Nate has lived in Benton County since 2013, and has been a gardener since 2009. He and his wife, Yadira Ruiz, operate Sunbow Produce, an organic fruit and vegetable farm on the outskirts of Philomath and Corvallis. Along with a livelihood, he gets daily instruction in natural dynamics, horticulture, local ecology, landscape design, business and resource management, personal limitations, and the mighty power of cooperation. He’s devoted to improving the health of the soils he stewards and wants to ensure future farmers and gardeners also have opportunities to thrive. He’s a member of the Marys River Grange, the Dry Farming Collaborative, a volunteer with Ten Rivers Food web, and an advocate for true food security, for everybody, for the long haul.