amanda, the farmer

My educational and professional background is in food.  I graduated from Appalachian State  University in Boone, NC in 2003 with an interdisciplinary degree in sustainable food systems.  I worked as the head gardener at the Youth Garden Project in Moab, UT where I managed a two acre market garden and an orchard for two years.  I was the garden and education manager at the Community Food Bank in Tucson, AZ where I managed the market garden and food production education programming for four years. Since moving to Portland in the spring of 2010, I’ve enjoyed growing food in this incredible climate! Aside from farming, I also dance.  Here is a project I co-directed with Kimi Eisele in Tucson bringing together my love of food and dance.  An amazing collaboration between the Community Food Bank and NEW ARTiculations Dance Theatre:  http://vimeo.com/15507214

About Devin, the farmer

My name is Devin Dinihanian. I've been working on farms of various natures for about 4 and a half years. I first became active in the agricultural world while working with at-risk youth in downtown Portland, where I facilitated a farm to shelter partnership between a local farm and our day drop-in program. We would bring in veggies each week and use them in cooking workshops that would then feed the hungry participants. It was a great program and instilled in me the desire to learn more about farming as a tool to build community, so I started working and apprenticing with CSA's, educational farms, small scale urban farm projects and permaculture organizations that worked with sustenance farmers in rural communities. I spent a few years working on farms and health ngo's in New York, Vermont, Oaxaca state in Mexico and finally back in Portland. After working with a farm on Skyline Ridge and with my good friend Danny who farms up in Ridgefield, Washington (so many ridges around here, right?) I started working with low income families as a member of Growing Gardens, a rad organization who you should check out if you aren't already familiar. We help folks around the Portland-Gresham area to build and tend to their own backyard and school gardens. Its a great feeling to help people learn to grow their own food. Such a great feeling that I was very excited when Amanda asked me to work with her at the farm this year. I look forward to getting back into the soil and growing food for all of the loyal customers Amanda has told me all about, (you all sound so nice).