Barbara Cannady for the Burns Times-Herald  

Do you want to plan for that bumper crop of a garden you need to off-set the rising cost of groceries? Or do you maybe want to participate in one of the local farmers markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA Box) program or school food programs?

If you are new to gardening Harney County style, you might want to touch base with Kellie Frank, Harney County Food Systems Coordinator. The Food Systems program is an initiative promoted thru the Biz Harney Opportunity Collaborative, within the High Desert Partnership.

Kellie is not only well educated in all facets of agriculture, she was the former Farm Service Agency Director, she also practices the skills of seed selection and saving, companion plant planning leading to garden design, high tunnel green-house operation for family and farmers market as well as school food programs. Kellie is a fountain of information which she generously shares.

Need to learn what grows best in Harney County? Kellie can provide you a list of what vegetable varieties and source catalogs Brenda Smith has found most successful for her garden. Kellie is currently working on a group seed order with Fedco Seeds. If this annual event totals $1,200 or more, each purchase will receive a 10% discount.

Located in Clinton, Maine, Fedco Seeds is a cooperative that has proven to provide reliable seed production for our area due to similar planting zones and short growing seasons. If you would like to participate in the community wide seed order please email or call with any questions or concerns to kellie@highdesertpartnership.org or call 541-561-1583. The group seed order will be submitted at the end of January, so the time to plan and act is now!  

Kellie also has a list for trees, shrubs and flowers that work well in planting zones 4-5 for attracting birds, butterflies and pollinators.

The Harney County Food Systems group also wanted to remind everyone that the opportunity to apply for 2026 Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) have a deadline fast approaching. As with all things coming from Washington DC, the rules are changing. These applications need to be signed and submitted to the local NRCS office prior to Jan. 15, 2026 to be eligible for 2026 funding. If you cannot make this deadline, call NRCS to express interest and you might still be accepted. Once your application is submitted, you have several months to explore program offerings.

If you would like to fill out an application, or learn more about current eligible practices (such as the High Tunnel Initiative Green-houses) feel free to stop by your local NRCS office located at 530 Hwy 20 S in Hines, OR 97738, or call 541-573-6446 to ask questions of Rachel Beaubien, the local NRCS District Conservationist.