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Jeff and Cheryl Boden of West Union Gardens have created a wonderful and successful farm by balancing a u-pick operation, a farm stand and a booth at local farmers markets. They also provide New Seasons Market with raspberries, and some fun specialty “cane” berry varieties, including loganberries, marionberries and tayberries.
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"I want people to not be afraid because there's nothing on this berry except just the berry and I don't wash them when I eat them."
-Jeff Boden,
West Union Gardens
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Now, West Union Gardens is also providing you with fresh jams, jellies and syrups with its Bodens Berries line--available at all stores.
All natural equals all good -- West Union Gardens doesn’t add anything to the soil to make food grow.
“I want people to taste to see that the berries are ripe,” says Jeff. “I want people to not be afraid because there's nothing on this berry except the berry and I don't wash them when I eat them,” he says.
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“To be sustainable you have to have local markets, not shipping far, far away, and that's one thing that New Seasons has obviously made an effort at doing is supporting local growers. And I'm one."
-Jeff Boden,
West Union Gardens
_____ | Jeff, his wife, Cheryl, and their three children work together on their family farm, where berries are the mainstay. They sell their produce at farmers’ markets, farm stands and New Seasons Market. We always look forward to their berries, which Jeff personally delivers in a purple Volkswagen bus.
 “If a produce manager knows where their stuff comes from and they know me,” Jeff says, “they can answer questions [about our products] at the store.”
The Bodens specialize in berries: raspberries, boysenberries, black raspberries, Marionberries (named after our own Marion County), loganberries, tayberries, gooseberries, red and black currants, plus a small selection of vegetables for their market stands.
Like many other regional farmers whose produce fills New Seasons Market, “local” is an operative word at West Union Gardens.
“Once you lose your farming base in the community, it’s gone,” Jeff says. “To be sustainable you have to have local markets.” 
Jeff is proud to be a local grower and we’re proud to feature his lush, wonderful berries. Its  a partnership we hope to continue for years to come.
Without an infrastructure of local markets, many small farmers would simply disappear. Farmers markets and roadside stands provide a major outlet for local, sustainable farms, but without a corresponding market in the area’s grocery stores, survival would be more difficult.
“To be sustainable you have to have local markets, not shipping far, far away, and that's one thing that New Seasons has obviously made an effort at doing is supporting local growers," he says. "And I'm one."
The Bodens’ farm is worth visiting, either to pick some berries or just to experience how diversified farm life continues near the center of Portland. Every year a group of New Seasons Market staff visits Jeff and Cheryl’s place to learn about their farming practices and get valuable information to pass along to our customers. We are proud to support people like the Bodens, who keep Oregon farms thriving. |
