Every winter we welcome the familiar sounds of Trumpeter Swans flying overhead and watch the first hard frost transform the landscape into something magical. The seasonal rhythms are magnified when you work in a place like Oxbow, surrounded by forest and gently-rolling farmland, a river that rises and falls by its own accord, and wildlife that pays little mind to us humans. How thankful we are to bear witness to the ebb and flow of nature’s cycles, to care for this rare and special place, and to share it all with you.

Like clockwork, one season tapers off while we gear up to usher in a phase of fresh new growth. From the launch of our new Member program to welcoming our new Executive Director, 2018 has been a big year for Oxbow and we’re so grateful for your support. There’s an exciting new year right around the corner—read on to hear about this year’s highlights, and to get a sneak peek of what’s in store for 2019!

---

2018: Working toward a mission
Oxbow’s mission is to inspire people to eat healthy, sustainably grown food and to steward our natural resources for future generations. So…how’d we do?

1) We reached nearly 8,000 students with environmental education on the farm and in schools, through field trips, summer camps, and classroom lessons.

2) We made our first deliveries of native plants to the New Burke Museum at the University of Washington. By the time the project is complete, we’ll have grown over 75,000 Northwest native plants for the new museum campus!

3) We built a collection of online resources for teachers, including sample lesson plans that encourage science learning throughout the seasons.

4) We launched a brand new Member Program and public Oxbow Saturdays that connected hundreds of people to Oxbow.

5) We expanded our gleaning program in partnership with Hopelink, Jewish Family Service of Seattle (JFS), and Farestart and harvested over 6,000 pounds of food to support hunger relief, while also growing food for area restaurants and grocery partners like PCC.

6) We planted over 1,000 native plants at Oxbow this year, contributing to the restoration of over 24 acres of land.

New in 2019: The CSA returns!
We’re re-introducing our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program with an Oxbow twist; YOU get to choose which veggies you take home each week. Signups will start later this winter – watch your inbox and our website for more details in January!

---

Mark your calendars for our 3rd annual Family Dinner on the Farm, scheduled for September 15th, 2019, from 3-7PM.

This unique event features incredible food, live music, and one-of-a-kind programming for our younger guests! Tickets go on sale in July and sell out fast—don’t miss it!

 

Thank you, again, to everyone who connected to Oxbow this year. Whether you volunteered your time with us, visited the pumpkin patch, attended a field trip, made a donation, or sent your little ones to summer camp, we are so very grateful. We can’t wait to share a beautiful new season with you!

Team Oxbow