L&R Family Farm

Ryan Dolan, the “R” of L&R Family Farm, has been farming since the age of 20. He grew up in Reno, Nevada, and went to college in Davis, California to get a liberal arts degree. He needed a job during college, so one of his professors hired him to work on his small market farm during the summers. Ryan fell in love with growing vegetables. Three years later, he had left college to work as the Farm Manager for his professor. He spent the next eight years working as an intern and farm manager on a number of different farms, mostly in California. He spent time farming in India, and he and his partner Liz farmed with oxen and horses in New Jersey for a year. Before moving to Oregon, they helped manage a CSA farm in California for five years. This is Ryan's fourth season growing in Williams, Oregon. More importantly, as Ryan jokes, this is their second year in Williams with a deer fence. Ryan is passionate about growing corn, melons and watermelons, and is very concerned with how to make a small farm financially viable.

Liz Baum, the “L” of L&R Family Farm, has been growing organic produce for ten years. Originally from New York City, Liz made her way out to the West Coast while following the Grateful Dead on their nation-wide tours. After attending over 100 concerts, Liz settled in central California. She and her partner Ryan began farming, and ran a 100 member CSA with another family. Liz, Ryan and their son moved up to the Williams valley three years ago. They are currently leasing land on the East Fork of Williams Creek, and have six acres under production this season. Liz is passionate about growing flowers, potatoes and kale and boasts that Milo's favorite food is kale. Her current goals are to farm using oxen and to begin raising animals for meat. She and Ryan are considering raising sheep, cows and pigs. When not farming or selling produce at the Williams and Ashland growers markets, Liz spends a lot of time cooking and eating gourmet meals