By Susan Trabucco, CNA Media Team
Urban farming is alive and well in NE Portland, and Cully resident Ted Snider’s new entrepreneurial pursuit aims to meet the needs of those who dig, plant, weed, feed and fertilize to grow food for their families, or those who grow and harvest to supply fresh produce to local farmers markets.
Snider recently opened Cully Farm Store from a shipping container that shares parking lot space with Roses Ice Cream on NE 42nd Avenue. From that small space, and additional canopied space behind Roses, Snider purveys used but reconditioned garden tools, supplies to satisfy chickens and their tenders; and organic soil amendments. Additionally, farmers from the surrounding neighborhoods provide vegetable starts for sale; Cully Farm Store offers these farmers an expanded market and ideally more sales.
“Cully Farm Store acts as a collaborative neighborhood outlet,” said Snider, who has farmed in Cully for nearly 10 years. Snider was inspired to launch his micro-store out of a desire to help people in their efforts to grow their own food.
“I want to provide the plants, feeds, and other items necessary to support and increase food growth in the neighborhood,” he said.
Snider said the Cully area was historically a food-growing area.
“There used to be two canneries in Cully,” said Snider. People would bring their extra corn or tomatoes to a cannery one day, and pick it up to pack it home the next day.”
As a provider of goods to urban farmers, Snider caters to those who choose not to drive or do not have a vehicle, packaging products in small quantities to allow shoppers on bicycles to carry items home easily.
“I’ve had customer walk their wheelbarrows over here and then wheel their goods back home,” he said.
Snider seems to have found his calling. He attended Reed College for a year out of high school, but found the idea of desk job to be unattractive, so he discontinued his formal education.
“I wanted to work with my hands,” Snider said with a smile.
Find Snider manning his post at the Cully Farm Store at 5011 NE 42nd Ave. from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. To enter the shop, walk between Roses and the container that serves as the store, or enter via the Roses parking lot. For more information email cullyfarmstore@gmail.com or call Snider’s personal phone (503) 729-3508. A website, www.cullyfarmstore.com, is in the works.
