Meet Mentor Lyle McDonald
For Lyle McDonald, a farmer out in northeastern Oregon, being a mentor brings rejuvenation and excitement into what is often a tiring line of work. Lyle has gone through his fair share of challenges as an organic farmer, and although every farmer will have their own unique challenges, he hopes that through mentoring he can help prevent a farmer from making the same mistakes and experiencing the same challenges as him. Mentoring provides the opportunity to help set a farmer on the right foot for successful organic production.
Lyle has produced certified organic garlic, elderberries and manages organic pasture out at his 76 acre farm near Summerville, OR, and has previous training with hydroponics and greenhouse production. After leaving the Marine Corps, Lyle was looking for something to take his mind off of stressors from his time as a marine, and found VSAT, the Veterans Sustainable Agriculture Training program at CalPoly Pomona. He found that organic and sustainable farming took his mind off his past, helped to relieve stress, and taught him a new useful skill that he could carry into the future.
July 2024
Lyle is now mentoring a transitioning farmer, also located in northeastern Oregon, who is starting to cultivate his own family’s land. Through mentorship, Lyle has been able to provide guidance on best practices for cultivating new land, potential crops and markets to sell to, and aid with developing a farm management plan. Lyle understands the challenges that come with land access, finding organic markets, pest prevention, soil nutrient management, and more, and he’s excited to pass his knowledge on to other farmers starting out with organic.
