Renowned Planner Jeff Speck Speaks in Bend, Oregon

Last night, NorthWest Crossing sponsored a presentation through the Building a BetterBend lecture series, which brings speakers to the region to help educate the community about quality growth and development. Renowned author and lecturer Jeff Speck joined us to talk about  “What Makes Commercial Centers Work:  Getting Planning and Transportation Right”.

Speck shared some great insights from his work around the country promoting smart growth and sustainable design, applying them to the Bend, Oregon community and ways that planners here could take into consideration choices that would impact daily life of its citizens.

He brings solid experience to his lectures - Speck is a city planner and architectural designer who, through writing, lectures, and built work, advocates internationally for smart growth and sustainable design. As Director of Design at the National Endowment for the Arts from 2003 through 2007, he oversaw the Mayors' Institute on City Design and created the Governors' Institute on Community Design, a federal program that helps state governors fight suburban sprawl. Prior to joining the Endowment, Mr. Speck spent ten years as Director of Town Planning at Duany Plater-Zyberk and Co., a leading practitioner of the New Urbanism, where he led or managed more than forty of the firm's projects. He is the co-author of Suburban Nation: The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream as well as the just-released Smart Growth Manual. He serves as a Contributing Editor to Metropolis Magazine, and on the Sustainability Task Force of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

NorthWest Crossing, which has been committed to the smart growth principles since its inception, was happy to support bringing a speaker like Speck to our community!

Bend, Oregon Farmers Market Gears Up For End of Season

The NorthWest Crossing Farmers Market the Bend, Oregon neighborhood of NorthWest Crossing is celebrating the last two Saturdays of the season with some great live music, and a lineup of vendors that will keep you well-stocked in goodies right through the Fall.

This Saturday and next, McKenzie River Farms will be helping to put the "Farm" in Farmers Market with a great selection of produce. According to their site, they'll have every summer produce item imaginable -from tomatoes, cucumbers and strawberries, all the way to August harvested eggplant, garlic and melons.

Couple this with a fabulous selection of delicious specialty foods, wagon rides, a petting zoo and plenty of arts and crafts, and you have a Saturday that screams "SUMMER TIME" in Bend, Oregon. Not to mention the live sounds of Chata Addy (Authentic West African Music) on this Saturday, August 27th and the eclectic folk tunes from Brent Alan and Lino Trio on September 3rd.

See you at the Farmers Market!

NorthWest Crossing's Own Bend, Oregon Brewery: Below Grade Brewing

It's no secret that Bend, Oregon is exploding with craft breweries: the count continues to rise. Here in NorthWest Crossing, we have our own community brewery - Below Grade Brewing. Owned and operated by residents Dean and Bridget Wise, the handcrafted beers from this nano-brewery debuted at the NWX Farmers Market earlier this summer.

Wise built his small brewing "facility" in a corner of his basement, has been home brewing for almost 20 years according to a recent Bulletin article. Wise says that Below Grade is a community brewery that provides fresh, fine ales batch-by-batch to beer enthusiasts. Because each run of each beer differs slightly - expressing the craft of beer making - these enthusiasts become part of the brewing experience.

Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive! Come try a pint for yourself this weekend at the Farmers Market, held on Saturday August 6 from 10am-2pm.

Where to Retire? NorthWest Crossing in Bend, Oregon! That's Where!

Bend has long been recognized as a wonderful place to live - and to retire. In fact, according to a recent article in Where to Retire Magazine, Bend, Oregon is one of the best. Included in that equation is the retirement friendly community of NorthWest Crossing.

The article, which appears in the May/June issue of the magazine, introduces Bend as: "An outdoor haven where pine forests give way to a high desert plateau, Bend offers bountiful recreation year-round, including hiking, fishing, boating, skiing, camping and hunting. A refuge for urbanites weary of the fast lane, its cosmopolitan chic yet has the lure of the wild." Sound romantic? It is!

The in-depth piece goes into all the wonderful things Bend, Oregon has to offer, and then talks about specific places to live, including NorthWest Crossing. "A neotraditional community featuring classic regional architecture, green building mandates and pedestrian-friendly design. A hit with families and empty nesters, the 486-acre, mixed-use development...[has a] recent addition of Discovery Park Lodge, a 53-unit affordable housing complex for those 55 and older."

From paddling the Deschutes River, to trying out some of the area's craft beers, and from attending the many community events to purchasing the right house for retirement....this great article highlights all the greatness our community has to offer.

Structure Development NW Gets Its Build On In NorthWest Crossing

Building in Bend, Oregon's NorthWest Crossing for just about one year, Structure Development NW is currently starting on its second home in the neighborhood. As with all the company's work, these NorthWest Crossing homes display their philosophy of surrounding home buyers with the absolute best products and services - each aspect of the home is chosen with care and thoughtful consideration. 

Owners Dan Goodrich and Scott Houck

According to co-owner Dan Goodrich, he enjoys working in NorthWest Crossing for several reasons: "Utilizing multiple builders to diversify the neighborhood aesthetic, while holding to unique review standards, elevates the end product. In the end, this ultimately benefits not only the home buyers, but the life span and strength of the community." 


Goodrich went on to mention that his team enjoys feeling like part of a long-term collaboration that will benefit Bend, Oregon in the future. "When we drive through this community, we can sense that it will be a great place to live now - and in 10, 20 or 30 years. You can't say that about every newly developed neighborhood in Bend, Oregon." 


He says, "We are thrilled to be a part of the growth here going forward!" And we're thrilled to have you on board. 

NWX Farmers Market Bend, Oregon Starts This Weekend! Dancing Cow Farms to Participate

We're so excited that our much-anticipated NWX Farmers Market starts this Saturday at 10am - look for the Farmers Market every Saturday through September 3. Our lineup of vendors is stellar, and this week we're spotlighting Dancing Cow Farms out of Prineville, Oregon. 

Dancing Cow Farms is owned by Jerre Kosta and Sean Dodson, who grow vegetables (mostly from organic and heritage seed) and raising rare Irish Dexter Cattle, 6-horned Jacob Sheep, Icelandic Horses, Lavender Guinea Fowl, Heritage Turkeys, Indian Runner Ducks and a variety of Heritage Chickens. Believing that healthy foods begin with healthy soils, they practice rotational grazing and planting. Their organic compost comes from the farm and they enjoy working with nature to control growth and pests. With a passion for their work, they consider it a great honor to be farmers and the stewards of the land and these animals.

While Dancing Cow is not a certified organic farm, organic is their practice. Each year they integrate more of Joel Salatin's Polyfarm methods, Bill Mollison's Permaculture design, Rudolf Steiner's biodynamic and Allan Savory's Holistic Resource Management practices. Each year the farm grows!

In rotation we multi-species graze our animals across our pastures moving them often to keep our animals and fields healthy. The cattle come first eating the best of the pasture. The sheep follow enjoying the forbs and grasses left by the cattle. The chickens are behind working the ground and enjoying the bugs, grasses and legumes as they clean up behind the grazers.

The grazer's diet is supplemented with fresh water, free-choice organic mineral and supplements, Redmond Salt and Kelp. The chicken's pasture diet is supplemented with fresh water and a feed mix of the farm's own recipe including grains, Fertrall's organic minerals and supplements, Redmond Salt and Kelp. They crack the grain and make the mix at the farm.

Jerre has sold farm fresh eggs and vegetables weekly in Bend since 2003. In 2006, Sean and Jerre helped to create the first farmer's market in Prineville.

We're excited to see what they bring to this year's NorthWest Crossing Farmers Market in Bend, Oregon! 

Event Season is Coming Up at NorthWest Crossing!

It looks like summer is finally here (knock on wood) and that means it is time to start getting geared up for the unofficial kickoff to summer in Bend, Oregon: The NorthWest Crossing Hullabaloo on Friday, June 24th! Not only that, the much-anticipated NWX Farmers Market starts the very next morning, with great fare and treasures from local vendors. 

Here are just a few of the activities for the family during the Hullabaloo:

• NWX Criterium, presented by BendBroadband and the Umpqua Bank Kids Crit. Even if you’re not a cyclist, this fast-paced race is a fun spectator sport, especially when it involves streamers, tricycles and a mad rush of little helmets and pedals.
• Music: Grammy-award winning singer/songwriter Mark Cohn and his full band will headline the Hullabaloo Mainstage, presented by The Garner Group for a truly magical musical evening, which will include such classics as “Walking In Memphis,” “Silver Thunderbird,” and the lovely “True Companion.” Cohn’s act will be preceded by the Oregon-based singer/songwriter/producer Franchot Tone, who has worked in the past with such names as Jack Johnson, Bend Harper and Michael Franti, just to name a few. Visitors will also enjoy the hip hop sounds of MOsley WOtta, a group that encourages unity through music and the celebration of human commonalities.
• Children’s activities in the Kids Zone, an art walk and food court featuring all types of delectable dining options make the Hullabaloo the perfect way to spend one of summer’s longest days. Feed your need for summer fun!

See you there!