Westside Stories

In the coming weeks, I will be highlighting some of the fantastic vendors who make the West Wahkiakum Farmers Market a vibrant part of our community. From fresh produce and honey to original artwork and flowers, our area is home to an inspiring group of individuals who pour their hearts into their crafts. One of those individuals is Jamie VanBuhler, a market organizer, grower, photographer, and off-grid homesteader.

The farmers market is run through the nonprofit charitable organization Altoona Grows, founded by Jamie, to promote community growth, knowledge, and regeneration. The market was launched last summer at Johnson Park by Jamie and fellow organizer, Carillon Nicol. This year, the market has found a new home at Rosburg Hall, providing vendors with additional space and a cozy, welcoming environment. More than just a place to buy and sell, the market has evolved into a community hub, where neighbors catch up, local goods are exchanged, and occasional trades or barter transactions take place. A table is set up with community information and educational resources. The Cathlamet Public Library offers a table where individuals can sign up for a library card, as well as occasional free pop-up workshops, a kids table, and more.

Jamie recently showed me around her and partner Josh Thompson's off-grid homestead, Altoona Point Valley, where they live with their 7-year-old son, Django. After living in Seattle and then traveling across the country in a converted van, Jamie and Josh purchased land in Altoona in 2021. Like many of us, they faced the challenges of their first winter head-on, especially the relentless rain. Jamie and I bonded over stories of learning to manage the land's natural water flow and navigating the terrain of overgrown land.

The trio's off-grid lifestyle focuses on sustainability and creativity. They raise chickens and ducks, grow their own food, and practice agroforestry by cultivating a food forest filled with native plants and trees. Winding trails and natural planting beds enhance the charm of their property. One particularly endearing feature is a coppiced (cut back to ground level) bigleaf maple tree with a hollowed-out trunk woven by moss-covered roots, known as The Finding Place. The tree is adorned with an eclectic collection of treasures found in a magical box within the trunk, courtesy of Django.

One of Jamie's biggest passions is mushroom cultivation. Using the totem method and the drill-and-fill log method, she inoculates alder and maple logs with varieties like shiitake, oyster, lion's mane, chestnut, and turkey tail. The logs are stacked in a crib, and the totems are placed outdoors, where the mushrooms grow in a natural environment. While the process has its challenges, such as deterring slugs and gnats, the effort is worth it. Jamie says that the flavor and medicinal strength of mushrooms grown on wood are unmatched. She not only grows culinary mushrooms but also makes medicinal mushroom tinctures. Currently, she produces and bottles dual extract tinctures of turkey tail and reishi.

In addition to selling at the farmers market, Jamie supplies mushrooms to a couple of restaurants in Astoria. Still, mushrooms are just one of the many irons Jamie has in the fire. She also grows various produce and supplies eggs for the market, helps others harvest for the market, works part-time at Fort George Brewery, and runs her photography business, VisualLife Photography. Her self-published photography book, "Into the Valley: Where Everything is Connected," is available for purchase at the farmers market.

Jamie exemplifies the essence of the West Wahkiakum Farmers Market, demonstrating creativity, resilience, and a profound connection to both the land and the community. Stay tuned as I continue to spotlight the people who bring this special place to life each Friday at Rosburg Hall.

The Health and Human Services Department still has cards available for eligible seniors through the Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP). These cards can be used to purchase fresh produce and honey. For more information, please get in touch with Terry Howell at teresa.howell@co.wahkiakum.wa.us.

Westside Happenings

August

8 – West Wahkiakum Farmers Market at

Rosburg Hall, 1 – 4 p.m.

9 – Ice Cream & Egg Hunt Party at Naselle

Timberland Library, 1 p.m.

15 – Meet Children's Author Ellie Peterson at

Naselle Timberland Library, 11 a.m.

September

6 – Loggers Reunion at Appelo Archives Center

For a list of regular monthly events, please refer to the Wahkiakum Calendar.

To add an event to the calendar or provide feedback, please don't hesitate to contact me at writerlisayeager@outlook.com. You can also follow me on Facebook (@Writer Lisa Yeager), where I share additional photos and videos.