For Lynn and Dollie Rasmussen, 2015 will be a landmark year, but without the land.
The Rasmussens, owners of one of Hood River County’s best-known places, Rasmussen’s Farms, are selling the property that has been in the family for 70 years.
The Rasmussens, who will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Aug. 14, will place the farm for sale on March 1, and move when the 17-acre spread sells. They hold hope that someone will continue to operate the farm as it has been for 50 years. Rasmussen Farms is an agri-tourism destination on Thomsen Road in Pine Grove, famous for its Pumpkin Funland and Corn Maze attractions each fall, its summer and fall produce selection, and its flower gardens featuring one of the largest assortments of sunflowers in Oregon.
“We’ve had very kind comments from people, and I know they’ve had a good time over the years. And we’re hopeful someone else will come along and have a good time with that,” Dollie said. “We just feel its time.”
The Rasmussens will retire for good once the farm is sold, but they have not been operating the place for the past five years, since leasing it in 2010 to Patrick and Julie Milling. The lease expired this year, and the Millings opted out of the purchase option.
The Millings purchased the mail-order fruit gift pack business from the Rasmussens in 2010, and will continue operating it.
“As you might imagine, we’re not real excited about it but reality comes into play,” Dollie said. “We’re moving somewhere in Hood River, we do know that.” They will travel and spend time with their two children and grandchildren, and to continue volunteer work including Meals on Wheels and Multnomah Falls visitor center.
“We just want to run around. The more we run around the better,” she said. “It is extremely difficult. It’s more than a house. You’re selling your life is what you’re doing. It’s a little bit tricky. We’ll make it but it is tricky.”
The listing price has not been determined, but the property will sell for about $700,000, according to Dollie. That’s the land, the farmhouse, the barn and greenhouses, and associated supplies such as Pumpkin Funland props and equipment. The listing realtor is Denise McCravey at Gorge Property in Hood River.
“It’s a difficult property to price because it’s not just a piece of property, we’re trying to take everything into account,” Dollie said. “There are a lot of things we did from the farm that are not on the farm,” she said, referring to the value of flower-growing and sales. In the past 10 years, the Rasmussens developed Van Gogh Days, featuring 40-plus varieties of sunflowers, as a keystone event at the farm.
“With the greenhouses and activities, it is ideally situated for many things,” said Dollie, who also envisions the land being taken on as a Community Supported Agriculture operation, or potentially as a winery. She said the one use they will not agree to under purchase conditions is cultivation of marijuana. The Rasmussen Farms web site includes the statement from the Rasmussens:
“Since we have been retired for a while (and like it!), we have closed the farm and listed it for sale. We are cleaning up at this time and expect to be able to show the farm by appointment beginning in March. Thanks again for your support. A really big thanks to all of the past employees and suppliers of Rasmussen Farms.”
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