(First airdate: June 18, 2019) Our Town host Maryanne McNellis interviews Dick Schneider, who runs the Orchid Recovery Program out at Raincoast Farms. A lifetime ago Dick was a venture capitalist in Silicon Valley. He relocated to the Olympic Peninsula to retire. But life in the slow lane didn’t sit well with a guy used to excitement. His interest in the food chain led to starting Raincoast Farms. It’s an experimental farm designed to help farmers increase their yield and quality. Farmers all through the region came to rely on him to guide them to raise fabulous fruit. The farm expanded beyond tomatoes, of course. Somehow someone asked him to save an orchid that was clearly on its last legs. He then became entranced with the tropical flower. One thing led to another and now, with two greenhouses full of orchids, he donates orchids to a wide range of charities such as hospice, the Dove House, and even individuals recovering from surgery or disease.
