Perhaps you’ve driven by and noticed a large piece of wide-open space within the city of Bend along Pettigrew Road. This oasis, surrounded by a neighborhood and development, is Fields Farm, a quiet, nearly 10-acre plot of land that has been nourishing its community for more than three decades.
Jim and Debbie Fields began farming this land in the late 1980s after realizing their tiny plot on Federal Avenue wasn’t big enough to accomplish their goals. Drawn to the open space—and perhaps encouraged by the nearby llama farm there at the time—they found a parcel of land where they could build something lasting. Inspired by family traditions, including a grandmother who gardened and a father who tended a Victory Garden during World War II, Jim’s path toward farming felt almost inevitable since it runs in his family.
Today, the legacy continues with Jeremy Fox. First working as a volunteer at the farm, Fox found himself feeling a natural connection to the land and wanting to spend more time getting his hands dirty. On a cool, sunny spring morning, he greets me, and we pull up a couple of chairs outside in the shade, the golden retriever gleefully playing nearby, birds chirping, and Jim and Debbie’s barefoot grandson wandering across the healthy green grass. It’s peaceful really, and I realize that for the Fields, this is simply daily life.
In the early days, long before “organic” became a catchphrase, the Fields were already focused on sustainable practices. Like other farmers I have interviewed, the first thing they mention is the importance of healthy soil. At the farm, cover crops and compost help maintain soil fertility, with much of the compost created from spent grain donated by local breweries and food scraps from area restaurants. Native plants also dot the landscape.
“We have volcanic soil in the region which usually contains about 1% organic matter,” Fox explains. “But we’ve managed to boost ours to 4%, which doesn’t sound like much, but it is. When you can take and make a dark, brown or black ball of soil that holds together rather than the coarse dust that falls apart, that means the soil is rich in that organic matter. It’s a sure sign that the soil is alive and healthy.”
Because they have many years of farming experience, I asked if they have noticed changes in the local climate. “The climate has definitely become more inconsistent,” says Fox. On a positive note, he mentions many years ago when cold snaps reached 10 to 20 degrees below zero more frequently. Those days are few now, thankfully, but more unpredictability exists overall. Tools like Weather.gov have been essential for seasonal planning, and Fox hopes government funding will continue.
Weather can also play a part in irrigation. Water is life, and the farm’s irrigation depends on the Central Oregon Irrigation District (COID), which determines the timing of water delivery. Some years the district scales back early. Luckily, due to more precipitation this year, Fields Farm got an early start.
As far as the changing climate with customers, Fox has noticed the desire for convenience, for example, setting up digital payments like Venmo or maintaining social media sites. An encouraging aspect is that a lot of people moving to Central Oregon are becoming more aware of the importance of local food systems and organic practices.
“Local food is simply fresher and healthier.” Fox points out. “When you pick it in the morning and distribute it the same day, you taste a noticeable difference.”
Like many small farms, Fields Farm depends heavily on its CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program, which it launched in 1989, back when the concept was still relatively new. Today, with at least 35 members, that model remains a cornerstone of the farm’s operations, providing both reliable income and a close relationship with the community. Members receive a weekly share of different items throughout the growing season, all of it picked and packed fresh.
Seasonality is part of the charm. “You don’t get the same thing every week, and we try to introduce lesser-known produce like kohlrabi—a brassica similar to cabbage that’s really nutritious. Later in the season tomatoes and berries are the top sellers. People just love the flavor,” says Fox.
Most of us gardeners like to challenge what we can grow in the High Desert environment, and Fields Farm is no exception. This season’s big gamble for Fox is to grow lots of pumpkins. “My vision is to have a pumpkin carving party for my daughter and her friends in October.” He smiles wide and I pleasantly reminisc on the times when my own daughters carved pumpkins. I can relate.
In addition to running a CSA, Fields Farm sells produce through Agricultural Connections, a regional online market and delivery service that acts as a bridge between farms, restaurants, grocery stores, and households. This allows the Fields team to focus on growing while its goods get delivered across Central Oregon. Currently, the farm also maintains an onsite daily farm stand with freshly picked goodies.
Come winter, everyone takes a much-needed rest. “Not just for us,” Fox says, “but the soil needs rest, too.” When the fields are dormant, Fox spends his time working with OAS (Oregon Adaptive Sports). It’s a personal passion that balances the physical demands of farming. In fact, throughout our conversation I notice a key word that seems to recur again and again, one that I try to integrate into my own life philosophy – balance.
Education is also a big part of the Fields Farm mission. Children visit on field trips often. In fact, as I was leaving, I noticed Debbie in a distant field talking with a group of school kids. Volunteers usually come out once a month, often on Sundays, to help with spring prep, mulching crops with hops, harvesting, or whatever else might interest them.
As if on cue, Jim Fields arrives mid-conversation, a bucket of seed potatoes in hand. He pulls up a chair and joins us quietly, slicing the spuds in half to prep them for planting. He explains how he learned a lot by taking the local Master Gardeners program. “Hardly anyone I know has an ag degree,” he muses. “Most folks just get out in the soil and learn by doing.”
Jim, telling me more about the farm’s history, claims he’s about to retire, but doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. “We’re stuck here,” he says with a grin, clearly meaning it in the best possible way. “I think I’ve created at least a few farmers in my time. I work outside doing what I enjoy. Life is good.”
He and his wife’s vision and determination have created a farm deeply rooted in its community—ecologically, economically, and socially. The Fields family and Fox realize they cannot change the entire world, but their microcosm is changing a little corner of it for the better. Their efforts are spreading awareness, inspiring others to eat healthful, and showing the next generation of farmers what is possible.
You can find Fields Farm at 61915 Pettigrew Road. Whether through its CSA program, a visit to the farm stand, or just a conversation with one of its stewards, you’ll walk away with more than produce. You’ll leave with a deeper appreciation of what it means to grow a community from the ground up.
This article appears in Source Weekly June 19, 2025.
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