Author Archive

Sara Jane Wiltermood

Sara Jane Wiltermood

Sara has been involved with the Rogue Valley Messenger from its inception, innocently responding to a craigslist ad asking for writers back in 2012, because she figured, why not? She had received her B.A. in Journalism/Mass Communications from Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington, in 2007 and was itching to put it to good use back where she was born and raised, in Grants Pass. Little did she know that the then online paper would end up in print, or that she would find herself in the esteemed position of Associate Editor two short years later. She and her husband and daughter, Seth and Lavender, have a small farm outside Grants Pass, where they primarily raise goats and rabbits and sell their products at their farm stand, L-Mae Essentials. They aspire to add produce to their repertoire in coming years. In her spare time, she also works as a Surgery Assistant/Implant Coordinator at Associates for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Grants Pass and Medford.

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A good job. 2.5 kids. A house with a view. Retire at 65. The American dream—so five minutes ago. Today, an organic, self-sustaining farm with as many kids as you want is the new American dream, according to Dave Salch of Little Sprouts Farm. Little Sprouts produces turkey, chicken, lamb

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Breathtaking views of nature, relaxing music and excellent cinematography—now, that’s when film becomes art. Former Oregon State Senator Jason A. Atkinson and documentary filmmaker J. Martin teamed up to create a film that doesn’t just take the viewer down the Klamath River; you are immersed in its life. So much

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We’ve all seen it. Every Christmas. Without fail. But on stage? Intriguing. Barnstormers Theatre hails the Christmas season in proper A Christmas Story style on December 4. The beloved tale of Ralphie, Randy and family and their crazy Christmas antics make families across America feel downright normal, and over the

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These two local chefs know how to put a serious holiday feast on the table. So, whether or not you have already set the menu for your Christmas, consider what the experts have in mind. Not sure you can pull it off? Go the easy route and eat at one

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Admit it. We all have too much stuff. And not enough time. Yet, things still need to get done. That is why this Christmas, The Messenger suggests services for all your friends and loved ones. And, let’s keep it local. For even the most challenging individual on your list (cough, Aunt

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An innocent mention of the health benefits of pumpkin seed oil by Dr. Oz on his TV show in 2013 led local Seed Oil Company’s owner Lisa Doyle to believe a mistake had been made. “I thought something was wrong with our email or someone was playing a trick on

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As he comes out of the paint booth, you can hear the smile on Keith Anderson’s face. “It came out great,” he beams. “It was a vintage restoration of a ’74 Jim Merz road bike in pearl white. That is one of my least favorite to paint because everything shows

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Jack King spins his two rods, L-shaped and about two feet long, made out of coat hangers, around in his hands around his head like lassos as he steps across the property line. He asks questions about where other wells in the area are located and how deep they are.

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Last July, Messenger writer Ryan Forsythe appeared as an extra in the locally made and set film Black Road, which premiered in Beverly Hills on October 14. Through rain, wind and technical difficulties, he did his due diligence as an end-of-the-world-hippie-zombie of sorts, And now Black Road is complete, and

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It ain’t easy being a bee. Since “Colony Collapse Disorder” was diagnosed in 2006, the bee community has been frantically searching for the cause—and solutions. But more problems have arisen for the fuzzy fliers, from fungus to mites to parasites. Fortunately, bees have plenty of allies, and this year’s Honey