Publication Date
7-28-2007
Document Type
Interview
Duration
49 minutes
Subjects
Sustainable agriculture, Farmers' markets -- Oregon, Microirrigation
Abstract
Interview of Lyle N. Stanley by Aaron Veal at Portland State University on July 28th, 2007.
The interview index is available for download.
Biographical
Lyle N. Stanley is a farmer and owner of the Gee Creek Farm in Ridgefield, Washington. Gee Creek Farm is an organic CSA farm. He regularly speaks about his approach to farming, and the importance of sustainable agriculture.
Rights
This digital access copy is made available as streaming media for personal, educational, and non-commercial use within the parameters of “fair use” as defined under U.S. Copyright law. It cannot be reproduced, distributed, or broadcasted for commercial purposes. For more information, please contact Special Collections at Portland State University Library at: specialcollections@pdx.edu or (503) 725-9883.
Persistent Identifier
http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/10900
Recommended Citation
Veal, Aaron, "Interview with Lyle N. Stanley, Gee Creek Farm, 2007 (audio)" (2007). Sustainability History Project. http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/10900
Description
Lyle Stanley is a UC Berkley-educated microbiologist and the entrepreneur of Gee Creek Farm. Stanley is a product of his Jewish heritage and political alignment, drawing heavily from philosophy, theology, and ethics regarding his business and personal practices. He found his passion for the outdoors and farming though his time as a boy scout, enjoying intimate natural experiences in both camping trips and while backpacking across the United States and Canada. During a cross-country trip, Stanley fell in love with the Pacific Northwest, and shortly after returning home from his trip, he found his way to Oregon. After working first at Cascade Valley Farms and Romesco Farms, he eventually moved to Vancouver, Washington, where he founded his small-scale organic farm, Gee Creek Farm. Drawing from both cultural and theoretical practices founded in the Jewish community, Stanley aims to practice what he preaches, including good stewardship of the land and active engagement in social discourse to foster debates regarding food security as well as social justice. Stanley comments on Oregon Department of Agriculture regulations and how the certification and legal environment of agriculture is a complicated endeavor. He observes that through proactive and sound sustainable business practices, small scale organic agriculture can weather the storm brought on by industrial agricultural practices.
This interview is part of “The Sustainability History Project: Documenting Sustainable Development and Practice in the Pacific Northwest” at Portland State University.