Producer
Siri and Son Farms (OR)
Contact: Jim Siri, Mollie Siri, and Joe Siri
City: St Paul, OR, 97137
County: Marion
About Us
We are a fourth-generation family farm based in Oregon’s beautiful Willamette Valley just outside of lively Portland, Oregon. Farming has been the Siri way of life for many years. We feel that maintaining the connection between consumer and farmer and supporting organic, local, sustainable farms is our best defense for food security.
When you buy local produce, you are supporting the local economy, you are helping to protect local farmland, and you are getting the freshest and most healthful produce for yourself and your family. We believe that if people truly understood and valued where and how their food is grown they would recognize the true difference they could make on our planet.
The History of Siri and Son Farms
1900s: Antonio Siri partnered with 16 other local growers and began farming 30 acres at Harmony Point and Fuller Rd. in Clackamas, Oregon. “There was no paperwork or anything,” says Antonio’s son Fred. “Just an agreement between farmers. And remember, everything was done by hand back then,” he says, explaining the cooperative effort of many farmers. Antonio later partnered with his wife’s brother, Silvio Pienovi, and four others at a nearby location on Rex Road for many years.
1940s: Antonio set out on his own, farming on a piece of land off of Webster Rd. in the Milwaukie area.
1950s: Fred followed in Antonio’s footsteps, beginning with 12 acres along the Clackamas River, a piece of land that is still farmed today by Fred’s son, Jim, and Jim’s sons, Joe and Dominick. Fred recalls the early years when he would load up his vegetables on a flatbed truck and drive into town. There he would park alongside other farmers while buyers walked between the two rows of trucks and purchased the produce with cash right there. Later, Fred left his deliveries on customers’ docks at night with only a slip of paper as a receipt.
1960s: Fred purchased 15 acres in Clackamas, and that location is still headquarters for the farm.
1970s: Fred’s son, Jim, joined his dad, and soon after the name Siri and Son Farms came into existence. Jim purchased 25 acres near Fred, and gradually the farm leased more land in the area. Jim expanded on the variety of crops Fred raised, and Siri and Son Farms built up its facilities by adding dock space and cooler space to accommodate its growing yields.
1990s: The days of truck farming and night deliveries were gone, but the unsurpassed commitment to quality remained at Siri and Son Farms. That quality supported the farm’s growth and success into the 21st century.
2003: At that time another change was on the horizon: organic farming. Joe began studying and considering organics while a student at Oregon State, and in time Joe persuaded Jim that this was the right direction for the farm. Joe stressed that organic farming was consistent with the farm’s philosophy.
2005: Siri and Son Farms transitions to 100% organic farming methods and begins a commitment to sustainability.
When you buy local produce, you are supporting the local economy, you are helping to protect local farmland, and you are getting the freshest and most healthful produce for yourself and your family. We believe that if people truly understood and valued where and how their food is grown they would recognize the true difference they could make on our planet.
The History of Siri and Son Farms
1900s: Antonio Siri partnered with 16 other local growers and began farming 30 acres at Harmony Point and Fuller Rd. in Clackamas, Oregon. “There was no paperwork or anything,” says Antonio’s son Fred. “Just an agreement between farmers. And remember, everything was done by hand back then,” he says, explaining the cooperative effort of many farmers. Antonio later partnered with his wife’s brother, Silvio Pienovi, and four others at a nearby location on Rex Road for many years.
1940s: Antonio set out on his own, farming on a piece of land off of Webster Rd. in the Milwaukie area.
1950s: Fred followed in Antonio’s footsteps, beginning with 12 acres along the Clackamas River, a piece of land that is still farmed today by Fred’s son, Jim, and Jim’s sons, Joe and Dominick. Fred recalls the early years when he would load up his vegetables on a flatbed truck and drive into town. There he would park alongside other farmers while buyers walked between the two rows of trucks and purchased the produce with cash right there. Later, Fred left his deliveries on customers’ docks at night with only a slip of paper as a receipt.
1960s: Fred purchased 15 acres in Clackamas, and that location is still headquarters for the farm.
1970s: Fred’s son, Jim, joined his dad, and soon after the name Siri and Son Farms came into existence. Jim purchased 25 acres near Fred, and gradually the farm leased more land in the area. Jim expanded on the variety of crops Fred raised, and Siri and Son Farms built up its facilities by adding dock space and cooler space to accommodate its growing yields.
1990s: The days of truck farming and night deliveries were gone, but the unsurpassed commitment to quality remained at Siri and Son Farms. That quality supported the farm’s growth and success into the 21st century.
2003: At that time another change was on the horizon: organic farming. Joe began studying and considering organics while a student at Oregon State, and in time Joe persuaded Jim that this was the right direction for the farm. Joe stressed that organic farming was consistent with the farm’s philosophy.
2005: Siri and Son Farms transitions to 100% organic farming methods and begins a commitment to sustainability.
Practices
Our produce is grown with great care to guarantee that each crop is of premium flavor and quality. All of our products are grown using sustainable farming practices which not only benefits our health but also our environment. Siri and Son Farms is a USDA certified organic grower by Washington State Department of Agriculture and by Oregon Tilth. We are also a certified organic handler by Washington State Department of Agriculture. We have a total of 200 certified organic acres in vegetable production and 2 acres of certified organic blueberries.
In 2003 Joe chose Organic Vegetable Farming as his senior project while at Oregon State University. He was able to certify a portion of the farm and grew bell peppers and cucumbers with great success. Even prior to the farm’s formal certification the basic organic principals were being applied so a complete farm transition into organic certification was not difficult.
Some of the most important practices that we carry out at the farm include:
- Water conservation via drip irrigation
- Wet and composted manure as fertilizers
- Pesticides which are derived from natural substances
- Overhead irrigation for pest control
- Introduction of beneficial insects
- A continual search for varieties which are more resistant to disease and other problems
- Physical removal of pests
- Crop rotation
- Cover cropping as erosion control
- Plastic mulch as weed suppression
- Tractor tillage as well as physical removal of weeds
- Careful record keeping
We believe that farming is a life long learning experience through trial and error. We are constantly trying Earth friendly innovative ideas to improve crop quality and production. We are proud to have certified ourselves P³ Certified! P³ is a concept developed by Jim Siri. We believe in the emphasis of three major farm components, People, Practices and Pathogens.
People: We believe that all employees are entitled to fair labor practices. We encourage all Siri and Son Farms employees to speak freely about all issues without fear of any repercussions. We feel that equality is what makes our operation work as a team, without teamwork everything would fall apart, we all need each other.
Practices: Sustainable farming is as important as breathing at Siri and Son Farms. Every farm decision that is made, strongly takes into consideration its effect on this planet. Each seed, fertilizer, plant and material that is applied to our soils are carefully evaluated prior to their application.
Pathogens: Food safety is an essential concern of everyone’s. We at all times are ensuring that no harmful pathogens will enter the food system. We do this by stressing the important of cleanliness with our employees, routine water testing and careful record keeping.
In 2003 Joe chose Organic Vegetable Farming as his senior project while at Oregon State University. He was able to certify a portion of the farm and grew bell peppers and cucumbers with great success. Even prior to the farm’s formal certification the basic organic principals were being applied so a complete farm transition into organic certification was not difficult.
Some of the most important practices that we carry out at the farm include:
- Water conservation via drip irrigation
- Wet and composted manure as fertilizers
- Pesticides which are derived from natural substances
- Overhead irrigation for pest control
- Introduction of beneficial insects
- A continual search for varieties which are more resistant to disease and other problems
- Physical removal of pests
- Crop rotation
- Cover cropping as erosion control
- Plastic mulch as weed suppression
- Tractor tillage as well as physical removal of weeds
- Careful record keeping
We believe that farming is a life long learning experience through trial and error. We are constantly trying Earth friendly innovative ideas to improve crop quality and production. We are proud to have certified ourselves P³ Certified! P³ is a concept developed by Jim Siri. We believe in the emphasis of three major farm components, People, Practices and Pathogens.
People: We believe that all employees are entitled to fair labor practices. We encourage all Siri and Son Farms employees to speak freely about all issues without fear of any repercussions. We feel that equality is what makes our operation work as a team, without teamwork everything would fall apart, we all need each other.
Practices: Sustainable farming is as important as breathing at Siri and Son Farms. Every farm decision that is made, strongly takes into consideration its effect on this planet. Each seed, fertilizer, plant and material that is applied to our soils are carefully evaluated prior to their application.
Pathogens: Food safety is an essential concern of everyone’s. We at all times are ensuring that no harmful pathogens will enter the food system. We do this by stressing the important of cleanliness with our employees, routine water testing and careful record keeping.