Nature Nurtures

As the pandemic continues to unfold with untold consequences, we feel so blessed to have five acres to roam freely and to live in a region where there is still legal access to rivers and trails where physical distance can be comfortably maintained. All of our current residents took to the Gilbert River for a reviving paddle in celebration of the beautiful spring weather this month. Walking to nearby Thatcher Park, biking around Forest Grove and hiking on the hillside above our property have also been welcome respites from confinement. Brad has jump-started the landscaping around the new homes while Bonnie & John have eagerly begun planting the garden with onions, greens, garlic, peas, and other early crops. John has set the stage for the arrival of new chicks to add to our brood of five Rhode Island Reds and a beehive is on the way…

Affordable Family Housing

The award-winning Green Hammer Design Build team has just completed three Platinum Earth Advantage certified homes for us, but ultra efficient construction comes with a cost. We have partnered with non-profit Proud Ground to insure that at least one of the new 3-bedroom homes will be permanently affordable to first-time homebuyers with children through the community land trust model. Households with children will also be given preference for the other 3-bedroom home, as we realize our goal to create a diverse intergenerational community. For more information on income guidelines and requirements, see listing at: proudground.org. [Update: the Proud Ground unit has been sold]

The Choice

Dr. Edith Eva Eger’s memoir, The Choice: Embrace the Possible co-written by Esmé Schwall Weigand, is a compelling and inspiring memoir of an Auschwitz survivor who became a clinical psychologist dedicated to helping people convert trauma, grief, and fear into hope and resilience. “Our painful experiences aren’t a liability-they’re a gift. They give us perspective and meaning, an opportunity to find our unique purpose and our strength.” Call it serendipity that Esmé contacted Green Grove, looking for community, just as CoVid-19 began taking hold. Linda, our resident librarian, found her book to be a compelling page-turner that resonates profoundly with what many are experiencing right now. For some, the pandemic has thus far been a frightening inconvenience, for others, already a time of devastating trauma and loss. Not one of us knows what comes next. There is no value in comparing degrees of trauma, but all of us have the potential to use what we’ve been handed to foster growth.

ABC’s of Isolation Gratitude Journal

The Arts, for many Green Grovers, are an invaluable outlet at any time, but most notably in these days. Inspired by the delightful Instagram account, Introvertdoodles, watercolor journaling has become an enriching spiritual practice for Linda. Bluegrass jams continue at Green Grove, though on a smaller scale, appropriately distanced, and outdoors. Creative writing, shared by members and prospective members, has been a source of insight and connection.

Three New Homes on the Rise

The award-winning Green Hammer Design Build team is constructing three new Green Grove homes scheduled for completion in March of 2020. All three homes offer traditional craftsman and farmhouse architectural details, but with a tasteful blend of modern finishes, fixtures and amenities. With a holistic approach to energy efficiency, the homes will all be Platinum Earth Advantage certified. Featuring ultra efficient, combined heat recovery ventilation/heating/cooling systems, triple-pane windows, insulation up to two times that of typical ‘code’ buildings, and high- tech membranes, the homes will have exceptional durability, comfort, and low energy use in all seasons. With highly efficient use of space, residents will be able to live large with a low carbon footprint. Included are two 3-bedroom, two bath 1 1/2 story homes with 1,253 sq. ft., and one 2-bedroom, one bath single- story home with 982 sq. ft. All three homes have extensive attic storage spaces, and come with 250 sq. ft. carport/storage units. Inviting front porches, commanding views of the central green space and surrounding countryside welcome newcomers to explore membership in our growing cohousing community.

There is Love ...

Our community has shared the joy of groundbreaking, harvest, birthdays, anniversaries, the changing of the seasons, house warmings, retirement, and the birth of a healthy baby girl. This season brought yet another wonderful cause for celebration when Associate Members, Katy & Mitch, announced their engagement. They originally met at Chehalem Ridge Nature Park, whose skyline is engraved on their engagement rings. For a nature- loving wildlife biologist and a forester so deeply committed to public service and protecting the environment, it was the ideal location to find one another. We’re all so very happy that they did!

Library Celebrates 110 Years

A vibrant public library is a strong indicator of a healthy community. Forest Grove City Library is celebrating 110 years of public service in 2019, making it the oldest public library in Washington County. An October birthday party featured instruction in many common pastimes from 1909, such as playing marbles, jacks, pick-up sticks, and Chinese checkers, plus trying out a stereopticon & slides, dip pen & ink well, and a candlestick phone. A barbershop quartet performed, a historic printing press created souvenirs, and period goodies were served. Displays and activity stations gave community members a fun opportunity to see how the library has evolved over the past century plus. Period costumes were the order of the day. Linda portrayed Adeline Rogers, the founding benefactor for the Library.

Fall Arts Events in the Grove

Green Grove members are helping organize multiple events this fall. Valley Art Association’s

Annual Artist Event from November 9th-17th, features the juried work of many outstanding regional artists. Opening night includes live music, great food & beverage. On November 15th-17th, the “97116 Art Show- Paint the Town” will be a city-wide collaborative arts & commerce event, plus it will include a special glass & 3-D art show in the Community Auditorium from 5pm-8pm on November 16th. 

...And when looking for art, don’t miss out on Associate Member Chelsea B’s new Etsy store,

“Amongst the Ferns”! For music enthusiasts, John will be hosting another bluegrass jam in the Green Grove Common House from 4-7pm on December 1st.

Three is the Charm

The third home has now been completed at Green Grove and is awaiting qualified members to purchase it. In charming French Country style, it has 1132 conditioned sq. ft., 2 bedrooms, with walk-in closets, 1 1/2 baths, a pantry and laundry/mudroom, pull-down attic stairs, plus an open plan living/ dining room with a bay window. Flooring includes bamboo, Marmoleum in the bathrooms, and carpet in the bedrooms. A large front porch with a beautiful territorial view, and a rear portico on grade for easy access grace the outside. Staggered stud construction with upgraded insulation, ductless mini-split heating and cooling and quality double-paned windows contribute to its energy efficiency. Beautiful, functional and solar-ready, it is a single-story home designed for livability, accessibility, affordability. [Update: Laura and Troy are the lucky new homeowners]

Open House

Green Grove will be participating in the first-ever Portland National Cohousing Conference from May 30-June 3rd, culminating in an open house with a live bluegrass music jam, wine-tasting from Patton Valley Winery, appetizers from regionally produced products, children’s nature activities, property tours, and more. We will be open to all comers from 2pm to 6pm on Sunday, June 3rd. A bus tour for 48 conference attendees will be coming by on Thursday, May 30th. [Update: one of those bus tour visitors was future resident owner Lauren Lake!] Another bus tour is under consideration, by the Conference leadership, as there is a significant waiting list for the full-day tour of three metro area cohousing communities that includes Green Grove. Green Grove will also have a prominent presence at the Conference itself, to be held in the Portland Hilton Hotel. An information table with our members on hand, various takeaways and all the latest news on the three new homes to be constructed by Green Hammer starting in July 2019. 

Emergency Preparedness

A beautiful March morning found all of us organizing, labeling and storing supplies for community use in the case of natural disaster. Bonnie attended the City of Forest Grove’s recent emergency preparedness event, and developed a plan for Green Grove. Her research into the best-tasting shelf-stable food products, how to maintain the quality of stored water, and what types of items should be stored bedside, in the car, and on the property, were some of the key takeaways we were able to apply. With the optimistic attitude that, “If you prepare for it, it won’t happen,” we are now ready to forget about “the big one.”

Take a Book, Share a Book

Green Grove joined the international ranks of “Little Free Library” hosts in October with Charter #77357. Little Free Libraries are now registered in 88 countries worldwide. Brad built the library as a landmark birthday gift for Linda. Featuring an original design topped by an “open book”, it currently houses 65 books for children and adults in English and Spanish.

If you are inspired to build your own, there are great plans and ideas online for building everything from Robot-Shaped Libraries to Log Cabin Libraries. However they look, all of them are designed to bring community together with a good tale. Look for us on the world map of libraries at LittleFreeLibrary.org.

It All Started With Little Trains ...

Brad has been a lifelong model railroad enthusiast. Using his model railroad design skills and Cadrail computer program, he designed a 1395 sq. ft. high performance green home featuring a hexagon-based floor plan, and arches inside and out. Like train cars, many of the furnishings are built-in. Now that Brad & Linda are ensconced in their new home, the Common House is more readily available for overnight guests. community meals, art studio experiences, yoga classes and play groups.

“Stone Soup Garden Party” puts Garden to Bed

Our highly successful garden was finally tucked in for the winter by a cheerful crew on November 3rd. We gleaned the abundant remaining produce, uprooted the plants, irrigation hoses, and stakes, plus spread cardboard and leaf mulch for future expansion.

The outdoor work was followed by a delicious lunch featuring two “stone soups”, and a reading of the old French folktale bearing that name. Bonnie & John, who were responsible for the instigation of our large community garden utilizing permaculture techniques, were gratified by the amazing bounty produced this season, and a bit relieved to say “goodbye” to the almost daily harvest of wheelbarrows full of organic produce. Veggies were shared throughout the season with friends, construction sub-contractors, landscapers. the local food bank, Green Grove yoga class participants, jammers at Waltz Brewing, John’s Pacific University graduate students, and Green Grove visitors alike. Westwind Garden provided dozens of well-established organic starts. Potatoes, arugula, basil, cucumbers and a wide variety of peppers , squash and tomatoes, all thrived. For next year, an even greater variety of crops is already in the planning stage.

Home, Sweet Home

The historic honor of receiving the very first new home occupancy permit for Green Grove Cohousing Community goes to John, Bonnie & their son, JB! It took a lot of patience and persistence, but their home is beautiful, functional and environmentally friendly. It features an open concept plan with a great room for living, dining, and kitchen, two bedrooms, an office, one and a half baths, and a large cedar porch ideal for jam sessions and entertaining. The vaulted ceilings, with dormer windows, give the 1295 sq. feet home a light and spacious feel. Bamboo hardwood floors, staggered studs with polar blanket insulation, alder cabinets, an upgraded heat pump, Milgard windows, and solar-readiness are some of the sustainability- oriented features. The master bathroom has tile floors and a walk-in shower with a river rock base. Pull-down attic stairs and an unconditioned crawl space work area add function and storage to the single-story home designed for livability, accessibility, affordability. Linda and Brad’s new home is scheduled for completion in September, while the third home should be finished in November. Then just six more homes to go! We believe that all of us will find the rewards of living in community at Green Grove worth the wait!

More Fall Fun in the Grove!

September is always a great month in Forest Grove. The 28th Annual Sidewalk Chalk Art Festival & the 54th Annual Corn Roast and Fall Festival, both on Saturday, September 15th, are signature community events well worth attending. With more than 600 sidewalk chalk squares, visitors can come to draw, or just come to stroll around the historic downtown, listen to live music, and admire the creations of hundreds of locals of all ages. The Corn Roast features food, entertainment and fun family activities, in addition to an art show sponsored by the Forest Grove Public Arts Commission. Also, not to be missed is the 2nd Celebrate Great Grains Festival at our neighbor Lyle Speisschaert’s farm on Saturday, September 23rd from 10am-3pm. John and his bluegrass jam group will be featured there, as well as horse drawn wagon tours, vendors employing heritage grains for beverage and baked goods, and informational displays. The Friends of Historic Forest Grove Home Tour on September 23rd is another fantastic local offering. FG is the home of 3 National Register Historic Districts, and this event invites the public to tour a few of these historic homes to showcase historic architecture and our unique heritage.

Construction Update

In addition to home construction… July saw the planting of our stormwater catchment pond. Dozens of water plants, tons of river rock and truckloads of soil were installed to filter rainwater before it reaches the public street drainage ditches. This fall, the area surrounding the pond will be landscaped with native plants for additional filtering, erosion control, and wildlife habitat. In August,a small shed was constructed above the cistern that collects rainwater from roof run-off. The shed will house a pump to distribute the rainwater for irrigation. It made a nice father/daughter construction project for Brad & Jessamy.

Green Grove Garden Grows Gloriously

In June, we planted our permaculture garden. It was a great way to embrace the reality that it’s actually going to be our new home. We plowed, added the amendments, laid down drip lines, and planted many large plants generously donated by Westwind Gardens. We started carrots and beans from seed. Watching a doe and two fawns wander within 50 yards of us while we were working, we decided to build a 7 foot deer fence. John then built a gate for easy access. All was well until the next day. For the following two days, mysterious critters ravaged the kale, chard and beans. Afterwards they seemed satisfied to let the rest of the garden grow. The potatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, eggplants, peppers, basil, cucumbers, arugula and tomatoes all thrived. We’ve been harvesting a sack of luscious veggies every day now for weeks, and giving away produce to many folks and organizations. We’ve also been exploring new uses for zukes and cukes. Who knew a squash plant could be 7 feet wide? Tomatoes are coming on in abundance, and those we can’t consume fresh will become a freezer full of sundried tomatoes for the winter months. Next year, we hope to have chickens to make our own garden amendments, and maybe even a beehive for extra pollination. We are continuing to dream big and have high hopes for our future agricultural pursuits.

May in the Grove

Spring is in full bloom and a lot is happening in the City and the community. The

Adelante Mujere’s Farmer’s Market opened for the season on May 3rd, and

will continue every Wednesday from 4pm-8pm until October 25th. Main Street is

loaded with local plants, produce, artisan baked goods and cheese, local wines and brews, and lots more. The first Wednesday of each month includes the arts, and you can count on Linda being there with the art mobile and FG Public Arts Commission hosting activities for kids. Pacific University’s annual Music in May Festival, is celebrating its 68th anniversary as the only college-sponsored high school music festival in the Northwest. 400 Students will perform a grand finale concert on Saturday, May 28, 3 p.m., at the Stoller Center (2331 Main Street,

Forest Grove). May is Oregon Wine Month, and opportunities abound for wine tasting in and around Forest Grove. Check out the “Forest Grove Wine Trail” at tualatinvalley.org for details. The Spring Art Bizarre featuring local, handmade, unique, weird, offbeat and wacky art is on Saturday, May 19th from 10am-4pm. Linda will be selling mixed-media work inspired by Mexican folk art and books to benefit Adelante Mujeres. The event will be held in the auditorium of the historic school at 1728 Main Street in old town Forest Grove.

...And so much more ....

Why Green Roof?

With all the expense, preparation and planning required for a green roof, even before the arrival of the flatbed trailer truck and crane required to install it on our 10-bay carport, it is worth asking, “Why?” 

Green roofs, also sometimes called ‘eco-roofs’, consist of a waterproofing membrane, growing medium (soil) and vegetation (plants) overlying a traditional roof. They are used to achieve environmental benefits including reducing stormwater runoff, energy use, and the heat island effect. An irrigation system helps it to get started, but over time, the low-maintenance and drought-resistant succulents will require little attention.

More detailed reasons from Emory Knoll Farms: 

Stormwater Management – Green roofs help mitigate the problems caused by increased impermeable surfaces in built-up areas that change the natural flow of rainwater. 

Longer Life for the Roof Membrane – A green roof will protect the roof membrane from the damaging UV light of the sun. Instead of replacing a roof in 15 years, it may not need to be replaced for 30 years +. 

Mitigation of the Urban Heat Island Effect – Heavily built urban areas store more heat than natural areas. This can cause public health and comfort issues as well as costly increased energy consumption. Green roofs can help reduce this effect.

Biodiversity and habitat – Green roofs can increase biodiversity and create habitat in areas that are not usually hospitable to pollinators, birds, or other wildlife.

Amenity and Aesthetics – Can provide better views from other buildings, overlooking the roof. At Green Grove, it will also help provide insulation for the ten storage units constructed below it (one for each household and one shared by all).