Our History

Lehne Farms LLC is a branch of a multi-generational family farm that began with Norm and Cinda Lehne at “Norm Lehne Garden and Orchards” in 1974.   Norm and Cinda have been growing fruits, vegetables and hazelnuts, primarily for u-pick and farmers markets for the Southern Oregon region in Roseburg, Oregon.  The history of Lehne Farms traces its origins back the marriage of Myron Lehne and Helen Woodruff in 1938.  Myron worked for Dillard nurseryman, C. E. Moyer, and the young couple dreamed of one day starting their own nursery. They realized this dream in the early 1940’s with the purchase of the first 10 acres on Cleveland Rapids Road in Garden Valley. Later additional acreage was acquired, bringing Myron and Helen’s farm of walnuts, daffodils and bare-root nursery to a total of 45 acres.

In the early 1970’s Myron and Helen decided to retire, turning over the farm to their two sons, Ray and Norm.  Ray would focus his acres on walnuts, cherries, grapes and apples.  He eventually transitioned all his acres into hazelnuts. Norm and his wife, Cinda, started selling vegetables via “U-Pick” out of their large family garden in 1974.  As the demand for fresh produce rapidly increased they expanded the garden plots and added fruits and hazelnut orchards.  The farm, located a few miles northwest of Roseburg in beautiful Garden Valley, has been one of the cornerstones for U-pick customers desiring to fill their pantries and freezers.  Our rows of vegetables are weeded and well-water is the only source of irrigation.

In 2005, Norm Lehne Garden and Orchards started to take our produce to local area farmers markets, particularly the Coos Bay Downtown market and the Umpqua Valley farmers market.  In 2008, with the encouragement of the next generation, we started up a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) harvest box membership.

In 2014, after 20 years in the Air Force, the 3^rd generation of the Lehne family joined Norm and Cinda on the farm.  Their son, Glen, and his wife, Wendy acquired their home on 10 acres adjacent to the farm on Big Bend Rd.  They are now familiar faces here at the Farm.  Norm and Cinda are pleased that they have joined them.  Glen and Wendy also brought the 4th generation of the Lehne family with them.  Their two daughters, Ashlynn and Kylie, are farmers in training!

Today, Lehne Farms LLC grows year-round produce and attends several farmers markets.  To do this, Glen built several plastic covered hoop-houses to grow produce in the winter and extend seasons of various items in the spring and fall.  Additionally, he has focused on several varieties of vegetables that can be simply “held” in the field.  He often will tell a customer marveling over the abundance of produce at our winter farmers markets:

“We grow in the most versatile ground Oregon has to offer for year-round production.  It’s not a matter of how warm we get in the winter, rather, it’s how ‘not cold’ we get.”