Published Articles
Articles written for UV Life Magazine, edited and published by AHM Brands.
It’s a Jungle In There
A mother-daughter team is turning a plant obsession into a rapidly growing business venture and having a blast in the process.
Story by Hollye Holbrook Photos by Thomas Boyd
It’s nearly 11 p.m. when she drills a hole in the bottom of the final pot.
Standing up, Braelee O’Connor wipes the sweat from her brow and steps back to scan the array of dark-marbled terra cotta vessels at her feet. She smiles and envisions the greenery they’ll soon hold. For tomorrow is delivery day, her favorite day of the week.
O’Connor and her oldest daughter, Sierra Fox, weren’t planning to start a nursery; they were simply collecting plants for their homes. But before long it became an obsession, sending them off to local shops to scour for the best plants.
“We were the ones out back when the shipments came in, pulling them apart,” O’Connor says, laughing. She and her daughter were particularly interested in rare plants. “But we just couldn’t find any,” she says.
So they directed their search online, turning it into an ongoing game of friendly bidding wars, competing with other buyers for plants. Within six months, their collection of houseplants had grown from 30 to 200.
“It was a lot of fun,” says Fox. “I’ve always been super intrigued by house plants. It was my dream to one day sell them from my home.”
Rainforest Northwest, the nursery Fox and her mother eventually opened, isn’t exactly home, but you can see it from there. Planted unassumingly at the end of the gravel driveway leading to the family home, the nursery is only a few feet off busy Harvard Avenue in Roseburg. But stepping through the door feels like being transported to a welcoming, vital oasis.
“Plants are beneficial not only to the environment but to our health,” says Fox. “It’s cleaner air in our shop. Some people come and stay for an hour, walk around and just talk with us. It’s fun being able to do what we love all day and provide people from our community with plants.”
Plants, indeed. There are hanging plants. Plants on shelves. Tall plants. Small plants. Easy-care plants. Delicate plants. Solid plants. Variegated plants. Rare plants. Healthy plants, of course; all of them.
“As soon as we get the plants in, we inspect every single one,” says Fox. “We pre-treat and wipe down every leaf. We want to make sure that everything we bring in is something we would personally buy. My No. 1 wish-list plant is the variegated monstera adansonii (Swiss cheese plant), which sells for $3,000 to $4,000 for just one leaf!”
It’s clear what O’Connor and Fox offer goes well beyond selling plants. The care and attention they put into every plant in Rainforest Northwest are extended to every person who visits.
“One thing Mom said when we started out that I really loved is she wanted to build a relationship with everybody who walked through the door,” says Fox. “We’ve met a lot of super cool individuals.”
Fox mentions the young girl who came in with her lemonade-stand profits and a dream of turning her room into a jungle. “We sent her away with some goodies,” says Fox.
There was the older gentleman who was simply looking for something to help cheer him up and the 10-year-old boy who knew more about cacti than anyone in the room.
“We really enjoy making those connections,” says O’Connor. “I always try to make people feel at home. If we can help you out, one way or another, we will.”
Adds Fox: “If there’s something we’re not familiar with, we’ll go research it. If there’s something you’re looking for, we’ll do our best to get it in or we will send you in a direction to get one. We’ll even re-pot plants you already have at home.”
With such an encouraging start to their business, O’Conner and Fox are already contemplating what’s ahead for Rainforest Northwest.
“There are so many different avenues we could take,” says Fox. “The potential is huge. We want to sell plants online. We want to open a second location. We want to offer more services — designing spaces, setting up and taking care of plants, renting out plants for events and offices. We want to sell our pots and house-made potting mix. We want to turn our barn into a greenhouse and offer more inventory. We’re dreaming; we’re thinking big.”
“We’ve found something Douglas County needs,” adds O’Connor. “Our roots are deep here, which makes it even more exciting to continue to grow them.”
Find Rainforest Northwest at 2692 West Harvard Ave. Roseburg, online at rainforestnorthwest.com and on social media @rainforest_northwest.
Rural Sanctuary
On Happy Compromise Farm, Eryn Leavens and Oliver Gawlik our creating a peaceful refuge for animals and humans alike.
Story by Hollye Holbrook
CardiBeak, Pecklemore, Missy Eggliott, Waka Flocka, 2Chirpz and Chicki Minaj.
These are just a few of the names you’ll hear while visiting Happy Compromise Farm + Sanctuary, nestled in the hills of northern Douglas County. Stewards Eryn Leavens and Oliver Gawlik moved to the property in July 2019 with a vision of starting a regenerative farm with fruits, vegetables, flowers and, well, some animals.
“We brought 11 of our own animals and adopted 24 more who were already living on the property,” says Leavens. “At the time we thought that was a lot. We posted in our Instagram bio that we rescue animals and immediately got requests to take in more. We now have 100.”
There are flocks of chickens, roosters and ducks (affectionately named The Lost Boys, The Dragsters, The Goldie Oldies, Party Fowl, Tootie Fruities/Schmidts and Frat Boys); three goats (Herbie Berbie, Big Tony and Fernando); and two alpacas (Hazelnut and Roy).
“The sanctuary really took over our first year here,” adds Gawlik. “But it’s been a delightful takeover. The Sanctuary at HCF became a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit as soon as possible so we could rescue more animals and fundraise for their care. It’s completely donation- and volunteer-run, and we work with other sanctuaries as well.”
Walking around the farm with Leavens and Gawlik, the love they have for animals is readily apparent. So is their passion for the land and environment.
“We’re looking toward the long term. We minimize anything gas powered – we are the machinery here,” says Gawlik. “Our garden beds are no-till, which is a method that retains the healthy microbiomes in the soil and builds them up over time. It’s a regenerative system where we don’t have to bring in chemicals or many other amendments. We believe that establishing a good relationship with the property and soil will pay off over time.”
But the land isn’t the only thing they’re regenerating and establishing a relationship with. Leavens and Gawlik are putting care into humans, too. They’ll be opening a farm stand this year for guests and visitors and donating extra food to a food bank. Next year they plan to have a CSA (community supported agriculture) option. And in the meantime, toward the top of the hill on the property, the two have constructed a yurt that’s listed on Airbnb.
“We wanted to create a place where people could come to get away from their busy lives for a few days to stay on the farm and meet the animals or have complete privacy,” says Gawlik. The yurt offers the unmistakable warmth of woodstove heat. Plush robes hang on a rack for guests to wear after using the cedar-steam sauna. Other features include a table with Leaven’s handmade ceramic mugs and tumblers; zero-waste, non-toxic products for the home and a small menu of food that guests can order during their stay.
“We wanted to make it an experience,” adds Leavens. “Something special.”
Special it is. All of it.
With 70 fruit trees, a fire-resistant, zen-like medicinal garden, 23,000 gallons of rainwater collection tanks and hand-built structures for the animal residents, the list of what makes HCF special is a long one.
“Our vision for the farm and sanctuary is to create a whole ecosystem where we can raise much of the food our animals need here on the farm, sustain ourselves and help feed our community,” says Gawlik.
“And without hurting any animals, or using them for anything,” adds Eryn Leavens. “We want to make sure every animal has the best life possible and is taken care of for their entire life.”
To donate to the nonprofit sanctuary, find Leaven’s ceramics and learn more, visit happycompromisefarm.com. Find Happy Compromise Farm + Sanctuary on social media @happycompromisefarm.
Oil On The Water
The Umpqua Valley is not only wine country but also home to the largest olive oil producer in the state. Our writer takes a visit – and has a taste.
Story and Photos by Hollye Holbrook
On a scenic and obviously fertile plot of land just outside of Glide and in an inconspicuous tasting room at the center of it, I found some of the best olive oil I’ve ever tasted.
River Ranch is the largest commercial producer of olive oil in Oregon, and the company’s product is made exclusively from Arbequina and Arbosana olives grown on-site. The two cold tolerant Spanish varieties are grown solely for the quality of oil they produce.
“You’ll notice a greeny-grass, herbaceous taste and a pungency felt in the back of your throat,” says manager Elaine Smith during a tasting. “That comes from the olive’s extremely high polyphenol levels, which are high in antioxidants, help lower inflammation in the body and have so many other health benefits.”
Besides the health benefits, tasting olive oil is just a fun experience. Here’s how to do it:
First, pour a small amount into a spoon. Hold it to your nose and smell. What do you notice? In my tasting of five different oils, from mild to robust, I noticed notes of fruit, pepper and grass.
Next, put the oil in your mouth. To get air mixed in with it, slurp it “like your mother never wanted you to do at the dinner table,” Smith explains. Swish it around to really coat your whole mouth. Take a few moments and think about what you taste. Then swallow. You might feel a slight burning in the back of your throat. If you have to cough, it’s not a bad thing. That’s the polyphenols at work.
“Color doesn’t indicate the quality of an olive oil or how it will taste,” Elaine notes. “Your mind tells you a green oil tastes better than a yellow one, but it’s completely the variety of olive that gives it the flavor. Our oil is blessed with what’s called a butter finish – there’s no oily residue left in the mouth.”
River Ranch currently has eight acres of trees and is in the process of adding three more. The company is also building an expanded tasting room, a commercial kitchen with seating for 50 and an olive mill, and plans to eventually host events on site.
OLIVE OIL BALSAMIC DIPPING OIL
4 to 5 cloves crushed and minced garlic
2 Tablespoons oregano (or Italian seasoning)
1⁄2 cup River Ranch Olive Oil
1⁄4 cup balsamic vinegar
1⁄4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese Fresh ground pepper to taste
Serve with crusty bread
SWEET & SAVORY DIPPING OIL
1⁄4 cup finely chopped raw walnuts
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh Rosemary 3 Tablespoons honey
COARSE SEA SALT
1⁄2 cup River Ranch Olive Oil Fresh ground pepper to taste Serve with crusty bread or focaccia
Find River Ranch Oregon Olive Oil in local markets and at rr-ooo.com.
