juniperLocated on the eastern outskirts of Bend, Juniper Jungle is a 10-acre farm with 4 acres planned cultivation for the 2012-growing season. This farm is also home to chickens, ducks, and rabbits, which help to maintain the farm’s sustainability. Their farming practices are customer certified natural and influenced by permaculture and biodynamic principals, which is a more holistic approach to agriculture. To achieve their aim for sustainable agriculture, Juniper Jungle believes in pulling weeds with their hands or use of their hoe instead of using herbicides. Furthermore, they fertilize with manure from a local non-profit horse rescue called Equine Outreach, composting and tilling it into the soil for their crops.

Juniper Jungle spends great energy focusing on soil enrichment due to the challenge of the high desert climate. The steps they are taking to improve the growing environment includes: adding plant debris and nutrients through compost, use of mulch to control water and nutrient evaporation out of the soil, use of nitrogen fixing crops, and efficient water management. Lastly, Juniper Jungle believes in the saying “healthy plants make healthy people”, so they focus on choosing heirloom varieties of vegetables for added taste and health benefits.

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