Rooted in Soil, Community, and Purpose: The Story of 47th Ave Farm

Planting the Seeds of a Farm and a Philosophy

When Laura Masterson started 47th Ave Farm in 1996, she didn’t have a formal agricultural background—but she had a deep connection to plants and a vision for growing food in the community. “I grew up gardening with my grandfather. He had a big green thumb,” she said, recalling the abundance of loquats, avocados, and citrus in her Southern California childhood yard.

After attending Reed College in Portland, Laura went to work at Portland Nursery and later became a garden designer. She loved the beauty of ornamental landscapes but felt pulled toward something more essential. “Growing food is more closely aligned with my

values,” she said.

Her first season of farming took place on a double lot in Southeast Portland, where she convinced friends to try something new: she’d grow the food, and they’d share in the harvest. “We would walk through the garden, I would pick stuff for them,” she remembered. That backyard CSA became the foundation for 47th Ave Farm.

Building a Farm That Lasts

Farming wasn’t profitable early on—Laura kept her landscaping job to make ends meet—but a monthly farm business management course at Lane Community College shifted her perspective. “I drove to Eugene once a month for two years for the class. That was really the thing that turned it around for me,” she said. She now helps other farmers build sustainable business models too. “I want to have a sustainable farm business because I want to keep doing this myself, but I also want to pay people well… and I want to have enough money to, treat the land responsibly.”

Soil health is at the heart of Laura’s farming philosophy. “Growing vegetables can be very extractive and damaging to the soil,” she explained. “But if we want to feed people for the long term, we have to care for the land we’re growing on.” She plants cover crops to restore nutrients, uses minimal tillage, and allows fields to rest between cash crops.

She also uses both electric tractors and draft horses to cultivate the land. “Some of the cultivating I can do with the draft horses is less destructive to the soil profile than… what I could do with the tractor,” she said. “The horses are trying to avoid stepping on the plants… and they know where to turn around at the end of the field.” Working with animals adds a unique connection. “I love working with the horses,” she added. “It's amazing to work with… a completely different species who want to help with the farming.”

Reimagining Sustainability—For People Too

Her CSA reflects this long-view approach—feeding people while nurturing the land and community. “My goal hasn't always been to grow the maximum amount of food,” she said. “It's how to do that and balance the long-term… nutrients and health of the soil.”

She’s also reimagined what sustainability looks like for farm workers. Laura moved early from volunteer or apprenticeship models to full-time employment, with roles that allow for specialization without the burden of managing an entire farm. Many people who have worked for her go on to start their own farms. But she also provides opportunities for people who want to stay and take on a management role at her farm. “Hopefully, as established farms, we can provide long-term employment to people who want that and don't necessarily want to be out on their own,” she said.

Community as a Constant

The community has played a huge role in her farm’s journey. Laura has stayed committed to a market-style CSA pickup, even as drop sites and home delivery gained popularity. “I just came to love the fact that I got to interact with the people who are eating the food,” she said. “This is a moment to look up and laugh about the giant [kohlrabi] you just got, and ask your neighbor what they're doing with it,” she added. “My farm crew will chime in about their favorite thing to do with the vegetables.” That sense of connection runs deep—CSA members have supported the farm in countless ways over the years, and some of their kids have even grown up to become farmers themselves. “After farming for almost 30 years, we can provide our members with a reliable mix of the veggies that people love. That keeps folks coming back for more."

Farming as Advocacy

Her commitment extends beyond the farm. Laura served two terms on the Oregon State Board of Agriculture and has served on the board of the East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District since 2004. Farming on the urban fringe sparked her interest in land use policy. “Farmland is not being created. It's only being lost,” she said. “It is an amazing renewable resource, but we need to protect it and be good stewards.”

She’s worked to ensure that small-scale, organic, and direct-market farms have a voice in shaping Oregon’s agricultural policies. “I do feel like I was able to be a voice that was a little more inside the department for folks who felt excluded, not listened to,” she said.

Her collaborative spirit is central to her advocacy. “Agriculture in Oregon is diverse so we’re never going to agree on everything. My strategy has always been to focus on the things we have in common and work together on those issues.” Farming is hard. Weather extremes, tight margins, and unrelenting physical demands are part of the job. “At the CSA pickup I prefer to focus on a feeling of abundance, but it is also important to help our members understand how challenging it can be for farmers,” she said. But even on the hardest days, Laura feels grounded in purpose. “I love farming and how lucky I feel to have this job and be in this community.” At 47th Ave Farm, the harvest includes more than food. It includes the relationships, learning, and care that grow alongside it.