“How a Hostel in the High Desert Became a Hub of a Community”
By Kristie Perry
In her early twenties, fourth-generation Oregonian Jalet Farrell lived in California for what she describes as a “hot minute.”
“I was never so homesick in my life,” she says. “It wasn’t so much that I missed family—although I did—it’s that I missed Oregon.” So much so, that when she moved back, she stopped her car right after crossing the state border and put a big scoop of dirt in a box.
“I still have that box.”
Although she spent many years living and working in the Willamette Valley, a childhood spent in Ontario and John Day meant Eastern Oregon has always occupied a special place in Farrell’s heart.
On a 2015 road trip through the high desert landscapes of her youth, Farrell experienced what she calls a Field-of-Dreams moment about opening a hostel in the tiny community of Mitchell.
One year later, Farrell and her husband did just that. Spoke’n Hostel, which caters to cyclists and other adventurers, is one of the many manifestations of Farrell’s love of rural Oregon and her dedication to promoting the place she’s called home for the past decade.
The hostel meets multiple missions. Located on the first floor of an Assemblies of God church that sits on the TransAmerica Trail, the hostel attracts international attention and tourism dollars—a real economic boost for this rural town. The church’s congregation, which almost disappeared in 2015, now meets in the basement of the dual-use building. Over the course of many months, Farrell, her husband, and teams of friends rehabbed the church themselves. The Farrells, who are members of the Assemblies of God community, serve as lay pastors. The congregation receives financial support from the hostel’s suggested-donation lodging fees of $35/night. The facility also functions as a neighborhood meeting spot.
“When my husband and I moved to Mitchell, we came with the mindset of bringing life to a community that had a solid foundation and was also ripe for change.”
Farrell learned about the hospitality industry, business management, and economic revitalization on the fly, availing herself of connections, information, and trainings from Travel Oregon, the Oregon Frontier Chamber of Commerce, and Rural Development Initiatives (RDI).
Through a fellow Chamber of Commerce member, Farrell learned about Turn Up Your Voice, a program for rural women and gender expansive community leaders presented collaboratively by RDI and PSU’s Center for Women’s Leadership (CWL).
The cohort-style program offers opportunities for participants to learn from experts in building relationships, messaging, policy process, and advocating across local and state governments. Farrell jumped at the opportunity to sharpen her entrepreneurial and civic bona fides.
From gritty discussion topics to meeting kindred spirits, the experience had a tremendous impact on Farrell. Even the smallest program details made her feel seen, heard, and understood—starting with sessions being held via Zoom before culminating in a retreat in Salem.
“Mitchell is literally in the center of the state,” she explains. “It’s an hour’s drive to the next community, so if I need to be at an in-person meeting, that means I have to leave at 4:30 in the morning and drive back in the dark. I’m a sole proprietor. I can’t just take off work.”
The conversations during those Zoom sessions went deep. Among the participants, there was an instantaneous rapport and transparency. “We skipped the platitudes of ‘Ya gotta work hard and knock on doors’ and went straight to ‘Tell me about how you did this . . . tell me about where you struggled’.”
Learning how to access resources and navigate complex political and financial obstacles was game-changing. Now when she wants to get something done for her community, she arrives at city council meetings brimming with solutions. And if she doesn’t have the answers, she can call on fellow cohort members for advice. It’s given her greater confidence. “I’ve become an expert in the room and that’s a good feeling.”
The cohort experience was not without drama. Participants found themselves caught up in the maneuvering of lawmakers when Oregon Senate Republicans staged a 6-week walk-out during the 2023 Legislative Session. Long-planned meetings with elected officials in Salem were scuttled as leaders entered negotiations to get legislators back to work. One House member did show up, however. Farrell said it was illuminating to witness the member’s frustration. It was also thrilling to be acknowledged. Coming from such a small town—Mitchell’s population is 136—Farrell sometimes feels as if her voice is a whisper that barely registers in a state of more than 4 million people. But standing shoulder to shoulder with others from rural communities in a room with an elected official who made eye contact and asked, “how can I help?” was enormous.
The same year she completed Turn Up Your Voice, Travel Oregon honored Jalet with its annual Hospitality Award for placing rural Eastern Oregon “prominently on the map of sought-after destinations for travelers seeking genuine warmth and authentic experiences.” This wasn’t her first award from Travel Oregon. Eight years earlier, Spoke’n Hostel received its Tourism Development Award, which acknowledges an innovative program, promotion, or product utilizing best practices, sustainability, and creative problem-solving.
Moving forward, Farrell and her husband will continue to organize social events for Mitchell residents and take in travelers from around the world. They are also currently working with various stakeholders to pursue appropriate protections, land swaps, and recreational development around Sutton Mountain, a spectacular ridgeline located in the John Day River Basin. The hope is that certain activities can become another source of revenue for her tiny high desert town.
As with any issue where there are competing interests, the project hasn’t been without its controversies. Reflecting on the project, along with the nation’s current political climate and economic uncertainty, Farrell credits the rural cohort with giving her tools for presenting information clearly and gently challenging the status quo.
The program was so rewarding, she says she’d do it again. “I didn’t understand what an impact women’s studies can have until I was in some small way a part of it. And now I wish it were a prerequisite for everyone.”