For the first time in recent memory, the Grange hosted a 2-day spring gardening event for the community.

On Saturday April 6, vendors, educators and volunteers came together to fill the Grange Hall with plants, garden décor, farmers market products, and opportunities to learn about gardening.

The seed exchange was a lively focal point, as was the Grange cookie table with wildflower seed bombs to boot!

Downstairs the kitchen was filled with children making nature mobiles and later in the dining room presenters shared their wisdom about no-till gardening and living soil.

Customers and learners filled the hall throughout the day. We even had visits from the neighboring farmers’ cats!

There was a good feeling of community connection throughout the day brought about by love for gardening and plants. This comment from Lane deMoll sums it up:

I just want to say to you all what a wonderful event yesterday’s was!!  I felt so strongly held in community on many levels. Sweet sweet several hours.  Thank you all so much for the work you put into it and for your on-going work for the Grange building!  It is truly a place for our Nehalem Valley community to continue to grow from the seedlings that many have planted over the years.

Many thanks to our vendors, teachers and volunteers:

• Kyle and Britt at Moss Creek Farm for beautiful spring plant starts

• Ron Van Dongen for his gorgeous and exotic plants

• Jose Camerena’s plant starts and shrubs

• David Hendricksen and Kelly White for cider and tea

• Hope Stanton for her native wisdom and plants

• Tammi and Lance for their meat

• Deanne for all her garden books

• Karla for her eclectic collection of garden art

• Matt and Lori for their eggs

• Autum for her flower wisdom, bean seeds, and dahlias

• Jody and Gary Lewis for their ironwork

• Barbara McLaughlin and Janice Soots for the seed exchange

• Joe Meyer for his soil presentation and microscopes

• Jared Gardner for sharing about compost on his farm

• The Sharpenator, Dave Rockey

• Bonnie and Roger Neugebauer for the creative art project with the kids

• Presenters Teresa Retzlaff and Joe Meyer

• Tiffany Bay and Vivi for the soup and cornbread to nourish the volunteers and vendors

• All the Grange seed bomb and cookie makers – Constance, Jody, Marie, Fay, Emily, Evelyn, Jennifer, Vivi, Tammi, Peggy

• All the Grange volunteers that held the day together – Ken, Sunshine, Bob, Watt, Jody, Gary, Trav, Vivi, Tammi, Constance, Karla, Jennifer

On Sunday April 7, the Grange held a free heritage apple tree grafting workshop. The workshop is part of a multi-year project to identify and preserve our Nehalem Valley heritage apple trees.

David Hendricksen from Carola Wines + Cider led the workshop with assistance from Jim Fanjoy and Trav Williams. We had a really nice turnout of apple tree enthusiasts from around the community. The Grange Hall was filled with folks trying their hand at learning the craft of grafting, while sipping on David’s apple cider and eating other treats. With deft knife work and flying wood chips, it looked like a whittling convention!

Many thanks to

• David Hendricksen

• Jim Fanjoy

• Trav Williams

• The Tillamook County Cultural Coalition for funding this project

Pie Day… Good News! (And a little bad news)

The good news is our generous community has helped us raise over $11,000 to support our building maintenance and ongoing upgrade fund – we appreciate you all!!

All 24 of our fabulous auction pies, and the 2 pies we raffled, went to loving homes to be the focus of delicious dinners and desserts.

In addition, a gourmet pie creating experience taught by master baker James Lambert was won by 3 ladies, to be conducted at an ocean front locale – how scenic and fun!!

The top bid on a pie ended up at $300.00 for a gorgeous cheesecake covered with a Marionberry topping, made by Grange member Evelyn, after a spirited sibling rivalry bidding joust. (Full disclosure – yours truly prevailed) BUT, not to be upstaged, my bidding opponent captured the coveted Auctioneers Apron by purchasing a “no calorie” pie (donation} for $500.00… Thanks Sis!!

A HUGE round of Thank You applause goes out to our wonderful fine local businesses who generously added over $2100 in sponsorships and donations to our cause – we couldn’t have achieved such a successful Pie Day without your support!

Handy Creek Bakery- for the use of your great pie baking facility

Manzanita Grocery and Deli

Manzanita Lumber

Nehalem Lumber

Wolfmoon Coffee

North Fork 53 Communitea

Mohler Sand and Gravel

Manzanita Fresh Foods

Meadow and Corey Davis/ Home and Sea Realty

Pelican and Piper

Sunny Day Thrift

Wheeler On The Bay

Also, kudos aplenty go out to Sue C and Gayle S for their efforts to provide all of us a fine and unique-themed decorating job on our hall, AND to our grange members and wonderful team of volunteers…

OK, the bad news- from a Feast Pie perspective that was experienced by the table of 35 delicious pies contributed by over 2 dozen local bakers and businesses, more than 130 attendees of Pie Day ‘24 demolished the Feast Pies-along with a dollop of creamy Tillamook Ice Cream- Thank You Nehalem Food Mart! Many empty pie plates were seen exiting the Feast Pie table during the melee, and a lot of happy friends of our Grange experienced the expertise of our local artisan bakers.

With all that said, we fondly say farewell to Pie Day 2024… and all of us at White Clover Grange are excitedly looking forward to Pie Day 2025!! See you there!