Bounty | Food and Farm Guide | 2023 | Harvest Season

Harvest Season 2023

Winter foraging

INSIDE

Your guide to farm stands and farmers’ markets

Foraging for local foods during the winter

For some Coloradans, the double payoff of being out in nature and having the ability to round up incredible things to eat is a major selling point of living in the Centennial State. Foraging locally offers the opportunity to track down and harvest everything from mushrooms professional chefs pine to cook with to an array of sweet, tart, and colorful fruit. But first, a word of caution. It is dangerous to harvest and eat food you cannot properly identify. The below information is intended to be fun and educational, not instructional. It’s crucial to be 100-percent sure what you eat is safe and identifiable during the foraging process.

VEGETABLES

Wild asparagus —Asparagus makes an incredibly versatile and tasty addition to any meal. Expert foragers claim the taste of wild asparagus compared to the varieties offered in grocery stores doesn’t compare. Asparagus is perennial, which means you’ll find it growing in the same spot every year.

MUSHROOMS

Morels —If you’re a fan of mushrooms, the nutty taste of black and yellow morels is something you don’t forget. The fact these mushrooms are incredibly elusive makes them even more coveted by foragers and professional chefs. While forest fires are a constant source of anxiety and despair for much of Colorado, forested

areas that have experienced fire events offer some of the best opportunities to find morels.

Porcini —Found in the high country between elevations of 10,500 and 11,200 feet, the porcini is a highmaintenance mushroom when it comes to weather, and it won’t grow without a combination of monsoon rains and sustained summer heat.

FRUIT

Wild Strawberries —Most people love strawberries, but when it comes to locally foraging for these astoundingly sweet, juicy, and berries, you’ll need to think much smaller compared to the conventional varieties you’d buy at the store. If you’ve ever hiked through the mountains and saw tiny red fruit

Leah Hanson

All Year Long

Jodar Farms: jodarfarms.com

Jodar Farms offers an online farm store with weekly drop offs at many convenient Northern Colorado locations. They sell hogs (half and whole) as well as eggs all year long.

MouCo Cheese Company: mouco.com

Made locally in Fort Collins, You can find MouCo Cheese at most King Soopers, Safeway and Whole Foods Markets in the Rocky Mountain Region as well as at specialty shops and cheese stores throughout the area.

Mountain View Meats: mvmeatsfc.com

Located in Fort Collins, Mountain View Meats raises their animals humanely and works to feed their community. They sell bulk beef and pork.

Remember: Farmers ’ Markets Go Through Fall

Berthoud Fickel Farmers’ Market | Berthoud

June 8 to September 21

Thursdays from 4 to 7pm

Estes Valley Farmers’ Market | Estes Park

June 3 to September 30

Thursdays from 8am to 1pm

Farmers’ Market at Fairgrounds Park | Loveland

June 4 to September 24

Sundays from 9am to 1pm

Fort Collins Farmers’ Market | Fort Collins

May 7 to November 12

Sundays from 10am to 2pm

June 14 to September 27

Wednesdays from 10am to 2pm

Greeley Farmers’ Market | Greeley

May 6 to October 18

Saturdays from 8am to 12pm

Larimer County Farmers’ Market | Fort Collins

May 20 to October 28

Saturdays from 9am to 1pm

that resembled strawberries, what you saw might very well have been wild Colorado strawberries. You can also spot berry clusters similar to raspberries, which are quite delectable. Your best bet for finding these is late spring and early summer. With adorable tiny red berries that emerge in summer, wild strawberry plants can be identified by their blue-green leaves, small groupings of white flowers, and long red stems. While you’ll need to harvest loads of berries to cook with or snack on due to their small size, their unforgettable sweet taste will be worth the extra effort. High in Vitamin C, the leaves and berries of these plants can be steeped for a delicious tea.

Wild Plums —Discovering a wild plum tree in Colorado is pure joy for most local foragers. These trees are found near streams and irrigation ditches in the foothills and across the plains. In spring, wild plum trees are adorned with a stunning explosion of white flowers.

Later in the summer, sweet purple, blue, and reddish fruit appear on the trees that can be harvested before the fall. Wild plums are incredible when eaten fresh and are excellent for all manner of jams and jellies.

CACTI

Prickly Pear—As you’d expect, dealing with this cactus’ sharp needles is no picnic. But for tenacious foragers willing to put in the work, they’re a rewarding natural offering that’s as bountiful as they are easy to find. Thick gloves are mandatory while harvesting

prickly pear, but not for the reason you’d expect. Its long needles (spines) can easily poke through the skin of your hands, but the prickly pear’s tiny hairlike needles are what usually cause the most pain and irritation. The edible parts of the prickly pear can be split up into three

sections: the green pad, or base of the cactus, the flowers, and the colorful fruit that grows at the top of the plant. Small younger plants are thought to be much tastier than older ones. Because of Colorado’s dry climate, prickly pears can be found throughout the state.

2023 NoCo Farmers Markets

Berthoud’s Fickel Farmers Market

Fickel Park, 620 Mountain Ave., Berthoud

Thursdays, 4–7pm, June 8–Sept. 21 www.berthoud.org/1385/Farmers-Market

Erie Farmers Market

Briggs Street between Wells and Moffatt, Erie Thursdays, 5–8pm, May 1–Sept. 14 www.realfarmersmarketco.com

Estes Valley Farmers Market

Visitor Center, 500 Big Thompson Ave., EP

Thursdays, 8am–1pm, June 1–Sept. 28 www.facebook.com/EstesValleyFarmersMarket

Farmers Market at Fairgrounds Park

700 S. Railroad Ave., Loveland

Sundays, 9am–1pm, June 4–Sept. 24 www.cityofloveland.org/farmersmarket

FARM STANDS

Bartels Farm 3424 E. Douglas Rd., Fort Collins www.thebartelsfarm.com www.facebook.com/The-Bartels-PumpkinPatch-137755902661

Desiderata Ranch 4617 CR 2, Berthoud http://desiderataranch.org

Folks Farm & Seed 2917 S. Taft Hill Rd., Fort Collins www.folksfarmandseed.com

Garden Sweet 719 W. Willox Ln., Fort Collins www.gardensweet.com

Green Dog Farm 3421 West CR 54G, Laporte (next to Overland Foods) www.greendogfarmcsa.com

Hazel Dell Mushrooms 3925 E. CR 32 (Carpenter Rd.), Fort Collins www.hazeldellmushrooms.com

Fort Collins Farmers Market

1001 E. Harmony Rd., FC (rain or shine) Sundays, 10am–2pm, May 7–Nov. 12 Wednesdays, 10am–2pm, June 14–Sept. 27 www.fortcollinsfarmersmarket.org

Greeley Summer Farmers Market

Union Pacific Depot, 902 7th Ave., GR Saturdays, 8am–Noon, May 6–Oct. 28 www.greeleygov.com/fm

Larimer County Farmers Market 200 S. Oak St., FC (courthouse parking lot) Saturdays, 9am–1pm, May 20–Oct. 28 www.larimercountyfarmersmarket.org

Loveland West Farmers Market at Jax 2665 W Eisenhower Blvd, LV

Tuesdays, 9am–1pm, April 18–Nov. 7 www.facebook.com/ LovelandWestFarmersMarket

Timnath Sunday Market

4138 Main St., Timnath

Second Sundays, 9am–2pm, May–Oct www.TimnathFarmersMarket.org

Windsor Farmers Market Boardwalk Park, 110 5th St., Windsor Saturdays, 8am–12:30pm, June 3–Sept. 9 www.windsorgov.com/FarmersMarket

Something about being on a farm just feels good. The pace feels relaxed and your interactions, maybe, more genuine. So swing by a farm stand soon and pick up some deliciousness while you’re at it.

Heritage Lavender 4809 Foothills Dr., Berthoud www.heritagelavender.com

Hoffman Farms, LLC 3545 W. O St., Greeley www.hoffmanproduce.com

Hope Farms 1601 N. Shields St., Fort Collins www.cultivatehopeco.org

Jodar Farms/Fort Collins Vine Farm Order online/pick up Fort Collins or Wellington www.jodarfarms.com

Long Shadow Farm Order online/pick up Berthoud www.longshadowfarm.com

Native Hill Farm 2100 CR 54G, Fort Collins www.nativehillfarm.com

Ollin Farms 8627 N. 95th St., Longmont www.ollinfarms.com

On the Vine at Richmond Farms 3611 Richmond Dr., Fort Collins https://onthevineatrichmondfarms.com

OwlTree Farm 4605 E. CR 58, Fort Collins www.owltreefarmco.com

Papa Joe’s Honey 4855 W. Eisenhower Blvd., Loveland www.facebook.com/PapaJoesLocalHoney

Raisin’ Roots Farm 2229 W. Vine Dr., Fort Collins www.facebook.com/raisinroots

Sunny Daze 901 S. CR 5, Fort Collins www.sunnydazegardens.com

Tigges Farm 12404 CR 64½, Greeley www.facebook.com/tigges.farm