Red Alder Farm

Neskowin, OR 97149


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Red Alder Farms

Kim Herschler puts a great deal of thought into her salad. When she’s growing greens for Red Alder Farm salad mix, Herschler considers more than just color and taste. She looks for shape, size, texture, weight — even the edges are important.
“Leaves for salad have the same amazing number of variations as trees and flowers. And it’s the way these varied leaves combine that make it look good in the bowl and hold dressing well,” said this greenhouse farmer. “The aesthetics of the mix are very important to me. I like people to be able to dump a bag out into a bowl and say ‘Wow. This is really beautiful food.’”
In each cellophane bag is a freshly-picked and gently washed assortment of lettuces, from baby romaine to deep red merlot, along with arugula, red choy, and a variety of mustards. She grows them using all natural, sustainable methods (no herbicides or pesticides, ever) and sells them from a self-serve refrigerator at the farm, on Slab Creek Road just south of Neskowin. You’ll also find her every Saturday through October at the Newport Farmers’ Market.
Later in the summer, Herschler will be adding enticements like edible flowers and herbs to her mix. She might also make a little arugula pesto, a heavenly mixture of arugula, walnuts, olive oil and parmesan cheese, for those who hit the market early. In August, her booth will be overflowing with what she calls “little tomatoes,” varieties that are not very large but are too wonderful to call just “cherry.” She grows them in tall, sturdy cages so that she doesn’t have to prune or pinch, and revels in their many colors and flavors.
“I’m growing tomatoes in every shape and color they come in: grapes, globes, and pears in black, brown, orange, yellow, red and even a pearly white. My soil’s so fertile they get nice and big, lovely to look at. And I love them as much for oven roasting for winter use as I do eating fresh from the vine. I’m really looking forward to them.”
Herschler has been growing food on the banks of Neskowin Creek for the past four years. She’s worked hard to make it a solid business, and one that feeds her soul, too.
“The more I get into this, the more knotty the problems that arise, like finding the perfect seeding rate for lettuce. But there is still the transcendent part of the work, which is why I continue to do it,” she said. “It’s playing a part in a cycle that’s a lot bigger than me and helping it achieve fulfillment as food for others that never ceases to inspire me.”

Thanks to Oregon Coast Today for Images and Text

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