Nick Botner’s place is For Sale!

Notice of Sale: 125 acre Oregon farm contains the largest private collection of fruit tree and grape cultivars in the Milky Way Galaxy. 19 year old 3600 sq ft home, 5 Bedroom, 3 baths. Mostly brick siding, new roof (2010). Barn & shop buildings built 18 years ago. 10 acre orchard with 4000 apple, 500 pear, 170 plum, 150 cherry, 475 grape cultivars (more or less) plus miscellaneous fruits & berries. 2 wells, 2 intermittent streams & 2 ponds supply domestic and irrigation needs. 5 acres of wine grape planted (mostly Pinot Noir). 10 acres planted to timber, the rest in hay, pasture, woodland. Price $1,750,000.00 Contact: Nick Botner, 4015 Eagle Valley Road,

Yoncalla, OR 97499 (541)849-2781


I have had the pleasure of visiting with Nick and Carla Botner at their farm in Yoncalla. This property has been their love and life since around 1992 when they completed their home and moved in. Carla has many animals – cattle, sheep, goats, donkeys, llama, emu, chickens – I know I’ve left some out. She also keeps a huge vegetable garden. They enjoy eating and growing their own food. The gentle south facing slope accommodates the vegetable, fruit and vineyard beautifully. The soils of the Oak woodland are great for growing most plants.

Nick’s collection of fruit trees and vines is beyond imagination. It really is the biggest collection I’ve heard of and when I see that the Geneva Collection listed around 1800 apples and Nick has 4000 listed, it makes me wince at the thought of someone buying this property without caring for the collection. Nicks vineyard already produces plenty enough grapes for making his own delicious wines and there list of Nick’s is lots more room for planting more. Go to http://www.slant.com/orchard/Botner- 2010.PDF for a apples, pears, plums, cherries, and grapes.

As you enter Nick’s property you cross over one of the streams through Oak woodland, through rows of Carpathian walnuts, and up past the experimental nursery beds to the house. The Emu welcome you with that low drumming sound they make – I thought it was thunder in the distance but it was these large birds talking to me. The house is surrounded by shade trees, mostly of North American tree varieties. The diverse collection of tree species encourages the great variety of birds that I see there in the garden.

Nick and Carla’s farm is truly a magical place needing owners that appreciate the farm environment and its extensive collection of fruit cultivars. Nick does not spray for plant pest or disease problems. His orchard is tilled each spring to keep the weeds down. Health problems have kept him from maintaining the trees to the state he’d like to keep them in. Someone with enthusiasm for this collection and the energy to keep it up would have a great life here.

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