Cornell Farm, the family-owned nursery and cafe on SW Barnes Road, is throwing a free party to mark 100 years on the same piece of land.
The Century Farm Celebration runs Saturday, Sept. 12, from 1 to 5 p.m. at 8212 SW Barnes Rd. The afternoon will feature live music, free refreshments, local history displays and baby goats, according to Cedar Mill News.
The farm announced that 2026 marks a century of continuous operation on the property. Oregon's Century Farm & Ranch Program, administered by the Oregon Farm Bureau, honors families who have worked the same land for at least 100 years.
Recognized farms receive a certificate signed by the governor and a metal road sign marking the property's historic status. More than 1,300 Oregon farms and ranches have earned the designation since the program began in 1958.
The property traces to Wilhelm Blatter, who founded Cornell Jersey Dairy near the intersection of Cornell and Barnes roads, according to the farm's history page.
Over the decades, the operation shifted from a goat dairy to strawberry fields, then to growing trees and shrubs. It eventually became a full-scale retail nursery. The farm's historic 1926 farmhouse was converted into a cafe in 2016, serving brunch fare and pastries.
Ed Blatter of Cornell Farm has deep ties to the surrounding community. In June 2023, he partnered with neighbors to clone heritage fruit tree saplings from the JQA Young House orchard on NW Cornell Road, growing the new trees at the nursery.
The nursery now grows more than 700 plant varieties in on-site greenhouses and draws tens of thousands of visitors each year, the farm said. Its views of the Tualatin Valley give it a rural feel just two miles from Washington Park.
The centennial celebration on Sept. 12 is open to the public at no cost.
Upcoming community events
- Saturday, Sept. 12, 1–5 p.m. — Cornell Farm Century Farm Celebration, 8212 SW Barnes Rd. Free admission. Live music, refreshments, local history and baby goats.
- Saturdays through Oct. 17, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. — Cedar Mill Farmers Market, NW Cornell and Murray roads. Accepts SNAP/EBT with Double Up Food Bucks matching up to $20 per day.
