Operational Friends
From our initial contact to the final purchase of our property, dropping our first lavender plant into the ground, disking up our fields for drilling grass seed, the install of our first bee hive to all the maintenance and products that is necessary for the operations of a farm, these are the caring professionals that helped make it happen.
Where would we BEE without them!
Kacey Taylor / Rachel Greenwald Rhoads Realtors
We have worked with realtors before and all of them have been incredible. But there is that one special someone and in our case (team) that literally eclipses the best experience. Kacey Taylor and Rachel Greenwald Rhoads should be everyone’s choice in our opinion. They are truly at the top of the Real Estate game and dynamics of full coverage service went beyond belief.
Ochoco Irrigation District
Our farm has 55 acres of irrigation rights from which we can draw water for our lavender and orchard grass crops. Understanding and gaining knowledge of how all that works was important to us. Ross, Julie,
Oregon State University AG Extension Services
One of our first groups to reach to. They are truly “the resource” for all things Ag. We worked with three different specialists, each taking extended time to educate us during their site visits. Myelen, was instrumental in assessing our forage areas. Incredible crew here in Central Oregon.
Northwest
Northwest FCS finances farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses, commercial fishermen, timber producers and rural homeowners as well as farm-related businesses, agricultural cooperatives and rural utilities. For more than 100 years, Farm Credit has provided financing to farmers and ranchers across the Northwest. We serve a wide spectrum of agriculture, including part-time farmers, young and beginning producers, commercial operations, and large, vertically integrated businesses.
Fidelis Excavation and Grading
For over 40 years, we have dealt with all kinds of various construction related contractors. We have 4 projects to do on our farm and through a network of people came to know Brandon Grindle - Owner of Fidelis Excavating and Grading out of Bend/Alfalfa/Prineville Oregon. He and his wonderful crew completely blew us away on the first two! Veteran owner, veteran crew, still standing proud with their Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful) motto and it shows. Highly recommend them!
USDA - NRCS
We work with the local Redmond office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Stephanie Payne, Small Farm and Organics Specialist is a delightful person, dedicated professional and such a strong ally in moving our farm in the right direction utilizing strong conservation practices. We have a long term plan and headed the right direction for the future.
John Gamble Farming
After a short search, we were referred to John to assist us with getting the farm acreage converted back to crop ready status. He is an exceptional friend to our farm. Knows the property and we anticipate our partnership in farming and marketing the hay will be a great one!
Oregon State Beekeepers Association
We’re proud to be a member of the Oregon State Beekeepers Association. It is a non profit organization dedicated to the well being of honeybees and to the fields of beekeeping,apiculture, research and education. Our Bootahbees will be well served and we hope to see our BeeBurb educational center become a potential field location for them to further trainings.
Thompson Pump and Irrigation
A great go to source for anything related to pump and irrigation. Pivot line systems have been our early affiliation with Thompson. Justin Frazier is a key manager at the Madras location and is a wealth of the kind of knowledge you want to tap into about high desert irrigation systems.
Pratum Co-Op
The beauty of building a network is that others networks become incredible connections too. John Gamble referred us to Ryan at Pratum Co-Op to work us up our soil sample tests. From here, we have a perfect plan in place for fortifying the soil with what’s needed to be Lavender Organic.
HD Fowler
Another referral as the right group to work with for our drip irrigation needs. Nancy Sied from their Wilsonville office is a true gem. She cares about what you are doing as a farm and how they can best help you achieve the maximum result using their products. With a Central Oregon location too, we are sold!
Coastal Farm and Ranch
We just arrived to the area in mid-December. I remembered Coastal from years passed and how cool they were. They are customer proactive and carry a lot of the right stuff so you can limit your travel. From work boots to horse equipment and more, we call them the “toy store” when we head there.
Ochoco Feed and Supplies - Prineville
Walking into Ochoco Feed is like taking me back 50 years when my father took me into old hardware stores. The 2×4 on end flooring, nice and darkened is just the start of a great experience every time I walk in. And the customer service is just how all customer service should be. I stopped in there once, not to buy anything, but to lift my spirit one day. Cool place.
Oregon Seed and Irrigation
Wow. We hit a home run on our first trip to Oregon Seed and Irrigation in Redmond. Saw their ad in the Central Oregon Rancher magazine, stopped in for our irrigation repair needs and hit the jackpot! Add to that a TON of pet supplies and feed and it has become our Sun Life Dogs favorite place as well! Go see em. Great people.
ACE Hardware Prineville - Phils Hardware
In this new age of social distancing and Jeff being high risk, the very thought that ordering online and picking up curbside was appealing. Phil’s Ace Hardware, goes above and beyond in their customer service with each of our orders. And with ACE, not too much they don’t carry. ACE has always been a favorite of ours, but this store could be their number one.
Soil and Water Conservation District
With 105 acres of Ochoco foothill land making up part of our ranch, we have a blossoming relationship with the SWCD team. We’re focused on creating and restoring native pieces that have been lost due to drought, vegetation under-management and other varying circumstances. With the help of Andy and Rachael, we expect to see our areas get back to supporting native eco-systems while protecting the soil and vegetation.
L&M Supply
Nothing beats a USA product. It was refreshing to find a company for supplying our weed protection wrap right here in America (Georgia). Working with Jim Taylor, from the start was everything you could ask for. Right during a pandemic, he was the quintessential professional. Able to fulfill the order, get it shipped. Wow.
Ed Staub and Sons Propane
Home, shop, greenhouses; they all need energy resources to help power and manage them year round. Our choice hands down is Ed Staub and Sons Propane services. They are customer care driven, state of the art in managing consumption needs and refills. Highly recommended, we wouldn’t change a thing.
FARM OPERATIONS
These companies help Oregon and America stay strong in the farming industry. Learn how they helped us at SunLife.
AFFILIATIONS
Finding and connecting with networks that help local businesses is important to success. Finding the genuine ones is even better!
FRIENDS OF THE FARM
Friends have found us on their life journey, many participate in our CSA programs or visit our farm. Become a friend for Life.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO VISIT SUNLIFE FARM?
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You choose the trail; we’ll tailor the visit for you. These are all walking tours so plan time accordingly.
If you want to extend your roam, all trails allow you the ability to do so.
Trails are QR scan coded in the event you don’t request a guided tour.
