Alfalfa, Oregon facts for kids
Alfalfa is a small, rural community in Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. It's located in the high desert area, about 16 miles (26 km) east of Bend. The community was named Alfalfa because of the important crop grown there: alfalfa, a type of plant used to feed animals.
Alfalfa has a store with gas pumps and a church, which are its only businesses or services. It even had its own post office from 1912 to 1922. Today, about 400 families live on farms in and around Alfalfa.
Farming in Alfalfa
The weather in Alfalfa means farmers have a short "growing season" of only about 80 days. This limits them to growing mainly grass and alfalfa. Because the crops don't grow very much, the grass is often better for animals like cattle to eat directly (grazing) rather than being cut and dried for hay.
The Alfalfa irrigation district was created in the early 1900s to bring water to the farms. Many of the homes in the area were built around that time. The Central Oregon Canal, which carries water, also runs through the community.
Alfalfa's Location and History
Even though Alfalfa is 16 miles east of Bend, it shares Bend's zip code. For a while, there was a chance that Alfalfa's rural, farming way of life might change. This was because of a law called Measure 37 passed in 2004, which could have allowed more homes to be built. However, another law, Measure 49, passed in 2007, mostly reversed Measure 37. So, Alfalfa remains a farming area today.
The Alfalfa Grade School opened in 1911. It was a small school with just one teacher and two rooms. It closed in 1987, serving only 18 students from kindergarten to second grade at that time. Now, even though Alfalfa is closer to Bend, all public school students from Alfalfa go to school in Redmond.
Community Life in Alfalfa
The main gathering spot in Alfalfa is the Alfalfa Store. Another important building is the Alfalfa Grange, which is a historic hall also known as the Alfalfa Community Hall. The county government, Deschutes County, considers this building, built in 1930, an important historical place. The Alfalfa Community Church also holds its meetings in this hall.
