Colorado Country Life September 2019 Grand Valley

GRAND VALLEY POWER

SEPTEMBER 2019

The Heart of the

Pueblo Chile PLUS LIGHTS FOR GUATEMALA

14

MILKWEEDS FOR MONARCHS

20

CHILE PEPPER PICKS

30

Together, we are planting the seeds of progress. Learn more about how your local electric cooperative is leading the way to a smart, efficient and responsible energy future.

Volume 50

Number 09

September 2019 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE COLORADO RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION COMMUNICATIONS STAFF Mona Neeley, CCC, Publisher/Editor mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org Cassi Gloe, CCC, Production Manager/Designer cgloe@coloradocountrylife.org Kylee Coleman, Editorial/Admin. Assistant kcoleman@coloradocountrylife.org ADVERTISING Kris Wendtland, Ad Representative advertising@coloradocountrylife.org | 303-902-7276 National Advertising Representative, American MainStreet Publications 611 S. Congress Street, Suite 504, Austin, TX 78704 | 800-626-1181 Advertising Standards: Publication of an advertisement in Colorado Country Life does not imply endorsement by any Colorado rural electric cooperative or the Colorado Rural Electric Association.

Colorado Country Life (USPS 469-400/ISSN 1090-2503) is published monthly by Colorado Rural Electric Association, 5400 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216-1731. Periodical postage paid at Denver, Colorado. ©Copyright 2019, Colorado Rural Electric Association. Call for reprint rights.

EDITORIAL Denver Corporate Office, 5400 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216 mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org | 303-455-4111 coloradocountrylife.coop | facebook.com/COCountryLife Pinterest.com/COCountryLife | Instagram.com/cocountrylife Twitter.com/COCountryLife | YouTube.com/COCountryLife1 Editorial opinions published in Colorado Country Life magazine shall pertain to issues affecting rural electric cooperatives, rural communities and citizens. The opinion of CREA is not necessarily that of any particular cooperative or individual.

SUBSCRIBERS Report change of address to your local cooperative. Do not send change of address to Colorado Country Life. Cost of subscription for members of participating electric cooperatives is $4.44 per year (37 cents per month), paid from equity accruing to the member. For nonmembers, a subscription is $9 per year in-state/$15 out-of-state.

POSTMASTER Send address changes to Colorado Country Life, 5400 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216

On the SEPTEMBER 2019

The Heart of the

Pueblo Chile PLUS LIGHTS FOR GUATEMALA

14

MILKWEEDS FOR MONARCHS

20

CHILE PEPPER PICKS

30

Cover Dr. Michael Bartolo shows off the Pueblo chile he developed at the Rocky Ford research center. Photo by Dave Neligh.

coloradocountrylife.coop

“Lake Cristobal” by Kerry Howard, a consumer-member of La Plata Electric Association.

4 GUEST VIEWPOINT

5 LETTERS

6 ASK THE ENERGY EXPERT

7 YOUR CO-OP NEWS

12 RECIPES

14 NEWS CLIPS

16 COVER STORY

PINTEREST SNEAK PEEK COCountryLife pinned: The Real Dill shared its Bloody Mary Pulled Chicken Nachos. Head to the store and get yourself a bottle of The Real Dill Green Chile Hot Sauce and give this recipe a try.

THE HEART OF PUEBLO CHILE

20 INDUSTRY 22 GARDENING

24 OUTDOORS

26 MARKETPLACE

28 COMMUNITY EVENTS

29 YOUR STORIES

30 DISCOVERIES

FACEBOOK CHATTER Colorado Rural Electric Association shared: CREA is proud to be one of the sponsors for this #electriccar that placed 3rd in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb earlier this month. We enjoyed being part of today’s celebration of the team’s accomplishments.

Monthly Contest Enter for your chance to win one of three bottles of The Real Dill Green Chile Hot Sauce featured in our recipes this month. For official rules and how to enter, visit our contest page at coloradocountrylife.coop.

INSTAGRAM PIC of the month cocountrylife: Thinking about stand up paddle boarding here in #colorado? Learn more about it in #coloradocountrylife. Click on the link in our bio. #sup #paddleboarding COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE SEPTEMBER 2019

3

GUEST VIEWPOINT

A RESPONSIBLE ENERGY PLAN

There’s no better time or place to be a member of an electric co-op

BY DUANE HIGHLEY CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER TRI-STATE GENER ATION AND TR ANSMISSION ASSOCIATION

S

ince 1985, my family has come to Colorado to rest, recharge and rediscover one another. The rugged landscapes and rugged people inspired us, and over the years it came to feel like home.

And now it is.

As Tri-State G eneration and Transmission Association’s chief executive officer since April of this year, I am proud to finally call Colorado home. As an engineering intern beginning my career at a Missouri cooperative in the 1980s, I never imagined I would have the privilege of working in the great Western states of Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska and New Mexico that Tri-State serves as a power supplier.

There’s no better time to be a member of an electric co-op, and no better place to be than here in the West. The rapidly changing electric utility industry and vibrant not-forprofit cooperative business model are creating opportunities to better support the communities we serve.

Tri-State’s board of directors, which represents each of our members’ co-ops, recognizes this and refined our mission statement recently. The core of our mission remains the same, but we’re simplifying and clarifying our focus. Tri-State’s mission is to provide our member systems a reliable, affordable and responsible supply of electricity in accordance with cooperative principles.

The words reliable, affordable and responsible are important. Reliability of

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE SEPTEMBER 2019

electric service remains our first priority, followed closely by the affordability of power. We’ve added the word “responsible,” and while this is not a new concept for co-ops, we want to highlight the importance of being responsible to our members, our employees and our environment.

In the spirit of our mission, our board of directors also has directed the development of our Responsible Energy Plan. The plan will detail how Tri-State will be an increasingly clean and flexible power provider and will set goals and pathways to comply with state regulatory requirements.

Our plan will ensure the reliability and affordability of Tri-State’s wholesale power system and, importantly, strive to lower our wholesale rates to members while maintaining Tri-State’s strong financial position.

We’re off to a strong start. Today, nearly a third of the energy consumed by our members is from emission-free renewables. Tri-State’s wholesale rates are stable and we continue to refund capital credits to our members.

As a co-op, we’re working closely with our member co-ops to ensure the Responsible Energy Plan benefits each and every consumer-member. Former Gov. Bill Ritter and the Center for the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University are helping us engage stakeholders who have an interest in making our transition a success.

We’ve already taken meaningful actions and will have more specifics about the Responsible Energy Plan as it’s developed

DUANE HIGHLEY in the coming months. Right now, we’re reviewing new renewable energy projects and, earlier this year, we announced two projects that will increase our wind and solar power by 45%.

Importantly, a contract committee of our membership is reviewing how Tri-State can offer more flexible contract options for our members who would like to generate more renewable power locally.

We will comply with new carbon reduction and resource planning requirements passed by the Colorado legislature this year, and we have taken steps to ensure our wholesale rates are applied equally for all of our members by seeking federal rate regulation.

The Responsible Energy Plan also will help us understand the impact on our existing facilities and employees. We know there will be change, and we are committed to working with our employees and communities through these transitions.

The changes ahead create opportunities to serve our members reliably, affordably and ever more responsibly within our proven cooperative business model, and working together with our members, I know we will inspire a bright future.

Duane Highley became CEO of Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association in April. Tri-State, a member of the Colorado Rural Electric Association, supplies electric power to 18 of Colorado’s 22 distribution cooperatives, as well as 25 other electric co-ops in Wyoming, New Mexico and Nebraska.

LETTERS

FROM THE EDITOR

Bidding for fair support at livestock sale

BY MONA NEELEY

D

EDITOR

id you make it to the Colorado State Fair this year? I get to go every year in support of the Junior Livestock Sale, which is sponsored by Colorado’s electric cooperatives. Two of us on the Colorado Country Life staff also belong to a buyers group for the sale. That adds to the fun and excitement of the day.

A few years ago, we joined the Fair Ladies group because of its focus at the sale. Based in Pueblo, but open to women statewide, the Fair Ladies members go to the Junior Livestock Sale each year specifically to spread the wealth. The women use the money they raised through dues and fundraising events to make sure each of the

MONA NEELEY young men and women selling prize-winning livestock receive a fair price for their animals — thus the name “Fair” Ladies.

And that’s just what they did on Tuesday, August 27. The Fair Ladies made sure each animal sold for a respectable amount of money and they used their bidding prowess to push other bids higher. It was the culmination of the group’s focus for the last six months. And, it was a lot of fun.

Mona Neeley is the statewide editor of Colorado Country Life, which is published in coordination with your local electric cooperative. Its goal is to provide information from your local electric co-op to you, its consumer-members.

Morton_CoCountryLife_9.19.qxp_Layout 1 8/3/19 11:13 AM Page 1

BE THE ENVY OF YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Books for Rural Shelves

Thank you for the books donated to the Walsh Public Library. New books are always welcome and much enjoyed. Thank you, also, to the two young men from Southeast Colorado Power who delivered the books.

Janice Hubbard, Walsh librarian

Time for Negotiating Passed

I disagree with Kent Singer’s article (June ’19) about House Bill 19-1261 and the legislative process. The time for negotiating with power companies regarding greenhouse gas emissions has come and gone. If the companies had been serious about climate change problems, the programs outlined in the bill would already be in effect. The time to act was yesterday, not some nebulous time in the future.

Anne Bowler, Cortez Empire Electric consumer-member

Applause for Guatemala Project

I was happy to read that the Colorado-Oklahoma international team is returning to Guatemala to bring electricity to another remote village. I visited Guatemala in 1973.

It was easy to see the difference between the remote villages and the well-developed small towns in eastern Colorado, which have the conveniences of modern living. That was over 40 years ago and those Guatemalans still do not have modern conveniences. I commend Colorado’s electric co-ops for this worthwhile endeavor.

Helen Morrison, Limon Mountain View Electric consumer-member

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I am an electrical engineer and I generally support electric vehicles. The advertisement in the June issue suggests readers “Drive Electric” with a quote from “Fleet Carma.” The photo is a bit misleading. Honestly advertising pros and cons of the technology would work better than exaggerating the merits of EVs by showing someone casually recharging a Bolt as if she is filling her gas tank at a five-minute stop at the gas station.

Rich Niederhauser, Steamboat Springs Yampa Valley Electric consumer-member

SEND US YOUR LETTERS Editor Mona Neeley at 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216 or at mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org.

Letters may be edited for length.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE SEPTEMBER 2019

5

ASK THE ENERGY EXPERT

2020

PHOTO CONTEST SIMPLY COLORADO

Enter online today

coloradocountrylife.coop Categories: • Landscapes Year Round • Outdoor Activities • Wildlife • Sunrise, Sunset And NEW THIS YEAR: CCL Cover Contest

1st place – $175 2nd place – $75 3rd place – $50 Cover winner – $175 Contest rules:

• Photographer must be a member of a Colorado electric co-op.

• Photographer may enter up to 2 photos per category.

• Photos must be taken in Colorado.

• If people appear in the photo, it is the photographer’s responsibility to have the subject’s permission to enter his or her image in the contest.

• Photos must have been taken by you.

• By entering the contest, photographers give Colorado Country Life permission to publish the winning images in print and digital publications, to social media and on websites.

• Read the full list of official rules and requirements and enter online at coloradocountrylife.coop.

Deadline: December 15, 2019

Winners will be published in the April 2020 issue.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE SEPTEMBER 2019

Insulating for Comfort and Savings

Understanding insulation to help you prepare your home for winter

BY PAT KEEGAN AND BR AD THIESSEN

W

inter is just around the corner and if your home feels cold and your heating bills keep mounting, there’s a good chance you could benefit by adding more insulation. There are many types of insulation, but the three most common types in residential buildings are batt, loose-fill and rigid.

All insulation is measured by its R-value — a higher R-value is more effective. The amount of R-value you need depends on your climate and where the insulation is being added in your home.

If your attic is unfinished, solutions will be simpler and more cost effective. Inspect your unfinished attic, but be cautious.

Loose-fill insulation in older homes may have harmful asbestos that you absolutely do not want to disturb. It’s probably best to just poke your head in enough to look around, since it’s easy to damage wiring or ducts, or step through the ceiling.

The attic will likely have loose-fill insulation or batts on the floor. Look carefully to see if the insulation is spread evenly with no gaps or voids. To determine whether there is enough insulation, you can start by researching the recommended amount for your climate. After measuring the depth of the insulation, you can calculate the R-value. Different types of insulation have different R-values per inch. If your attic

insulation is far short of the recommended levels, have a professional add enough to reach that suggested level.

Many homes built before 1980 have little or no wall insulation, and even newer homes may lack proper insulation. You might be able to see if the walls are insulated by carefully removing an outlet cover.

The most common technique for adding insulation to walls is to have it blown in through holes drilled from inside or outside the home. These holes can be easily patched. An alternative, if the house is being re-sided, is to add rigid insulation to the exterior, underneath the new siding.

Finally, if your floor gets cold in winter and you have a crawl space, you can install batt insulation between the floor joists. If your home is built on a concrete slab, rigid foam can be installed around the perimeter.

Contact the energy experts at your local electric co-op for more information about insulation solutions.

This column was co-written by Pat Keegan and Brad Thiessen of Collaborative Efficiency.

LEARN MORE ONLINE Visit coloradocountrylife.coop to find tips on how to prep your home for winter to help you save on your energy costs. Look under the Energy tab.

YOUR CO-OP NEWS

BRINGING BACK HOMETOWN

BY CHRISTMAS WHARTON

T

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

he 2019 Annual Meeting of Members was held on August 8, with over 400 members and guests joining Grand Valley Power employees and board members.

At the annual meeting, there were member gifts including a cargo tote, cowboy koozie and locally-made Enstrom’s Candies to top it off. In addition, members had the opportunity to learn more about SmartHub, Grand Valley Power’s portal to all-things electric.

Members were introduced to many benefits of SmartHub including, bill payment, auto-pay, easy service requests, daily usage history and outage reporting. In addition, they learned about new programs and services on the way, including outage alerts via text and email.

The evening kicked off with live entertainment by Fruita’s own Peggy Malone.

Peggy was inducted in the Colorado County Music Hall of Fame in 2006 and received its People’s Choice Award in 2012. She’s been traveling and singing since the ’70s and we were lucky to have her join us for the evening.

She’s a busy woman. If you haven’t heard her tune, “Armadillo,” search Google for it and you’ll be in for a treat.

Shortly after the entertainment, Tom Walch, chief executive officer of Grand Valley Power and Rod Martinez, board president of Grand Valley Power, welcomed the 400 attendees to the western inspired meal complete with bourbon pecan pie and s’mores cake. Special guest Anne Djokic opened with an invocation. Anne joined us from the Collbran Congregational Church where she is the pastor for our Collbran community. In addition, Izzy Mease, who was our Youth Tour student this year, sang the national anthem proudly in an a cappella rendition.

Walch and Martinez then went into the business report, highlighting our mission and detailing 2018 accomplishments. Walch pointed out that the cooperative team has identified several foundational principles that keep us on track. The first of these principles include:

The 2019 Grand Valley Power scholarship recipients join Tom Walch (left), chief executive officer of Grand Valley Power, and Rod Martinez (right), president of the board of directors of Grand Valley Power, at the annual meeting. Recipients were (left to right): top row – Jace Sinks; Wyatt Bramwell; Jeron Walck. bottom row – Makayla Moran; Peiten Barton; TyLee Brown; Kassidy Wilkerson; and Kia Holton.

CHRISTMAS WHARTON

1. We strive to do the right thing holding true to our values and principles. Each year, we invest time, talent and dollars toward numerous community programs and community initiatives, such as the Eureka! McConnell and Science Center, HopeWest HopeBlooms and the Grand Junction Economic Partnership. We contribute to all our communities to ensure our hometown roots remain for years to come. In addition, we’re ensuring our members also retain their capital credits. This year, our CashBack credits to members topped $1 million. In addition, with our announcement of our 60% clean energy target by 2030, Grand Valley Power remains a leading cooperative in the state and across the country.

2. We seek to find new and better ways to serve our members and communities. Walch introduced a video illustrating how we’re achieving this company-wide. First, the equipment upgrade of enhanced meters is underway with over 10,000 meters installed to date across Mesa County. We’re past the halfway point on this project and intend to finish installation by early 2020. In addition, because of the new meters, new features will be available soon such as outage alerts via text or email, prepaid program and hourly

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE SEPTEMBER 2019

7

YOUR CO-OP NEWS

Jack Broughton (left) awards the Jack Broughton – Colorado Mesa University Scholarship to TyLee Brown (right). The scholarship is $2,000 and renewable for up to four years.

Jeron Walck, Grand Valley Power scholarship recipient (left), and Christmas Wharton, Grand Valley Power communications specialist (right), interact with the guests and ride on stick horses during Peggy Malone’s performance.

usage information which can help consumers save energy and money.

3. We are dedicated to delivering value to all we serve. Margins exceeded budget projections, topping $2.1 million. We closed the year with a healthy 35% distribution equity level, even with rapid growth of our utility plant. Service reliability measured by average outage minutes and service availability ranked among the leaders among cooperatives in the state of Colorado and across

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE SEPTEMBER 2019

Grand Valley Power members were asked to join in on the fun this year during Peggy Malone’s performance.

the nation. We continue to provide “five-star” customer service, with 92% of consumers responding to customer contact follow-up surveys rating Grand Valley Power employees five on a five-point scale. Digging into those survey responses a little deeper, 99% of those surveyed ranked us with 4 or 5 stars. Only 3 respondents – out of 446 — gave our employees less than 4 stars. Best of all, rates have remained stable — GVP rates are significantly below the average of other Colorado cooperatives.

One of the most important things we achieved during the meeting is conducting the director election. We don’t have an election every year, so when we do, I enjoy watching our members take part in what the cooperative business model is all about. We are led by consumers like you. Not only are all directors Grand Valley Power members, but they are also elected by the membership. This year, three board seats were open and four members petitioned to run: Rod Martinez, Nina Anderson, Sylvia Spangler and Carolyn Sandeen-Hall. Grand Valley Power members were invited to elect their fellow peers to be on the board and to lead GVP into the future.

Gregg Kampf, GVP’s general counsel and shareholder of Hoskin, Farina and Kampf, read the biography of each and the polls were officially closed. Election results are listed in this magazine on page 10.

To round out the evening, we held a raffle with some major prizes, including 20 pounds of pork and 10 solar panels’ worth of energy for a full year (estimated $500 value). Our raffles are always very popular. We ended the business meeting and thanked our special guests that attended. Some of our special guests were Rep. Janice Rich; Rep. Matt Soper; and Mesa County Commissioner John Justman.

We thank our members for joining us for an evening to connect with our community — our hometown. We enjoyed the conversations with many of you and the annual meeting is something we all look forward to each year. For members who could not join, we hope you consider attending in the future.

We sure did miss y’all!

COMMENTS TO THE CEO You are a member of a cooperative and your opinion does count. If you have any questions, concerns or comments, please let CEO Tom Walch know by writing to Ask the CEO, P.O. Box 190, Grand Junction, CO 81502, or send an email to me at twalch@ gvp.org. Check out the website at gvp.org.

BOARD MEETING NOTICE Grand Valley Power board meetings are open to the members, consumers and public. Regularly scheduled board meetings are held at 9 a.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at the headquarters building located at 845 22 Road, Grand Junction.

The monthly agenda is posted in the lobby of the headquarters building 10 days before each meeting, and posted on the GVP website. If anyone desires to address the board of directors, please let us know in advance and you will be placed on the agenda.

YOUR CO-OP NEWS

Operation Interdependence JOIN US IN GIVING BACK THIS SEPTEMBER GATHER.

DONATE.

SHARE.

RED Friday at Edgewater Brewery

Help By Donating Care Package Items

Write A Letter To Active Military

Donate and drop off these items to the GVP office location anytime through the month of September.

Drop off a handwritten or typed letter at the Grand Valley Power office. We'll ensure that we include it in a care package being delivered to armed forces overseas.

Join Grand Valley Power employees and board of directors with hosts B.L. Realty, Veterans Encompass, & Kids for Vets.

Silent Auction Veteran Recognition Live Music Drink Specials Friday, September 27 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Edgewater Brewery 905 Struthers Ave., Grand Junction, CO

Powdered drink mixes Single serve peanuts or mixed nuts Single serve sunflower seeds Single pouch size of tuna Single serve fruit snacks Slim Jim’s Single serve instant coffee Instant oatmeal Candy (must be sealed, not twist tied)

Letters must be able to fit inside a 12x12 box and cannot contain glitter or pictures.

Drop off location: Grand Valley Power 845 22 Road Grand Junction, CO 81505

For more details about any of these events and a larger list of donated items needed, visit our website at gvp.org/hometown-partnerships.

Operation Community Focused

BY CHRISTMAS WHARTON

T

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

here’s something that drives Grand Valley Power employees and board members to dedicate time, dollars and resources to our community each year.

I like to think of it as the cooperative spirit.

The definition of cooperative is “involving mutual assistance when working toward a common goal.” You could also say cooperative means collaborative, joint and allied.

Each of us at GVP has this driven quality in us, and we often collaborate and work toward common goals for our community’s benefit. This year, our employees chose Operation Interdependence as our community focused project. If you don’t know, Operation Interdependence is a nationwide 501(c)(3), that provides military care packages and support to active military members overseas and to veterans at home. The local chapter is run here in Grand Junction, Colorado, by President Karon Carley. Each month, she sends over

100 boxes full of goodies and handwritten notes to active military. “Sometimes, this is the only thing they receive, so it’s important for them to know that people are grateful and thinking about them at home,” Carley said. Postage is about $19 per box, so it really adds up. All funds and items received go toward postage, boxes and materials. A part of our culture at GVP is extremely patriotic.

Each month at our board meeting, we stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance. At each annual meeting we host, we say the pledge and sing the national anthem together. Each year, we celebrate our veteran employees

and recognize them — together as an organization. So, I knew there was going to be a heavy interest in supporting Operation Interdependence.

This September, we ask our members to get involved as well. We need your help and you can participate in a number of ways. We’ve provided a calendar of events (above) and we hope that you can join in on honoring and recognizing our veterans near and far. For more information, visit gvp.com/hometown-partnerships. We hope to see you there!

Offices will be closed

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 in observance of Labor Day COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE SEPTEMBER 2019

9

YOUR CO-OP NEWS

Prepare Your Grab Bag Before Disaster Strikes

BY DANA POGAR

I

COMMUNICATIONS INTERN

magine waking up on a Saturday morning with clear skies and a light breeze. The weather forecast shows a small chance of afternoon showers, but it’s a beautiful day. A few hours later you notice that clouds begin to roll in with a darkening sky.

FLASH! BOOM! Suddenly you are caught in the middle of a severe thunderstorm and possible flash flood located in your area.

What do you do now?

September is National Preparedness Month, which reminds us that emergencies can happen at any time. The best time to prepare is before disaster strikes. Start with an emergency kit, or “grab bag,” for your family.

There is no standard emergency kit that works for every situation, which is why it’s important to prepare for your individual needs. Every household should contain a basic emergency kit that acts as a “grab bag” during crisis situations. The Department of Homeland Security suggests that every emergency kit contain water, non-perishable food and supplies to last a minimum of 72 hours. Consider packing prescription medications, a tool kit to turn off utilities and copies of important family documents, such as insurance policies, birth certificates and banking information. Don’t forget to store all personal documents in a sealed, waterproof container.

Each emergency kit should be tailored for the specific needs of your family. If you are a pet owner, be sure to store at least three days’ worth of pet food in a cool, dry place.

If your family includes a senior citizen or infant, it would be beneficial to pack a 7-day supply of medications or baby formula as needed.

Grand Valley Power has even more information on how to prepare for emergencies. We have a lot of material to help you get started, so visit gvp.org/safe-homes.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE SEPTEMBER 2019

ARE YOU READY?

National Preparedness Month LIGHTER & MATCHES

CHANGE OF CLOTHES

CELL PHONE OR RADIO

MULTIPURPOSE TOOL

BOTTLED WATER

BACKPACK

PET SUPPLIES

PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION, INSURANCE POLICIES & CASH

SUNSCREEN & BUG SPRAY

FLASHLIGHT OR LANTERN & BATTERIES FIRST AID KIT, MEDICATIONS & MEDICAL RECORDS

JUMPER CABLES & GASOLINE

NON-PERISHABLE FOODS

Director Election Results Are In! Grand Valley Power members elected three members to the board for three-year terms on August 8, 2019. Three positions were available with four candidates running for this year’s election. Incumbents Rod Martinez, Sylvia Spangler and Carolyn Sandeen-Hall were re-elected to the seats.

The results of the ballot count for the 2019 board of directors election as tallied by Chadwick, Steinkirchner, Davis & Co., P.C. were: Rod Martinez 1,224 votes Carolyn Sandeen-Hall 1,118 votes 1,088 votes Sylvia Spangler Nina Anderson 1,078 votes Thank you to all the members who voted.

Rod Martinez

Carolyn Sandeen-Hall

Sylvia Spangler

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RECIPES

Pick a Peck of Pueblo Peppers Use these recipes to heat up a new Colorado chile pepper obsession

BY AMY HIGGINS

DO YOU HAVE A GREAT RECIPE? If you have a recipe you want us to try, send it our way to recipes@coloradocountrylife.org.

| RECIPES@COLOR ADOCOUNTRYLIFE.ORG

A chile sauce with subtle heat that’s not too hot to handle.

I

n 2015, Colorado company The Real Dill packaged Pueblo Chile Chips as a limited seasonal offering. With the leftover green chiles the company created a hot sauce to give away, but the amount of enthusiastic feedback it received prompted it to add Green Chile Hot Sauce permanently to its existing line and it is now a top seller. Featuring Pueblo green chiles and beer from Denver-based Baere Brewing Co., the chile sauce adds brilliant flavor and subtle heat to almost anything you can sink your teeth into. Get yourself a bottle and find out what all the buzz is about with this killer queso.

Green Chile Queso 3 jalapeños 4 teaspoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons water 2 12-ounces cans evaporated milk 24 ounces of cheese (we used 16-ounces of sharp cheddar and 8-ounces of Mexican style blend) Salt (to taste) 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 1 /2-1 cup The Real Dill Green Chile Hot Sauce (depending on spice preference) cilantro (to taste) Cut jalapeños in half and remove seeds and veins. Roast on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until soft. Once cooled, mince. In a small cup, mix together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water until smooth. Over medium heat, heat the evaporated milk in a cast iron skillet until hot, but not boiling. Whisk in cornstarch, cheese mixture, salt (to taste), smoked paprika and Green Chile Hot Sauce until smooth. Cook for 2-5 minutes or until the cheese is thick. Whisk frequently to avoid the ingredients sticking to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and add in roasted jalapeños. Garnish with cilantro and serve with tortilla chips.

Looking to add some flavor to sandwiches or grilled meats?

Then you should try the

WHERE TO BUY The Real Dill’s production facility is in Denver, but its products are not sold there. Find Green Chile Hot Sauce at an array of stores all over Colorado or at therealdill.com.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE SEPTEMBER 2019

Creamy Green Chile Hot Sauce Aioli.

Get the recipe at coloradocountrylife.coop.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE SEPTEMBER 2019

13

NEWS CLIPS

Upcoming Summit Focuses on Current Innovation

W

hat’s new in the electric industry as it moves to a cleaner, sustainable energy future is on the agenda for the Colorado Rural Electric Association’s annual Energy Innovations Summit October 28. Held at the Grand Hyatt Denver Hotel at 1750 Welton St., the day-long conference will include well-known speakers and panels of industry leaders all talking about energy.

Among those speakers is Michael Shellenberger, founder and president of

Environmental Progress, who is known as a “climate guru” and was named TIME magazine’s “Hero of the Environment.” An environmental and social justice advocate for over 25 years, he regularly contributes to Forbes, The New York Times and The

Washington Post, as well as giving TED talks. CREA’s Summit is an opportunity for Coloradans to hear him.

Other topics planned for the day include panels on net zero carbon emissions, micro grids, energy storage such as batteries and carbon capture and storage. There will also be a vendor fair introducing attendees to innovative equipment and software. Registration is open to everyone

interested in these topics. Visit crea.coop and click on the registration box.

Magazine Wins National Recognition Colorado Country Life magazine won three national awards at the August National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association Statewide Editors Association annual summer meeting in Alabama.

Competing with 32 other electric cooperative statewide magazines, CCL won two first place awards and one award of merit.

The magazine won first place in the Best Editorial category for the February 2019 Viewpoint column by Colorado Rural Electric Association Executive Director Kent Singer. In the column, Singer noted that a New York Times look at rural America lacked a rural perspective. CCL also won first place in the Best Photo category for a photo in the April 2019 issue by Chris Coleman of Merino sculptor Bradford Rhea’s workshop.

Magazine Production Manager and Designer Cassi Gloe also won a Best Cover Award of Merit for the February 2019 cover of a dirt bike rider with a prosthetic leg.

Colorado Team Lighting Up Guatemala A crew of 23 lineworkers from Colorado and Oklahoma left for Central America August 24 to spend almost three weeks wiring the primitive village of Sillab in northeastern Guatemala for electricity. Crews have been working in the heat, humidity and rain to string the power line and ready individual homes, schools and community buildings for electricity. The village, including the giggling boys pictured here, is set to celebrate their work Tuesday, September 10 with a “lights on” ceremony.

Follow the last days of work on the project on Facebook at Facebook.com/ColoradoREA.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE SEPTEMBER 2019

NEWS CLIPS

Another Year of Youth Leadership Camp Thanks to the counselors (above) who made another successful year of Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp possible. July 13-18, about 100 high schoolers from Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas and Oklahoma gathered at Glen Eden Resort north of Steamboat Springs for a week of learning and fun, thanks to their local electric cooperatives. Posing with a bald eagle from presenter HawkQuest are (clockwise from top left) Armando Alvarez, Kansas; Sam Taggert, Tri-State Generation and Transmission; Zach Kinder, United Power; videographer Ross Godwin; Megan Morse, Mountain View Electric; Andy Molt, Y-W Electric; Jessica Johnson, Poudre Valley REA; Denise Moore, Empire Electric; Kitty Sweaney, Kansas; Missy Beigler, Wyoming; Liz Fiddes and Chelsea Eichhorn, Colorado Rural Electric Association. Missing are counselors Shana Reed and Gary Garcia, Kansas.

SPONSOR THOSE PEDALING THE PLAINS Coloradans who have trouble paying their winter heating bills will benefit from the Colorado electric co-op bicycle team’s annual Pedal the Plains tour of eastern Colorado September 13-15. The team is raising support for Energy Outreach Colorado, a non-profit dedicated to helping struggling Coloradans with heat assistance, and you can help.

The electric co-ops’ team will join about 750 other bicyclists riding 165 miles, from Lamar to Holly to Springfield, for this 8th annual event. Designed to bring attention to the eastern half of Colorado, the ride includes well-placed stops along the route that educate urban riders about life on Colorado’s plains. There are also opportunities to enjoy the communities and lifestyle of the Centennial State’s rural areas.

Organizations supporting the team and its mission for EOC are the Colorado Rural Electric Association, Colorado Country

Life, Touchstone Energy, Gunnison County Electric, Highline Electric, Holy Cross Energy, K.C. Electric, Intermountain REA, Morgan County REA, Mountain View Electric, Poudre Valley REA, Southeast Colorado Power, United Power, White River Electric and Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie, LLP. Readers are also invited to support the team by sending a check made out to CEEI to CEEI/PTP, 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216. Or visit poweringtheplains.coop and donate online.

SAFE ON A BUS Clint Shults, a White River Electric member, was driving a school bus when it got caught in downed power lines.

Would you know what to do?

Visit coloradocountrylife.coop and look under Safety Tips.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE SEPTEMBER 2019

15

COVER STORY

The Heart of the

Pueblo Chile

BY GAYLE GRESHAM

P

ueblo chile or Hatch chile? The debate heated up over the summer when Colorado Governor Jared Polis called Hatch chile from New Mexico inferior to Pueblo chile. This came after grocer Whole Foods Market announced that Pueblo chile would be sold exclusively in its Colorado, Idaho, Kansas and Utah stores.

Dr. Michael Bartolo, the man who developed the Pueblo chile, is thrilled with the Whole Foods opportunity for the Pueblo chile farmers. But the idea of Hatch chile being inferior to Pueblo chile? He shakes his head and says, “They are comparing apples and oranges. But it stimulates pride in the Pueblo chile. It’s more than a crop to the growers and the community. It is a cultural tradition.

“The Pueblo chile and the Hatch chile are two completely different varieties of chile peppers,” explains the man who chooses to be the voice of the unbiased. “The Hatch chile is the milder, long, green Anaheim chile. The Pueblo chile or the ‘Mosco’ has a different flavor from the Hatch chile. It tends to have thicker walls, which make it more amenable to roasting, and it has a little more heat. It really comes down to personal preference and how you use it.”

Bartolo is the senior research scientist and extension vegetable crops specialist at the Colorado State University Arkansas Valley Research Center in Rocky Ford. A Pueblo native, Bartolo grew up on a small farm. His

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE SEPTEMBER 2019

father did some farming while working other jobs and his uncle, Harry Mosco, raised Mira Sol chile and other produce on a larger farm next door. When it was time to go to college, CSU made sense to him. “I enjoyed agriculture and science. CSU was a natural place to develop those interests and gave me the latitude to try new things,” he says.

After graduating from CSU with a master’s degree, Bartolo obtained his PhD in plant physiology in 1990 from the University of Minnesota. Returning to Colorado, he began working for CSU at the research center in Rocky Ford in Southeast Colorado Power Association’s co-op service territory, which

put him in the right place at the right time when a sack of Mira Sol chile seed was given to him.

“Traditionally, a lot of the farmers in the Pueblo area saved their own seed,” Bartolo says. “My Uncle Harry saved his Mira Sol chile seed every year. After Uncle Harry passed away in 1988, my dad helped his sister, Aunt Helen, clean out the garage and found this sack of seed that he gave to me. I had just started working for CSU in Rocky Ford and decided to plant some of the seed in the test plot because I had a couple of extra rows,” Bartolo says with a laugh.

After several years of planting his uncle’s chile seed, Bartolo noticed a unique plant in 1994. “It was a little bigger, a little thicker, but it still had the general characteristics of the Mira Sol. Perhaps it was outcrossed or a bit of a mutation? I saved the seed from that individual plant and used single-plant selection over the next three or four years by growing out a population and selecting the best single plant out of the population and planting its seed the next year. Then I knew I had something different, something unique and stable.

And that is the origin of the Mosco.”

Dr. Michael Bartolo, the man who developed the Pueblo chile, stands in one of the test plots located at the Colorado State University Arkansas Valley Research Center in Rocky Ford in Southeast Colorado Power Association’s electric co-op territory.

COVER STORY

“I had just started working for CSU in Rocky Ford and decided to plant some of the seed in the test plot because I had a couple of extra rows.”

— Dr. Michael Bartolo

THE PUEBLO CHILE The Mosco chile, which he named after his Uncle Harry, became the predominant chile raised in Pueblo and the Arkansas Valley over the past 15 years, and is commonly known as the Pueblo chile. The Mosco has a thicker flesh than most chile peppers.

This allows it to be roasted, have the skin removed and still have more “meat” and texture left. It is also hot. The heat of the Mosco chile sets it apart from Hatch chile, rating 5,000 to 20,000 units on the Scoville scale, which is used to rate the pungency of chile peppers. Hatch chile rates at 500 to 1,000 units. The hot, dry summer days and cool nights, the rich soil on the St. Charles Mesa and in the Arkansas Valley, along

with Colorado’s Rocky Mountain water, all contribute to a chile pepper bursting with flavor and consistent heat.

Bartolo estimates he has had 400 selections over the past 25 years from the original plant. While walking through the test plot at the Arkansas Valley Research Center, he explains, “I kept selecting unique plants, most of them duds, but some have worked out like the Mosco.”

He stops talking and leans over to look at a Pueblo chile plant. He touches the leaves and studies the plant intently before remembering he is in the middle of an interview. “Sorry,” he apologizes with a grin as he stands up again.

“These are my babies and when something looks a little off, I just have to check on it.”

Uncle Harry’s bag of Mira Sol chile pepper seeds.

Other varieties developed out of the Mosco strain by Bartolo include the Pueblo Popper chile, which also grows upright and has a round shape that can be stuffed, and the Giadone chile, which was introduced at the Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival in 2018. The Giadone is named after Pete Giadone, a Pueblo farmer who was one of the COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE SEPTEMBER 2019

17

COVER STORY

photo by John Wark A collection of chiles can be found at the Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival in Pueblo.

founders of the Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival and the man who built the first chile roaster for the festival. The Giadone chile is similar to the Mosco, but is much hotter.

“The average Mosco chile is around 5,000 units on the Scoville scale and the Giadone is about double that at 10,000 to 12,000 units,” Bartolo says.

According to Bartolo, the Pueblo chile is primarily grown on the St. Charles Mesa near Pueblo in the Vineland and Avondale areas, and along the Arkansas River in Otero County. But it is also produced in northern Colorado. The growing season isn’t as long, but it can be grown from transplants.

“By and large, most of it is grown in Pueblo County because of the longer growing season and the ready market for the Pueblo chile,” he says.

“There are so many foods from different cultures that use peppers and some have a real sentimental value, whether it is the green chile in the Hispanic culture or the seasoning for sausages in the Italian culture.

Peppers are incorporated into so many foods.”

Bartolo believes the chile peppers became a metaphor for Pueblo because chile became integrated into the cuisine of so many cultures. It is the direct result of the people who migrated to Pueblo to work in the mines and steel industry, creating a multiethnic community.

“Peppers are like dogs: there’s every size, shape and everything you can imagine!” he says. “It’s weird how they resonate with so many people for the cuisine, and that’s what adds to their popularity.”

CULTURAL CROSSROADS The chile pepper in Colorado is most often associated with the Hispanic culture.

However, you may have noticed the names associated with developing and growing the Pueblo chile tend to be Italian.

“My grandparents were ItalianAmerican farmers who migrated to the Pueblo area originally to work in the mines. They saved their money and bought a small truck farm like many other ItalianAmericans did in the area,” Bartolo explains.

THE CHILE GROWERS Chiles originated in Mexico, made their way into New Mexico and began to be grown in Pueblo County in the early 1900s. The families of some of the early farmers are still growing Pueblo chile, including the DiSanti family, which started farming on the St. Charles Mesa in the 1890s. Other multi-generational families include the Mauros and the Mussos.

“We also have some new people growing Pueblo chile,” Bartolo says. “Shane Milberger started farming when he leased a plot of land

18

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE SEPTEMBER 2019

while he was a sophomore in high school in 1986 and today his son Dalton is also farming with him.” Dalton, 24, is the president of the Pueblo Chile Growers Association.

“We have some very skilled growers; it’s amazing to see the quality of the peppers they are growing,” Bartolo says. “And that has added to the popularity of the Pueblo chile. I am encouraged to see the younger generation involved. We need to do more to encourage the younger generation to be involved in agriculture. Growing Pueblo chile is an opportunity with a higher-valued crop where you don’t need much land. You can start off with a smaller acreage and get some type of return off that.”

The Pueblo Chile Growers Association formed in 2015. Bartolo supported the growers as they worked with the Colorado Specialty Crops program through the Colorado Department of Agriculture. They also received the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant, enabling them to promote Pueblo chile through the website pueblochile.org.

“Seeing these growers work together is a great thing!” Bartolo says. “Traditionally, growers are very independent — they want to do their own thing — and seeing them work together on something they are very competitive at is a huge, monumental change.”

COVER STORY

photo by John Wark Chile roasting spectators mingle at the 2016 Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival in Pueblo. The 2019 festival is Friday, September 20 through Sunday, September 22.

PUEBLO CHILE & FRIJOLES FESTIVAL Every year people converge on Pueblo the third weekend after Labor Day to indulge their pepper cravings, taste a variety of foods using peppers and inhale the aroma of roasting Pueblo chile. The event started with conversations on promoting Pueblo chile over 25 years ago between Bartolo and Rod Slyhoff, president of the Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce.

“Rod has been a really great champion for Pueblo chile,” Bartolo says. “He grew the festival from a very modest event to now having over 100,000 people attend. The people like to eat Pueblo chile and there are lots of fun things to do like jalapeño-eating contests and cooking contests. It connects so many people to the Pueblo chile and various foods.”

Bartolo is passionate about connecting people in Colorado to the food they eat.

“People want some connection to their food.

We see it in the farm-to-table movement.

They want to know who the farmers are and where their food comes from,” he says. Then

he pauses a moment before continuing, “I think there is a longing in this state as we’ve become more urbanized and disconnected.

We’ve lost a part of our soul by being disconnected from the land and from our food source. And people are beginning to realize we’ve lost something in that quest for growth.

The festival is one way to connect people to the food, the farmers and the land.”

And it’s a great place to continue the debate over which is the best chile. Although, Bartolo, the man who started it all, is still working on new chiles that could challenge today’s winners.

“All of these strains originated more than 30 years ago from that original bag of seed I got from Uncle Harry. He was a modest, unassuming man who served in World War II,” Bartolo says.

“You know, I still have that bag of seed.

It’s a plain cotton sack with H87 written on it — ‘H’ standing for Harry Mosco and ‘87’ for the year he grew it. There is still some seed in the bag and, every once in a while, I will take some out and see if it will grow.”

Who knows what new chile strain might be next.

Gayle Gresham writes from her home in Elbert. Her favorite meal is chile rellenos topped with Pueblo green chile.

“We have some very skilled growers, it’s amazing to see the quality of the peppers they are growing.”

— Dr. Michael Bartolo

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE SEPTEMBER 2019

19

INDUSTRY

Making a Difference for Monarchs

BY DERRILL HOLLY

T

NATIONAL RUR AL ELECTRIC COOPER ATIVE ASSOCIATION

hree to four generations of monarch butterflies migrated to their summer ranges last spring.

Now, a single generation is returning to its wintering grounds only to begin the first leg of the 2020 migration early next year.

“We call them the super generation,” said Mara Koenig, of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “They live for about eight months, overwintering down in Mexico and waiting for the right conditions to return to their U.S. range in the spring.”

According to Koenig, communications coordinator for FWS’s Monarch Butterfly/ Pollinator Program, the largest migration of butterflies makes a 3,000-mile journey to Mexico from states south of the Great Lakes and east of the Rocky Mountains. A smaller population migrates from Arizona and the Pacific Northwest toward the California Coast. The immature insects spend the next few months roosting and eating in super colonies in a phase called diapause, when their reproductive organs are not mature.

“They develop those organs as they’re migrating north for the spring,” Koenig said. “They’ll do their first round of life cycle around Texas, Oklahoma and the southern United States and then slowly move north with each life cycle.”

Monarch butterflies on a tree branch.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE SEPTEMBER 2019

Milkweed makes the difference The FWS estimates that there are 128

While various flowering plants provide the necessary nectar needed for nourish-

million monarch butterflies left in North America, including a nonmigratory population in south Florida. Support for saving the species has grown in recent years, spurred by recognition of pollinator preservation and their symbolic value to environmental stewardship.

“Everybody can play a part in monarch butterfly conservation,” Koenig said. “It takes small, simple actions such as planting milkweed in a garden or even in a pot on your balcony, to having large swaths of landscapes that are conserved for pollinator habitats.”

ment, milkweed is crucial to the species survival because it is the only plant capable of hosting developing caterpillars.

“The monarch caterpillar requires the milkweed plant to survive and go through its life cycle process before it can then migrate back down to Mexico for the winter,” Koenig said, adding that “the plants provide the energy needed to spin cocoons.”

Butterfly backers are out to change the image of milkweed, long considered a nuisance plant because it is poisonous to cattle, horses and other livestock. Because of that and the fact that it is difficult to

INDUSTRY control, it is excluded from windbreak and right-of-way plantings. But that is changing as efforts are made to balance the monarch butterfly’s need for milkweed with protecting livestock.

“We want to plant over one billion stems of milkweed throughout the monarch’s migratory range,” said Patrick Fitzgerald, senior director of community wildlife at the National Wildlife Federation. “It would provide enough habitat for the monarch to increase its numbers and reproduce.”

Monarch and caterpillar on a milkweed plant.

That spurred efforts to encourage gardeners to include ornamental milkweed varieties in landscapes and container gardens. Several colorful species can be cultivated and controlled to prevent them from overrunning garden space.

The NWF also partnered with the FWS and dozens of environmental and conservation groups on the promotion of monarch butterfly conservation initiatives.

Fitzgerald authored the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge, which serves as a blueprint for community action, recommending 25 steps groups and individuals can take to help support butterfly and other pollinators’ conservation.

“We encourage people to look at park systems, open spaces, rights of way, schools and other public and undeveloped areas where you could possibly plant and manage areas for monarchs,” Fitzgerald said. “We have a guide online, and we have webinars to help land managers choose seed mixes and understand what decisions they can make that will help the monarchs.”

How electric co-ops help Keeping with the seventh cooperative principle of Concern for Community, electric cooperatives across the country are embracing pollinator conservation.

Vegetation management programs, designed to help maintain the reliability of your electricity, have been adapted to help provide year-round pollinator habitats and food sources for migratory wildlife, including butterflies.

“We also need the other plants that the adult butterflies can use as a food source.

They need nectar, so we need other types of plants throughout the range,” Fitzgerald said.

“All those blooming flowers that we see in the fall are a great source for them to fuel up,” Koenig said. “Making sure that those are available throughout the migratory range ensures that they have those reserves to go down to Mexico and wait out the winter, and enough reserves to start making that migration back north in the spring.”

Along utility pole lines near roadside ditches, across expanses of rural rights of way and on the grounds of electric substations, power plants and solar arrays, electric cooperatives are working with community groups to make open space even more nature friendly.

In the spring of 2019, Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association in Fort Collins hosted a Plant Day with Colorado State University Extension where the electric co-op invited Resurrection Christian School high school students to help plant pollinator-friendly seeds at the cooperative’s Coyote Ridge Community Solar Farm. This project not only makes the solar farm more attractive to passersby, but also creates an appealing place for pollinators of several varieties.

“The more habitat that’s created, the more likely there is a possibility for the monarch butterfly population to recover to a resilient population,” Koenig said, noting that the goal is to reverse a decline first identified more than 20 years ago. “We’re creating habitats for monarch butterflies and for other pollinators, including grassland songbirds. Upland game birds and even waterfowl can benefit from this.”

Officials at the NWF agree. They’re particularly optimistic about the potential of partnerships with electric co-ops, other utilities, state and local transportation departments and railroad operators.

“They manage those strips of land that we would call wildlife corridors or monarch corridors,” Fitzgerald said. “When we plant more milkweed and more native flowers in these areas, it could make a big difference.”

Always committed to the Seven Cooperative Principles, this effort among electric cooperatives throughout the United States, including Colorado, is yet another example of how co-ops are showing concern for their communities.

Derrill Holly writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

LEARN MORE ONLINE LISTEN TO THE PODCAST Visit crea.coop/crea-podcasts to listen to NRECA’s Along Those Lines podcast with NRECA’s Janelle Lemen and Stephanie Crawford along with Dairyland Power Cooperative’s Brad Foss. Hear them discuss the challenges the monarch faces and the steps co-ops are taking to save this iconic species.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE SEPTEMBER 2019

21

GARDENING

PLANT A PALETTE OF COLOR Brighten your garden with bulbs

BY VICKI SPENCER

MASTER GARDENER | GARDENING@COLOR ADOCOUNTRYLIFE .ORG

W

hen helping my daughter garden I offered to share some spring-blooming bulbs. Even though she has always admired my garden, she surprised me by refusing some plants because they reminded her of an “old lady’s” garden. With all due respect, I consider all spring-blooming bulbs to be timeless. Most bloom faithfully year after year to bring early color that brightens every garden.

The crocus is well known for emerging first. Its delicate petals are not deterred by spring snow. Dutch Blue Moon Crocus mix, which may include some white and yellow flowers, provides striking purple blue color against a blanket of white snow. Crocus are often paired with later emerging hyacinths, tulips and daffodils.

Hyacinths — not to be confused with smaller grape hyacinths — are a favorite because they come in a variety of colors.

Their flower clusters are so fragrant that visitors to the Denver Botanic Gardens often linger to take in the delightful aroma. Plant in clusters for greater impact.

This year’s abundance of spring moisture made tulips more brilliant than ever.

Although Netherlands’ tulip mania ended mid-17th century, Americans continue to treasure tulips. Nurseries advertise 15 different categories distinguished by shape and bloom time. This makes it difficult to settle on just a few. Regardless of your selection, tulips are more striking when planted in clusters.

22

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE SEPTEMBER 2019

Unfortunately, tulip bulbs are known to attract deer and squirrels. After planting 90 bulbs last fall, I expected a colorful palette this spring, but was disappointed when only 30 plants emerged. I know I planted them correctly — pointed side up, root side down — so I wondered if animals took them, but I didn’t see any disturbed soil. Perhaps fall was too dry, the winter wasn’t cold enough or maybe I just bought a bad batch. If tulips don’t do well as perennials, they can be treated as annuals by digging them up in the fall, storing in a cool, dark place and replanting in the spring.

Fritillaria Orange

If you are like my daughter and want something unique, you might consider fritillaria. They are unusual because their tall stems carry a ring of bell shaped flowers that hang upside down from a crown of leaves.

Fritillaria Orange’s bright petals look stunning when combined with yellow daffodils.

Daffodils, which also come in pink and cream colors, are hardy in colder regions. They are toxic to deer and make great borders, not just for their beauty, but because they may deter deer from venturing further into your

garden. This makes daffodils ideal for highcountry gardens.

Lily of the valley

For shade gardens, one of my favorites is lily of the valley. Its white blossoms appear in April, giving off a delightful fragrance.

Because it spreads readily it is considered invasive in some areas, but it forms a wonderful ground cover around trees where nothing else will grow.

Whichever spring-blooming bulbs you choose, the rule of thumb for planting is to dig a hole three times deeper than the height of the bulb. Make sure to fertilize and water the plated bulbs until the ground freezes.

Bulbs start growing roots right away and will continue growing at a slower rate throughout winter until providing an explosion of color in spring.

Gardener Vicki Spencer has an eclectic background in conservation, water, natural resources and more.

LEARN MORE ONLINE Read previous gardening columns at coloradocountrylife.coop. Click on Gardening under Living in Colorado.

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OUTDOORS Stop feeding prairie dogs.

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A small mountain creek in autumn. Photo by Dennis Smith.

The Finest Fly Fishing Is in the Fall Simply the right conditions for casting your reel

BY DENNIS SMITH

ONLINE REGISTRATION & AN EVENT SCHEDULE AT CREA.COOP

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE SEPTEMBER 2019

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| OUTDOORS@COLOR ADOCOUNTRYLIFE.ORG

’m one of those guys who really looks forward to autumn fly fishing, and I think September in Colorado might just be the best month of all for fishing the mountain creeks — although “best” in this case is a relative term, depending on whom you’re speaking with.

Most of the seasonal insect hatches of summer are over. The mayflies, stoneflies and caddis flights that brought the fish up all season long are now just so much detritus and biological goo disintegrating on the bottom of the streams. The streams themselves are likely to be mere trickles compared to the generous flows following summer runoff.

These low, clear flows make the fish spooky and difficult to approach, but the water is cooler now and that just energizes the fish, stimulates their metabolism and makes them hungry and eager to feed — almost as if they know summer’s bounty is dwindling and they can’t afford to pass up any free food. Fishing terrestrial patterns like beetles, ants, grasshoppers and attractor dry flies in autumn can generate some of the most exciting dry fly moments of the year.

Fall-spawning brook and brown trout become aggressive and territorial in autumn, sometimes attacking flies out of sheer meanness triggered by the parental urge to protect their redds (nests) against marauding egg eaters. Fly fishermen hip to this behavior often do well casting bright-colored streamers that mimic minnows, crawfish, leeches and even other trout to provoke strikes from the otherwise reclusive browns.

Anglers who are willing to put the sneak on low-water trout use long, fine leaders and make careful casts and take great satisfaction in fooling these super-spooky trout.

But for many of us it is simply the magic of being alone on a backcountry creek cloaked in a riot of fall color that defines autumn as the best fly-fishing season of all. That, and perhaps the realization that winter will soon bring it all to a cold, dreary end.

Dennis Smith is a freelance outdoors writer and photographer whose work appears nationally. He lives in Loveland.

MISS AN ISSUE? Catch up at coloradocountrylife.coop.

Click on Outdoors under Living in Colorado.

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE SEPTEMBER 2019

25

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COMMUNITY EVENTS September 15 Conejos County

September 27-29 Salida

September 21 Branson Hi Lo Country

September 28 Fort Collins

September 21-22 Golden

September 28-29 Fruita

Headwaters Hoedown Cross Arrow Ranch 12-5 pm riograndelandtrust.org/hoedown

September 17 D10 Sports and Charity Event Potts Field at the University of Colorado, Boulder The D10 is a national tour that raises funds for pediatric cancer research through high-level athletic competitions. Sign up as an individual or a team and take part in high-intensity challenges such as runs, jumps, pull-ups, throws, bench presses and more.

Or, simply spectate and watch as these athletes dare to conquer the events. For more information, to sign up or to donate, visit thed10.com.

September 2019 Through September 14 Creede

“Pride and Prejudice” Theater Performance Creede Repertory Theatre 719-658-2540 • creederep.org

Through September 28 Grand Lake

“Always … Patsy Cline” Theater Performance Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre 970-627-3421 • rockymountainrep.com

Through September 20 Ouray

“Southwest Views” Fine Art Exhibit Wright Opera House alyssa@thewrightoperahouse.org

September 10-15 Eads

Kiowa County Fair and Rodeo Kiowa County Fairgrounds kiowafairrodeo@gmail.com

September 13-14 Cañon City

Italian Festival Highway 50 and 3rd Street e7a@juno.com

September 13-14 Golden

Tri-Sate Doll, Bear and Miniature Sale Jefferson County Fairgrounds 303-988-8591 • jet-lag@comcast.net

28

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE SEPTEMBER 2019

September 13-14 Steamboat Springs

Gravel Grinder Bike Ride 101 Saddlerock Drive 303-898-5929 christinelouden2@gmail.com

Day Out With Thomas: The Steam Tour Colorado Railroad Museum coloradorailroadmuseum.org

September 21 Ignacio

Green Chile Fest and Green Chile Cook-Off Shoshone Park 3-6 pm ignaciochamberofcommerce.org

September 21 Monument

Steamboat OktoberWest Various Steamboat Springs Locations steamboatoktoberwest.com

Bines and Brews Beer Fest Limbach Park 1-5 pm • 719-481-3282

September 14 Bayfield

September 21-22 Wellington

Zucchini Festival Pine River Library 12-2 pm • 970-884-2222 x522

Quilt Show Event Buckeye School 10 am-4 pm • suerreed@gmail.com

September 14 Calhan

September 25 La Veta

COC Health & Education Fair and Alumni-Homecoming Luncheon El Paso County Fairgrounds 9:30 am-1:30 pm • 719-347-7368

September 14 Colorado Springs

Rose Society Meeting “The Great Restoration of the American Rose Society Gardens” Fire Station 8 10 am-12 pm • 951-834-2330

September 14 Durango

“Underwater Excavation and Analysis of Pirate Blackbeard’s Flagship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge” Lecture Fort Lewis College Ballroom 7 pm • 970-247-7657

September 14 Eads

Dusty Plains Car, Truck and Bike Show Kiowa County Fairgrounds 719-688-0746

Try-ART-Fecta: Batik, Jewelry and Pottery Various La Veta Locations 719-989-8630 nicolecopelceramics.com

September 27-28 Bayfield

Heritage Days and Sheep Trailing Various Bayfield Locations bayfieldcoheritagedays.org

September 27-28 Florence

Junktique Antique Show and Market Main Street 719-784-3544 junktiqueshowandmarket.com

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Kent Haruf Literary Celebration and Fundraiser Salida SteamPlant Event Center honorkentharuf.org

Tour de Corgi Civic Center Park and Old Town Fort Collins 10 am-3 pm • tourdecorgi.org

National Alpaca Farm Days 2034 J Road 10 am-3 pm • 970-858-8866

September 28 Lake City

Oktoberfest and Fall Festival Town Park lakecity.com

September 28-29 Salida

Studio Tour Various Salida Locations 10 am-5 pm • salidastudiotour.com

October 2019 October 3-5 Craig

Craig Sit-Down Performances and Historic Walks Various Craig Locations craig-chamber.com

October 3-6 Durango

Durango Cowboy Poetry Gathering Historic Strater Hotel 970-749-2995 durangocowboypoetrygathering.org

October 4 Durango

Cowboy Poetry Train Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad durangotrain.com

October 5 Denver

Timber Dan Fall Toy Show and Sale Larimer County Fairgrounds 9 am-3 pm • 970-663-9392

Calendar, Colorado Country Life, 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216; fax to 303-455-2807; or email calendar@coloradocountrylife.org.

Please send name of event, date, time, venue, brief description, phone number, a photo, if you have one, and email and/or website for more information.

YOUR STORIES

READERS’ PHOTOS

FUNNY STORIES

My friend is a school bus driver

Kathy Jackson brings CCL to Yellowstone National Park. Kathy is a consumer-member of Mountain View Electric Association.

Prost! Poudre Valley REA consumer-members Thomas and Elizabeth Sunkel enjoy visiting Bad Hersfeld, Germany, with CCL.

and one morning she picked up a kindergarten girl. The youngster couldn’t wait to show my friend that she had lost her first tooth.

“Wow! That’s great,” the driver said.

The little girl replied, “Yeah! It took me six years!”

Anonymous

My 4-year-old great-grandson

recently welcomed a baby sister and shared these words of wisdom: “Females are girls and emails are boys.”

Janet Scheevel, Grand Junction

I went to my sister’s house about

10 years ago. Her granddaughter was about 5 years old and watching the hummingbirds around the feeder on the front porch. When she came inside, I asked her if she knew why hummingbirds hum. She put a finger on her cheek and leaned her head over for a little bit, then her eyes popped open and she said, “Yeah, ’cause they forgot the words!”

My sister almost fell out of her chair she was laughing so hard.

Raymond E. Cassity, Cortez

“Jampa” is the furthest point east in the Americas and Paul Chou took CCL along for a visit. Paul is a consumer-member of Yampa Valley Electric.

My daughter was in the kitchen

Mountain Parks Electric consumer-members Brian and Jill Oakley celebrate their 15th anniversary with CCL at the Palace of Versailles. Congrats, you two!

WINNER: Jean Schloss and Vera Bradova visit Kutna Hora, Czech Republic, with CCL. They are consumer-members of San Isabel Electric.

Take Your Photo with Your Magazine and Win! It’s easy to win with Colorado Country Life. Simply take a photo of someone (or a selfie!) with the magazine and email the photo and your name and address to info@ coloradocountrylife.org. We’ll draw one photo to win $25 each month. The next deadline is Monday, September 16. Name, address and co-op must accompany photo. This month’s winner is Jean Schloss. She and Vera Bradova posed with Colorado Country Life in the Czech Republic. See all of the submitted photos on Facebook at facebook.com/COCountryLife.

cutting up green bell peppers when one of them rolled onto the floor. My son was sitting there at the time and piped up, “Is that what they mean by fresh ‘ground’ pepper?” Who can argue with that?

Gina Biolchini, Colorado Springs

We pay $15 to each person who submits a funny story that’s printed in the magazine.

At the end of the year we will draw one name from those submitting funny stories and that person will receive $200. Send your 2019 stories to Colorado Country Life, 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216 or email funnystories@coloradocountrylife.org. Don’t forget to include your mailing address, so we can send you a check.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE SEPTEMBER 2019

29

DISCOVERIES

Pueblo Green Chile Pepper Picks photo by John Wark

Get Saus-y!

In Monte Vista, the Gosar family is carrying on a nearly 120-year tradition of sausage making. Gosar Sausage handmakes all-natural sausages that contain no preservatives, nitrates, additives, fillers, gluten nor MSG. One of the company’s newest items is Lucille’s Pork Green Chili, which is a blend of pork sausage, fire-roasted Pueblo green chiles, tomatoes and onions, and it’s getting high praise. Several other sausage varieties are available as well. For information, call 719-852-2133 or email gosarranch@gmail.com.

Homegrown Spirit

A Celebrated Salsa Spice up your favorite foods with the famed Pueblo Salsa. Made with local Pueblo chiles, the salsa pours on thickly and packs a slight punch. Available on the Pueblo Chamber of Commerce website (pueblochamber.org) for $27 for six jars or $54 for 12 jars, plus shipping.

Or stop by the Commerce building or Pueblo Welcome Center to buy in person. For more information, call 719-542-1704 or 800-233-3446.

Want to add a little kick to your cocktail? Give Pueblobased Spirits of the Rockies’ “Chile” a whirl. Made with Pueblo green chiles, fruit and cane sugar, this spirit is 90 proof and will add life to your drinks and parties. And keep your eyes peeled: Scott Farmer and Jesse Dauenhauer, the owners and operators of the establishment, plan to partner with Rocky Ford to make a melon brandy in the near future. For more information, call 719-661-1879 or 406-860-8033 or visit spiritsoftherockies.com.

Pick Peppers for Your Plates In 2017, Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a bill that led to the creation of the Pueblo chile license plate. Spurred by conversations from representatives at the Pueblo Chile Growers Association, the plates feature the iconic chile with the Colorado Rockies in the background. Anyone who wishes to purchase a plate can now do so for $50; personalized plates are $60, plus an annual fee of $25. Find out more at colorado.gov/pacific/dmv/group-speciallicense-plates.

Where to Find Pueblo Green Chile Products

1 Pueblo Salsa

Pueblo | 719-542-1704

2 Gosar Sausage 1 3

2

30

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE SEPTEMBER 2019

Monte Vista | 719-852-2133

3 Spirits of the Rockies Pueblo | 719-661-1879 spiritsoftherockies.com

Pueblo Chile Growers Association License Plate

Statewide | colorado.gov

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