A Huge Thank You to Lee and Nancy O’Banion for a Delightful Tour
Lee O’Banion narrates Crow Hill Farm’s History
Nancy O’Banion
On July 16, some 40 people attended the Tree Farmer of the Year Tour to honor the 2021 recipients, Lee and Nancy O’Banion at their tree farm in Gales Creek. They found their tree farm in 1975 when Lee, a teacher, drew a circle from Portland to rural areas and applied to the school districts at the edge of the circle. Forest Grove School District was the first to offer Lee a job. They found their dream property soon after. It was a fixer-upper and they went to work. They describe the property’s history in their own words on page 10 of the August 2022 Forest Forum along with pictures from the tour.
August Field Tour: ODF Schroeder Seed Orchard
The August WCSWA tour will be on Saturday, August 20th, beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Schroeder Seed Orchard. The J.E. Schroeder Seed Orchard is located on a 400-acre agriculture site near St. Paul, in the heart of the Willamette Valley. The site has excellent terrain, soil, and climate for Schroeder’s main business — production of tree seed.
The Seed Orchard is located at:
3700 Mahoney Road NE
St. Paul, OR 97137
The property is south of St. Paul on Mahoney Road, halfway between Hwy. 219 and River Road.
Don Kaczmarek, ODF Forest Geneticist, will lead the tour. The seed orchard is a public/ private partnership which provides seed to State Forest districts, private industry, family forest, and federal government cooperators and stakeholders. The seed they provide is high-quality and adapted to local forest environments. Don will give us a presentation on the seed orchard and the associated seed bank. We will also get the opportunity to walk around the seed orchard, which will be in the process of being harvested, although the crews will probably not be picking on Saturday.
Due to COVID there will not be any coordinated carpooling. Wear sturdy shoes and bring water for the outdoor portion of the tour. Children are welcome. The tour will likely last about 2 hours.
For more stories, information, and resources, see the August 2022 Forest Forum.
Last Updated on August 11, 2022