Come be restored

Good morning, this is Trina McAlexander and I am the grateful farmer. I took a break from farm blogging a few years back because it was a intense season of growth at Mt View Orchards and I spent more time sharing my farming journey on instagram. This morning I am thrilled to be back to farm blogging so I can personally invite you to come experience spring on our small family farm/winery. The birds are singing their hopeful song of spring and its is a absolutely gorgeous time to come visit our Tasting Room. (Reservations are required)

The Grateful Vineyard Pinot Noir is my go to when I am sipping with friends.

Have you ever wondered if it’s worth it to join a wine club or if we ever are going to get to attend another Wine Club farm to table dinner in summer of 2021?  

As a winery owner, farmer & nurse practitioner, I personally adore being a part of a few wine clubs locally and candidly believe the future is bright and hopeful as more of us get vaccinated we can experience more intimate outdoor gatherings safely again this summer on the farm. 

I find wine clubs easy to sign up for because it invites me to intentionally slow down my pace for some sipping and connecting with my loves at a vineyard in Oregon a few times a month.  If you are a regular wine drinker and appreciate good wine, then joining a wine club is worth it because it also saves you some dough.

I love looking at my calendar for Wine Club release dates especially in the colder months because I am filled with so much hopeful anticipation for my next pick up (bring on spring)  

Its so convenient to RSVP online for future visits at my wineries so I can leave my home to to get my soul restored and refreshed with my pod with some delicious sips, kindness and self care.

Lastly, I really believe in supporting local small family wineries. I believe tasting rooms are the most gorgeous and elegant outdoor gathering spaces in town and I want them to thrive year-round because I care about them so deeply. Saving our faves is a passion of mine that I have personally practiced and promoted my whole life.  If you love a local tasting room consider joining their club to ensure they stay sustainable and viable through out the years.

**Grateful’s Wine Club Benefits**

Complimentary tastings for you and two guests with every visit (w/ reservations) 

20% of all wine purchases with sign up 

4 delicious pick ups a year (March May Aug Nov)

We offer 2 options a Wine only or Beer Wine & Cider Club ($119 or $99 x 4 pick ups)

Intimate Release Parties with delicious cheeses and live music.

Exclusive invitations to small Wine Club dinners 

20% off all food pairing with reservations (with ample spacing between pods) 

Vineyard Tours and Educational opportunities 

Exclusive invites to meet the brewer/fermenter/farmer and learn more about the process

email us at thegratefulfarmer@gmail.com to join the club today

Our 50 acre farm and wooden pavilion are 11 miles from Mt Hood as the crow flies.

Oh how I miss farm to table dinners in the heart of our farm. Join the club to be invited in 2021.

New to the Blog? Hi, I am Trina McAlexander and am passionate about growing food for my neighbors and creating restorative gathering spaces for our community to be deeply nourished. I brought my families orchard in December of 2014 and have been dreaming big farm dreams ever since. My amazing grandparents and parents have a long history of opening up our farm like a large living room and inviting the friends of our farm to come enjoy our abundant harvests so I have honored their mission and tried to take it to the next level by adding berries, flower fields, pumpkin patch, a vineyard, cidery, brewery, Tasting room and Event space. The purpose of this farming blog is to invite you to come and taste and see our magical farm and to be restored. I truly believe the more time you spend on our farm is both refreshing and nourishing.

Carlos the Steer is 21 years old

Good News, Mt View Brewing is having our 1st birthday coming right up on March 20th from 1-4pm down at our Event space (6600 Trout Creek Ridge Rd, 97041) ****NOTE This is a separate entrance than our Tasting room driveway and is on the opposite side of our small family farm with separate parking (21+ please).

We are thrilled to have our NEW anniversary beer on tap (Happy Birthday Calibration Ale 5.5%) and some new 1st birthday stickers too of Carlos the Steer our mascot. (Grateful Wine and Cider as well)

Our lovely farming neighbor, Ben Saur will be singing along from 130-330pm.

We will be having our Libation Club pick up as well happening at the same time so we warmly invite all 21+ guest to come and enjoy our covered event space (rain or shine) for a celebration of Spring.

There is ample room for everyone to spread out and enjoy some tunes and sips together. Mask are required, All friendly dogs must be on leashes at all times, please bring ID to show at entrance of event please. This event is free but please bring a card for any beer/wine/cider purchases. Lastly as a special treat come and meet our Brewer, Chris Vincenzo as he will be attending the event as well to discuss his first year brewing at Mt View Brewing.

Farm magic

Today was one for the books, friends.  It was absolutely stunning outside and it felt like you could almost watch things growing right in front of your eyes.  Farming has been rather dreamy this spring and I am so darn grateful to be growing fruit for you all.  It feels so right to be apart of my families farming legacy and I have met so many amazing people who have come out to enjoy the fruits of our labor each and every year. Thank you for following along on my farming journey and here are some updates from your grateful farmer.

Big News, tomorrow I am painting my parents home(and mine to match one each other).  It hasn't been painted maybe since the year 2000.  Lets just say, "Its time guys."  They are over the moon about it and are coming up to be a lot today and giving me long "thank you," hugs.  I find it easy to be so generous with them because they have been ridiculously generous with me my whole friggin life.  Seriously, my parents are absolutely amazing and I can hardly believe I was born into their little family.  My parents are my farming heroes and I am so grateful to farm besides them and come and see the place when we open up for cherry season.

Our best girls hard at work. photo by Larvickmedia

Our hard working honey bees have been busy these days because we are nearly in full bloom(apple tree above).  If you know me well, you know I love everything about bees and honey.  I am 100% dependent on them to pollinate all the fruit I grow on this farm.  Our Bees are the reason why we all can enjoy our fresh cherries, peaches, nectarines, blueberries, apples, plums, pluots, quince and pears each year.  Our girls have been blissing out with our back to back days of sunshine and I am so thankful we are having this weather because I am so hopeful for our 2017 harvests.  There is something so sacred watching bees as a farmer and I join my prayers with these bees for their little lives to be long and fruitful.

Introducing our new pergola over the dance floor. photo by Larvickmedia

So thankful to our dear friend, Michael and our mighty men who recently finished a pergola over the dance floor.  Can I just say having your own personal dance floor is where it is at and I highly recommend you get one this summer, if you don't have one already. I loved our lil dance floor before but it was missing something. So excited that we have some shade as well for hot hot nights at the wedding venue this summer.  Dancing at weddings can be so very enjoyable and I look forward to cutting loose this year at my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary.

Hello ceremony seats. photo by Larvickmedia

Our amazing neighbors down the road were looking for a new home for their chairs so we remedied.  So excited that we are able to make some amazing upgrades and changes to our venue every year.  We are booking weddings left and right for our 2017 and 2018 season so head to Mt. View Orchards Weddings to schedule a tour, friends.  We are having an Open House on May 21st from 3-5pm if you would like to come and be our guest. Shoot us an email at mtvieworchardsweddings@gmail.com to let us know you are coming.

The All Fruit CSA is going great this year and we have some our faithful favorites and have added some new households too.   Thank you for backing up my farm guys and letting me bring our local harvests to your neighborhoods guys. We still have a few spots so tell your neighbors and your friends.

I can hardly imagine my life without thinking about my families land.  Life is such a beautiful mystery and sometimes I wonder why I waited so long to move home and carry on the farming story.  I could of missed this!!  What a beautiful, hopeful, dreamy, delicious and exhausting life.  I am so grateful that am a farmer and love feeding my community with all my heartxo Trina

Friends of our Farm

In the above photo my baby brother Ryan and I are surrounding a dear friend of our farm, Jane at at a Portland Market!  She had recently picked up her All Fruit CSA box and a Mt. View Orchards truckers hat.  This picture makes me really happy because Jane has been sending me encouraging messages, emails and texts since I bought my families farm in 2014! She has been one of my most consistent encouragers and has been championing my small business farming from its conception. As a new farmer that really means the world!

Farming is a solitary profession often times.  When I am out cutting grass on the farm, I am on a cutter for hours alone with my thoughts and prayers.  One of my favorite aspects of farming is the relationships I build with families and friends who believe in my farming dream and want to get their fruit from our small family farm.  I cannot be a farmer without friends of my farm.  A wholehearted thank you to everyone for making Mt. View Orchards your farm.  I love being your farmer!

I am grateful today for all our CSA members who re-up every year and follow each harvest season. There are not enough words to express my gratitude.  

I am grateful today for our new CSA members who have made the commitment to back up a local farm. Welcome, welcome!  Looking forward to getting to know you all better.

I am grateful for everyone who comes out and visits our farm stand multiple times in the Summer and Fall.  We are looking forward to u-pick cherry seasons with all our hearts(July!)

I am grateful for all the restaurants, breweries, farm to table dinners and big stores who use Fruit Harvests from Mt. View Orchards.

I am grateful for the budding blossoms and the hope of a future harvest.

I am grateful for all the Weddings that are happening this year at our Venue.  I went out on a huge limb to build this and I am so relieved this venture is a wild success!

Grateful that Golden Row Cider is growing in popularity and that we are going to get them into cans and or bottles this year.

I am grateful for our amazing employees who wrapped up our pruning season.  Can I just say I think i have the best people around living and serving on this farm and they did an amazing job shaping our trees this year for the 2017 harvest season.  Hella proud farmer!

I am grateful for my amazing parents and partners in crime.  My dad is currently filling out a really complicated government form and plotting to get rid of all predator birds on this farm(ha). My amazing mother is finishing up a nutrient dense spray for our cherries and peaches today with a smile.

Thank you for befriending Mt. View Orchards, friends.  We are more than honored and care so deeply about growing food for you households, forever! xo Trina your grateful farmer.

To sign up for a delicious box such as this each week, head to ALL FRUIT CSA to learn more