Bounty Growing Season 2016

GROWING SEASON 2016

LOCAL FOOD AND FARM GUIDE

JESSUP FARM ARTISAN VILLAGE AT ONE YEAR

Connecting Crops to Cuisine

SOURCING

RESTAURANTS SOURCING LOCAL

LOCAL MEAT

The Heritage of

HAPPY HEART FARM

ALSO INSIDE: FARMS & MARKET DIRECTORY SPRING & SUMMER WORKSHOPS & EVENTS

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Motherlove is now the proud operator of an organic farm and educational community center on the Front Range.

The 120 acre farm provides local, sustainable, certified organic herbs for Motherlove’s products, as well as traditional organic grains and vegetables for our tables and other’s.

Join us for classes on growing, harvesting and preparing herbs for use in personal care products, as well as herb identification for edible and medicinal plants. Learn the importance of organics in the food industry, biodiversity and other environmental issues, including water conservation.

Please contact mother@motherlove.com for additional information.

www.motherlove.com 2|

GETTING TO THE SOURCE

TABLE OF CONTENTS POUDRE VALLEY COMMUNITY FARMS LAUNCHES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 IT TAKES A VILLAGE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 CONNECTING CROPS TO CUISINE LISTINGS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 HAPPY HEART FARM CSA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 A GUIDE TO SOURCING LOCAL MEAT. . . . . . 12 LOCAL PRODUCER LISTINGS. . . . . . . . . . . . 16 FARMERS MARKETS & FARM STANDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 CALENDAR OF EVENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

THE BEETS, carrots, onions and garlic are up, making their stand through the last frost and heavy spring snow. We spent the weekend in the garden, planting herbs, peas, and asparagus, now that the garden soil is finally warming up after several days with temperatures in the 70s.

I love this time of year with all the newness and hopefulness of spring bursting into colorful blooms on the trees and sprigs of green and purple poking up through the ground. And there’s the warmth of the sunshine and sound of the rain, and smell of green in the air – all messages from the earth reminding us about the source of things, welcomed news about the life that is held inside the ground.

Sourcing local food is the theme of this issue. Whether it’s a visit to one of our many local farms to meet the farmer, a brunch with family at the Farmhouse at Jessup Farm Artisan Village, a trip to The Boar and Bull Butcher for a cut of Wellington pastured beef, or morning asanas before purchasing veggies and greens at the Larimer County Farmers Market, we present the best places and ways to get local food and support local farmers and businesses. We’ve included a complete listing of local farms and ranches, farmers markets, farm stands, as well as a handpicked list of restaurants and food trucks that are Connecting Crops to Cuisine.

At Fortified Collaborations, we want to raise awareness and help promote the diverse group of farms, businesses and organizations that comprise an increasingly vibrant and resilient local food scene. We hope you’ll take a little time to learn more about local food and farms in Northern Colorado and keep this guide as a resource to use throughout the growing season. Enjoy the bounty and the warmth of the sunshine and getting to the source of the food you eat.

To the Growing Season,

Kristina Fortified Collaborations

BEE-A-MAZE-ING MAZE FOR THE KIDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 THIS COULD BE A GARDEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Bounty Local Food and Farm Guide is a special publication of Fortified Collaborations and Rocky Mountain Publishing, Inc. Publisher: Kristina Cash; Editors: Kristina Cash, Josie Sexton, Janelle Buxton and Haley Oswald; Creative Director: Emily Zaynard; Copyright 2016 Fortified Collaborations, Fort Collins, CO. All rights reserved. Reproduction without express written permission is prohibited.

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LOCAL FARMLAND COOPERATIVE LAUNCHES Over the next 20 years, as aging farmers retire, 70 percent of U.S. farmland will change hands. Gailmarie Kimmel explains how a new land cooperative in Fort Collins is working to preserve agricultural lands and support the younger generation of farmers.

FOUNDED IN 2015, Poudre Valley Community Farms (PVCF) is a multi-stakeholder co-op purchasing threatened agricultural lands in Northern Colorado. We provide long-term leases to farmers and ranchers who agree to enhance soil fertility, grow sustainably and sell locally. The goals of our Co-op include farmland conservation, young farmer retention and stabilization, a multi-generational farm succession strategy that can help break the landrich-cash-poor cycle, and community-based stewardship. We believe that our efforts will lead to stable farmers, increased and diversified local food production, enhanced soil health, and improved ecosystem services.

PVCF emerged out of a seven-month process of a group of concerned people volunteering time to clarify a mission and vision, legally establish a co-op, pursue connection with the retiring farm owners of the pilot land, and work to implement the purchase of a conservation easement on this property. Since September 2015, we have been gratified and emboldened by the growing momentum of community support and, in just six months, PVCF has raised 73%

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(over $438,000) toward its $600,000 goal for the initial land purchase, having recruited 75 member-owners with over 20 investment-shares. In addition, PVCF has successfully competed for a Slow Money, crowd-sourced 0 percent loan, already prepared a preferred stock option for impact investors, and was selected to participate in Colorado Impact Day in March.

PVCF came into existence to help address a conundrum presented by two key facts. First, locally and nation-wide, young farmers are leasing lands shortterm, which puts viable, sustainable livelihoods out of reach for this generation rededicated to agriculture. They are in search of more secure land tenure but lack the capital or heritage to acquire it.

Second, estimates show that 70 percent of US farmland will change hands in the next 20 years as aging farmers retire.

To provide funds for retirement, lands usually need to be sold to non-farm uses, which permanently removes them from production and forces land prices even higher. “It is absolutely critical that mechanisms exist to keep the nation’s prime farmland in production and accessible to new farmers,” reports the National Young Farmers Coalition.

For PVCF, land conservation and farmer viability go hand-in-hand, united by soil preservation and health. As far as we know, PVCF is the only farmland cooperative in the U.S. working to conserve agricultural land, and create access and viable livelihoods for community-based food producers. We invite you to join the effort. With the purchase of our first farmland property now slated for Fall 2016, we are actively seeking additional funds to preserve other lands via recruitment of more members-owners, investors and donors. We are also establishing relationships with the land conservation community of practitioners and scholars, and inventorying potential farmland for purchase and short-term incubation leases. Finally, we are designing a “matchmaking” system for young farmers and land leases.

Check out www.farmland.coop, sign up for our e-news, visit us for “office hours” or catch up with us at an event (all posted on our website), or email your questions.

Gailmarie Kimmel is Co-Founder and Board Treasurer for Poudre Valley Community Farms.

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ur local food system helps protect our health and the health of our community and stimulates our local economy. Bounty Local Food and Farm Guide celebrates the local farms, producers and distributers that are part of an increasingly vibrant and resilient regional food hub.

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The Guide includes:

• A comprehensive listing of local farms, ranches, food producers, farmers markets and farm stands • Coverage of current topics on our regional food system • A calendar of upcoming events around local food

20,000 Copies Distributed in northern Colorado For information, contact Kristina Cash 970-217-8786 kristina@fortifiedcollaborations.com

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IT TAKES A VILLAGE The raising of Jessup Farm

BY HAYLEY OSWALD WHETHER YOU ARE ENJOYING a delectable meal at The Farmhouse, working up a sweat at REVE, or kicking back with a finely crafted beer at Barrelhouse, you are undeniably immersed in the connections that make Jessup Farm a thriving community. Drawing from the original roots of the property, Jessup Farm is an artisanal village built on a turn of the century Fort Collins farmstead.

The authenticity of this restoration can be felt throughout the buildings and plaza, maintaining original structures and pillars, among other details.

The rehabilitation and construction of the Village was envisioned by the Campana family of Bellisimo Inc., whose members continue a handson presence in the daily operations

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of the Village. The businesses that comprise the artisanal village include Bindle Coffee, The Farmhouse at Jessup Farm, Heyday, Vortic Watch Company, REVE, Clayton Jenkins Photography, Kennedy’s Lucky 27 Barbershop, Jessup Farm Barrel House, and the upcoming Loafing Shed. While each individual entrepreneur and business offers their own unique service and product, it is their interconnectedness that sets the Jessup Farm experience apart from all others, and an experience it is.

Walking the grounds of the farm immediately elicits a happy feeling. The harvest for the farm provides produce and eggs directly to the restaurant, CSA members, the Jessup Farmer’s Market, as well as a portion for donation.

As CSA members, individuals get to pick their own vegetables and can choose to designate a share of their membership for charity. The restaurant has its own quarter acre of farm designed with a selection of produce chosen by Anne Genson, Directive of Community and Farm Building Operations, and The Farmhouse owners.

Those enjoying a meal at The Farmhouse will quickly appreciate this sourcing from around the village woven throughout the menu. Jesse Doerffel, Owner Operator of The Farmhouse at Jessup Farm and The Loafing Shed pointed out the feature of Bindle coffee in a steak rub, the supply of The Loafing Shed’s donuts, biscuits and soon to be bread, and the selection of Barrelhouse beers on tap as just a few of the

PHOTO COURTESY JESSUP FARM PHOTOCOURTESY JESSUP FARM

many specialties that connect her restaurant to the various other businesses. Along with ingredients on the menu, Doerffel said that the involvement and educational opportunities the staff participates in represent another link between the restaurant and the village. “Everybody is pretty invested with what we’re doing, having everybody get their hands dirty is another level of education that we give our staff, that knowledge then gets passed on to our customers,” she said. Yet the farm-to-table connection is only one of many that form the base of Jessup’s community. The relationships and support of each entrepreneur conveys a sense of dependence similar to that of an actual village; separate entities collaborating together to reach individual and collective success. This enhances the quality and experience of all that Jessup offers to its patrons.

“They (neighbors) come down here and see it, and they’re like, ‘this is Fort Collins.

This is why I live here,” Lindsay Roselle, Marketing Director of Jessup Farm, said about the community’s reception thus far.

Roselle recently completed Jessup’s most successful community event to date, the Spring Festival. The immense turn out of up to 3,000 people and smiling faces seen throughout the day symbolized the positive community reception and growth around Jessup. On a daily basis, the reaction is similar, Roselle said. Throughout the village and

the surrounding Bucking Horse community, a mutual and appreciative relationship has been formed and continues to thrive and expand.

The extension of Jessup’s impact doesn’t just stay within the village, however; it extends to those who might not otherwise get the opportunity to experience it. In addition to running the farming operation and planning events, Genson is the director of Sproutin’ Up, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing at-risk youth educational and apprenticeship opportunities. In addition to growing produce for the families that need it, Genson has begun working on another hands-on way for kids who have been in the program for a few years to continue gaining and practicing knowledge about food.

“They would come here on Thursdays, and they would actually work on the farm for a different feel. They would help farm for the day, help harvest, help prepare for the farmer’s market, and then they’re going to come up and run the farmer’s market booth,” Genson said. The profit that the farmer’s market would make during the ten weeks that the apprenticeship program would be paid to the kids and contributed back into their neighborhood. “ They don’t often get out of their neighborhood, so it’s a huge experience for them to just go somewhere that’s different, where the culture is different, where the experiences are different. So I’m excited for them,” she said.

Whatever brings you to Jessup Farms, whether it is the food, the coffee, the beer, or anything else, it is the experience that captures your heart and keeps you coming back. As if stepping back 60 years, Jessup coveys a nostalgic sense of familiarity and community appreciation that is remarkable. Doerffel summarized this notion by saying, “It’s overwhelming how many people have embraced us. It came together at the right time.” With a summer full of events and more entrepreneurs seeking to get their foot in the village, the future only looks bright for this artisanal conception. So if you haven’t taken a trip to the farm, take a day and go experience all that Jessup has to offer. Chances are, you’ll be their next regular.

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Supporting our local food system has an array of benefits: it strengthens our local economy, aids our local small-scale farmers, preserves open spaces, benefits the environment and helps ensure that farmland will still be there tomorrow. Plus it just tastes better because it’s fresher which means it’s better for you. Eating locally doesn’t have to stop when you leave your kitchen. Here’s a hand-picked listing of area restaurants, coffee shops and food trucks that include locally grown and produced food in their menus: Ace Gillett’s 239 S College Ave, Fort Collins Underground, sophisticated bar offering eclectic small plates & mains, cocktails & live jazz music.

Austin’s American Grill 100 W Mountain Ave, Fort Collins Hearty American dishes with Southwestern touches served in casual quarters with a sidewalk cafe.

Café Ardour 255 Linden St, Fort Collins Fair trade organic coffee beans roasted locally, pastries and snacks.

Door 222 222 E 4th St #100, Loveland Adventurous tapas plus wine, beer & cocktails are served in a contemporary-meets-industrial space.

Café Vino 1200 S College Ave, Fort Collins Quaint wine bar also serving creative tapas, cocktails & craft beers in cozy digs with a fire pit.

Enzio’s 126 W Mountain Ave, Fort Collins Hub for fresh pasta, thin-crust pies & gluten-free fare in family-friendly digs with sidewalk seats.

Chimney Park 406 Main St, Windsor, CO Fine dining with menu that reflects seasonality and features items produced in our local region.

Crooked Cup 147 W Oak St #101, Fort Collins Locally roasted coffee, full bakery and breakfast.

FCB Modern Tavern 1020 E Lincoln Ave, Fort Collins Modern microbrewery with free tours, samples & food pairings plus a pub next door.

Fish Restaurant 150 W Oak St, Fort Collins Cozy, mellow spot for sustainable seafood dishes, plus an on-site fish market.

EAT LIKE 8|

FoCo CafĂŠ 225 Maple St, Fort Collins Non-profit, pay what you can that makes healthy, nutritious, meals accessible to all.

Jay’s Bistro 135 W Oak St, Fort Collins Swanky, special-occasion American eatery filled with art, serving up seasonal fare & live jazz.

Jax Fish House 123 N College Ave, Fort Collins Upscale chain serving gourmet seafood dishes & creative cocktails in a relaxed, stylish setting.

Mugs Coffee Lounge 306 W Laurel St & 261 S College Ave, Fort Collins Community through coffee: fair trade, organic, homegrown, local coffee and food in hip community inspired atmosphere.

Restaurant 415 415 S Mason St, Fort Collins Updated American classics featuring locally sourced ingredients plus vegan & gluten-free menus.

Tasty Harmony 160 W Oak St, Fort Collins Inventive veggie & vegan fare served in bright, cozy surrounds with a laid-back vibe.

The Cooking Studio 123 N College Ave, Fort Collins Unique cooking school dedicated to the idea that wholeheartedly engaging with simple and fresh ingredients is the key to eating food that looks and tastes amazing.

The Farmhouse at Jessup Farm 1957 Jessup Dr, Fort Collins Casual farmhouse eatery and backyard farm delivering heightened seasonal Colorado fare.

The Kitchen 100 N College Ave, Fort Collins Garden-to-table American meals & a popular happy hour in an ecofriendly urban space.

The Moothouse 2626 S College Ave, Fort Collins Modern takes on English pub fare served with local craft beers in cozy quarters with fireplaces.

Welsh Rabbit Bistro Unit B, 200 Walnut St, Fort Collins Warm, inviting space with Old World charm presenting the cheese bistro experience.

FOOD TRUCKS

who source locally

Dam Good Tacos - www.damgoodtacos.com/index.html Fresh - www.ftfresh.com La Piadina - www.la-piadina-foodtruck.weebly.com The Goodness - www.thegoodnesstruck.com Silver Seed - www.thesilverseed.com Sustainable Spoon - www.sustainablespoonfoodtruck.com Waffle Lab - www.thewafflelab.com

IT MATTERS! |9

NURTURING LIVES THROUGH LOCAL, BIODYNAMICALLY GROWN FOOD How Happy Heart Farm became the first CSA program in Colorado

PHOTO BY DARREN MAHURON, SUMMIT STUDIOS

BY JANELLE BUXTON

The world begins at the kitchen table. No matter what we must eat to live.

- JOY HARJO I SAT DOWN with Bailey Stenson at their kitchen table on a spring afternoon. She had just prepared a latelunch after a morning on-the-go, as farm planting preparations are quickly on the horizon. Bailey gave me a warm smile, characteristic of her, as we began to talk about Colorado’s original CSA.

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THE EARLY YEARS

The story begins in 1983, when Dennis and Bailey Stenson traded their first business venture, a mountain-bike tour company, for a life better suited for a family and children. “It was a lot of gear to haul with kids,” Bailey said.

After having their second child, the young couple purchased an old dairy farm on West Elizabeth Street in Fort Collins. Six years later, in 1989, Bailey and Dennis went to a conference in California and learned about a concept called community supported agriculture (CSA). A CSA is a food production and distribution system that directly connects farmers and consumers.

Excited about the model, in 1990 Bailey and Dennis founded Happy Heart

Farm, which was the first food distribution system of it’s kind in Colorado.

Their first year in business had its challenges, Bailey recalled. She and Dennis had to learn “how to make our own planting schedule, how much to plant and how often.” The internet wasn’t available back then, so Happy Heart CSA members would call each other—using a phone tree system where a few members would call a few more—when produce was ready.

MENTORING, SHARING, GROWING

Their early experiences led the Stensons to mentor hundreds of people and to start a “working member” program.

Each year there are a dozen or so working members who support the farmers, apprentices and fellow members are the

PHOTO COURTESY HAPPY HEART FARM

visible manifestation of the adage “many hands make light work.”

Dennis also teaches a two-year biodynamic agriculture mentorship program for those interested in applying the concept to their own farms. This style of farming has been practiced at Happy Heart Farm since their very first harvest.

HEALTHY FOOD MADE ACCESSIBLE

Bailey and Dennis are also dedicated to making sure that low-income families can eat nutritious, organic food. Happy Heart Farm’s Feeding the Families program is made up of a group of farmers who donate a steady supply of fresh produce to qualifying families. In return for the vegetable share, the families are asked to contribute fifty-percent of the cost of their share.

“The more we do this, the more our community will benefit hugely. We pride ourselves on doing a lot of that here,” Bailey said.

AWARDS, KUDOS, AND MERRYMAKING

A lot of celebrations happen on the Happy Heart Farm. In addition to their solstice party and the Heart of the Summer Farm Dinner, the farm is usually bustling with events and weddings.

Part of the farm’s allure is due to Bailey’s famed rose honey. In 2015, Bailey won the globally recognized Good Food Award teaming up with Beth Conrey of Bee Squared Apiaries to infuse rose petals into the honey. Bailey crafted a handmade rose crown and wore a velvet burgundy gown to the awards ceremony.

THE WAY FORWARD

“More consumers will have to start eating locally in order to gain appreciation for what it takes to produce locally grown food,” Bailey said, “So eat local food.”

She would also like to see more community scholarships to help mentor and fund farmers who are just starting out. New to the CSA concept? Bailey encourages newcomers to get their feet wet by going on a farm tour.

“A lot of the local food movement is coming and meeting the farmers,” she said.

To learn more about Happy Heart Farm’s 2016 CSA shares, gift certificates, programs, event spaces, or ways to give please visit them online at: www.happyheartfarmcsa.com.

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A GUIDE TO SOURCING LOCAL MEAT

BY JOSIE SEXTON

LOOKING TO BUY quality meat in Northern Colorado?

You could head to Colorado State University’s student-run meat lab, or to a downtown Fort Collins rooftop bar for the Locals Only CSA happy hour. In Loveland you can find the restaurant Door 222 serving four-course, whole-hog dinners, and a block down the street, stop in for locally sourced beef and pork cuts at The Boar and Bull Butcher.

And that’s just on a Thursday.

The options abound for buying Colorado-raised meats all year long.

From whole hogs to ground beef and lean bison, you just have to know where to look for them.

ON THE FARM

Just off Highway 34 in Loveland, the

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cattle at Sylvan Dale Ranch are grazing as far as the eye can see, well into the canyon and across 5,500 acres.

The Angus and Lowline breeds are grass-fed and grass finished, slaughtered at the USDA-certified Innovative Foods in Evans and available for purchase directly from the ranch in wholes, halves and quarters.

This year ranch manager Michael Baute is working to integrate hogs and chickens into the grazing rotation. After much of Sylvan Dale’s property was washed away by the Big Thompson River in the floods of 2013, Baute and the ranch’s owners—the Jessup family—are trying to rebuild the land while still running a business. They’re relying in large part on the help of their animals.

“It’s been horseback riding in

Western culture for a while now,” Baute said of the historic allure of Sylvan Dale’s dude ranch. “Now we’re shifting to sustainable agriculture and regenerative ranching.”

This new vision will give the ranch’s guests as well as community members an up-close look and offer them active participation in real, everyday farm life. Visitors will be able to see the life cycle from birth to finish—the pigs plowing and manuring, the cattle grazing, and the chickens following after them to fertilize the soil.

Once designated animals are fullgrown, they’re processed, hopefully sent to nearby restaurants and households, and the cycle starts all over.

In Fort Collins, local meat eaters can also join the Jodar Farms CSA to get a custom monthly share of farm-

raised chicken as well as pork and beef as needed.

Farmer Aaron Rice encourages potential members to visit the farm and farm store, to see the live animals and even the slaughter. He hopes that a higher price tag on his product compared to that of a chain grocery store won’t deter new customers.

“All you have to do is see a couple of recalls, or see how animals are treated in the normal, large-scale facilities, and that’s enough for people to go, ‘OK,’” Rice said. “People have to go in (to the farm) understanding that they’re getting a completely different product.”

FROM A PROCESSOR OR BUTCHER

“Harvesting” is the way Tami Ellicott prefers to put it.

Innovative Foods, her family-run, USDA-certified meat processing fa-

cility in Evans, Colo., is where many of the Northern Colorado animals that end up on your plate first go to get slaughtered.

Ellicott gets animals from farms like Sylvan Dale and Jodar, and she sends meat to restaurants such as Door 222 and The Kitchen. You’ll also see Innovative Foods’ seal on frozen products at the Fort Collins Food Co-op.

She said she chooses the farms she works with carefully: “We see how they’re housed, how they’re raised, how they’re fed,” she said of the animals, adding that she slaughters for a range of producers, “from a guy that has one or two head to people that raise (herds) all year long for farm shares or co-ops.”

To purchase meat directly from the processor, newcomers can visit Innovative Foods’ storefront in Evans, or they can call ahead for special or-

ders cut every Wednesday.

Starting every Thursday, Loveland’s The Boar and Bull Butcher Shop opens with a new selection of beef and pork cuts straight from Innovative. Before they’re sent to the processor, the animals are raised on farms in Wellington and Johnstown.

“Everything from birth is all done within 100 miles of the butcher shop,” said owner Austin Almquist.

In addition to pork and beef cuts, he sells sausages, deli meats, pulled pork and barbecued brisket, housesmoked bacon as well as lamb and goat, on occasion. The Boar and Bull also offers whole-hog butchering classes.

IN A RETAILER

Not ready to budge from your regular shopping habits? Some grocery stores and supermarkets offer products from Colorado and even Northern Colorado farms.

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At the Fort Collins Food Co-op carnivores can find a freezer stocked daily with as many as a couple dozen local meat products. On a recent visit, the selection included sausages from Mulay’s in Longmont, whole chickens and breasts from Wisdom in Haxtun, lamb from Long’s Peak in Evans, ground beef and ground bison from Wyoming, and beef bone marrow from as close as Ol’ Dern in Fort Collins.

And at Whole Foods delicatessen, locally-raised meat is marked as “Colorado Local.” Whole Foods should have around 15 cuts of

Colorado meat in the fresh counter on any given day, from Evans pork belly and pork butt to Carbondale sirloin, brisket, stew meat, and ribeye, as well as Elizabeth, CO chicken.

King Soopers stocks far less but still a few packaged local meats, marked as “Colorado Proud,” a designation given to locally grown, raised, and processed foods by the state Department of Agriculture. Colorado Proud meats at King Soopers include a handful of bison cuts, ground elk, and half a case full of Red Bird Farms chicken, out of Englewood.

READY TO GET STARTED?

Check out this list of local meat purveyors, and reach out to them for more information. For farms and ranches, keep in mind that they usually offer wholes, halves and quarters of large animals, so plan on going in with a few friends or families to split the large portions.

FIND LOCAL MEAT HERE BELLVUE Amy’s Grass Fed Beef Beef - Grass fed BERTHOUD Long Shadow Farm Lamb, Chicken, Turkey, Duck The Old Fence Farm Lamb

Locals Only CSA Beef, Pork, Chicken, Bison, Lamb - From your butcher Frank in Longmont Lukens Farm Beef Ole Dern Farm Beef

Raisin Roots Farm Poultry

On the Vine at Richmond Farms Duck, Turkey, Chicken

EATON Ginger’s Farm Pork

FORT LUPTON Colorado Wise Acres Farm Pork, Lamb

ESTES PARK D-L Cattle Co Beef - Grass fed

JOHNSTOWN Sauer Family Beef Beef

EVANS Innovative Foods Beef, Pork, Lamb, Goat

KERSEY Monroe Farm Beef, Pork, Lamb

FORT COLLINS Craig Angus Ranch Beef, Pork - Natural, Grass fed

Croft Family Farm Pork

Friendly Critter’s Farm Pork, Goat Jodar Farms Chicken, Pork Jordan’s Greenhouse Beef

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LIVERMORE Living Water Ranch Beef, Lamb LOVELAND The Boar and Bull Butcher Shop Beef, Pork, Lamb, Goat - No hormones, antibiotics, or steroids

Ewe Bet Ranch Lamb Revive Gardens Beef Rock Ridge Ranch Beef Sunrise Ranch Beef Sylvan Dale Ranch Beef, Pork - Grass-fed, grass-finished NUNN Donoma Farm Pork, Lamb, Chicken, Turkey, Beef, Duck, Yak - No soy, no GMO, all pastured PIERCE Top Notch All Meats Beef, Pork, Chicken PLATTEVILLE h-Beef Beef ROGGEN Kiowa Valley Organics, Inc. Beef WELLINGTON Grant Farms Poultry Harvest Farm Beef - Pastured year round

Rock Soup Ranch Beef WINDSOR Blue Sky Farm, LLC Beef - Angus Carrie’s Clucks Chicken, Turkey YODER, WY Meadow Maid Foods, LLC Beef OTHER LOCAL SOURCES Red Dirt Farms and Produce Pork Colorado’s Best Beef Beef - No feed antibiotics, no growth hormones, no steroids, dry aged 14-21 days, humane treatment

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LOCAL PRODUCER LISTINGS Find a farm near you LISTINGS KEY: BEEF

DAIRY

EGGS

FISH

FLOWERS & HERBS

HONEY

MUSHROOMS

MUTTON

PORK

POULTRY

PRODUCE

2 R’s Farm

Bee Squared Apiaries

Blue Sky Farm

C&R Farms

19361 Hwy. 61 Platteville (970) 737-2689 Beeswax

1617 White Water Ct. Berthoud www.bethsbees.com 970-213-3099 Beeswax, soap, candles, tours

Windsor www.blueskyfarmcolorado.com 970-222-7147, Angus beef

Palisade, www.candrfarms.com peaches

Amy & Ellen’s Grass Fed Beef 181 Lazy D Ranch Rd. Bellvue, www.barncatservices.com 970-881-2147 Grass fed (whole, halves, quarters) Anders Farm 8443 Hwy. 85, Fort Lupton Bartels Farm 3424 E. Douglas Rd. Fort Collins www.thebartelsfarm.com Bayberry Fresh (Year-round CSA) bayberryherbs@gmail.com 719-580-3236 tomatoes, greens & herbs

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Big Willy’s Farm

Blush Flowers on Vine (CSA)

300 42nd St SW Loveland www.bigwillysfarm.com

1428 West Vine Drive www.blushflowersonvine.com 970-217-8505

Blue Barrel Farm (CSA)

Bracewell Produce

40907 County Rd 15, Fort Collins www.bluebarrelfarm.com 970-484-5836

30951 County Rd. 27, Greeley

Blue Bench Farms (CSA) 33772 State Highway 257 Windsor www.bluebenchfarms.com

Bucking Horse Farm (CSA) Fort Collins Buena Vida 8204 S County Rd 3, Fort Collins www.buenavidafarm.com 970-305-2182

Carrie’s Clucks (CSA) 37477 County Rd. 21 Windsor, offering tours www.carriesclucks.com Clarks Honey Farm Evans Colorado Best Beef www.naturalbeef.com Colorado Honey Co. Fort Collins www.beeyondthehive.com

Colorado Wise Acres Farm

Foco F.R.E.S.H. Farm (CSA)

8695 County Rd. 29 1/2 Fort Lupton coloradowiseacresfarm.com

2225 W. Vine Dr., Fort Collins www.focofresh.com, 692-3900 Egg Shares (CSA)

ColoState CSA (CSA)

Fossil Creek Farms (CSA)

Fort Collins www.facebook.com/ColoStatecsa.3

7100 Silver Mist Ln. Fort Collins www.fossilcreekfarmsllc.com 970-980-4096, on-farm sales

Copoco’s Honey 2020 N. College Ave. Fort Collins www.copocoshoney.com Craig Angus Ranch 3785 Mount Flora St. Fort Collins www.craigangusranch.com Croft Family Farm (CSA) Kersey www.croftfamilyfarm.com D&H Farms (CSA) Ault, www.dhfarms2000.com D-L Cattle Co Estes Park, (970) 690-0150 Grassfed Donoma Farms (CSA) 10018 Weld County Rd. 110 Carr, www.donomafarms.com Pastured-no soy/gmo, lamb, yak Double Dig Farm (CSA) Fort Collins and Loveland www.Doubledigfarm.net 413-427-8458 Tours, children’s activities Ela Family Farms

Friendly Critters Farm 3915 N. County Rd. 19, Fort Collins www.friendlycrittersfarm.com 407-766-6049, goat & rabbit Front Range Apiaries 4130 Hayes Ave. Wellington

4328 W. County Rd. 54G, LaPorte www.gaiascsa.com, bread

Wellington www.harvestfarm.net

33177 Pikes Peak Drive Greely, CO 80631 www.hopsandpeppers.com 970-978-6765, Hops

Hazel Dell Mushrooms 3925 Carpenter Rd. Fort Collins www.hazeldellmushrooms.com

719 W. Willox Ln. Fort Collins www.gardensweet.com Ginger’s Farm(CSA)

Roggen www.kiowavalleyorganics.com organic beef

Platteville, www.h-beef.com

Lakeridge Farms(CSA)

Heritage Lavender, LLC

12037 County Rd. 74, Eaton Gingersfarm15@yahoo.com 631-3631

4809 Foothills Dr. Berthoud www.heritagelavender.com 303-514-6504 Fresh, dried, culinary lavender, soaps, lotions and products

Good Grin Farm

High Altitude Organics (CSA)

2925 W. Mulberry St; Fort Collins www.goodgrinfarm.com 720-206-7917

25572 Weld County Rd. 32 La Salle, www.highaltitudeorganics.com also goat, poultry, turkey

Grant Farms (CSA) Wellington, www.grantfarms.com 568-7654 Grassmere Farm (CSA)

Ewe Bet Ranch

Green Dog Farm (CSA)

1850 E. Hwy. 60 Loveland www. ewebetranch.com Sales by appointment only

1807 W Vine Ft. Collins www.greendogfarmcsa.com Happy Heart Farm (CSA) 2820 W. Elizabeth St. Fort Collins www.happyheartfarmcsa.com 970-482-3448 Coffee, bread

Kiowa Valley Organics

h-Beef

Garden Sweet (CSA)

Fort Collins www.grassmerefarm.com

Fort Collins www.fairelizasflowers.com

Hoffman Farms, LLC

Gaia’s Farm and Gardens (CSA)

Hotchkiss www.elafamilyfarms.com tree fruit

Fair Eliza’s Flowers (CSA)

Harvest Farm (CSA)

Highchair Farms

Fort Collins www.lakeridgefarms.org LaVida Greens (CSA) Fort Collins www.lavidagreens.com Lazy Bee Ranch 2503 County Rd. 47 Hudson www.lazybeeranch.com Leffler Family Farm & Local Motion CSA, (CSA)

914 Cottonwood Dr. Fort Collins www.highchairfarms.com farm fresh baby food purees, granola, bread

Eaton, www.lefflerfarms.com

Hill’s Harvest

703 Aspen Grove Way, Severance www.facebook.com/ libertyhomegrownproduce

3225 E 124th Ave, Thornton www.Hillsharvest.com 303-451-5637

Liberty Home Grown Produce

Lindenmeier Farm(CSA)

Jodar Farms (CSA)

Fort Collins www.lindenmeierfarm.com

5100 E. County Rd. 48 Fort Collins www.jodarfarms.com

Living Water Ranch Livermore, www.livingwater ranchcolorado.com grassfed & finished beef & lamb

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LISTINGS KEY:

BEEF

DAIRY

EGGS

FISH

FLOWERS & HERBS

HONEY

MUSHROOMS

MUTTON

PORK

POULTRY

PRODUCE

Long Shadow Farm (CSA)

Native Hill Farm (CSA)

Red Dirt Farms

Sunspot Urban Farm (CSA)

101 Bothun Rd. Berthoud www.longshadowfarm.com

2100 CR 54G Ft. Collins www.nativehillfarm.com

609 E CR 70 970-817-3679, grains

Lukens Farm

Ole Dern Farm (CSA)

Red Dog Expressions

1004 and 1008 Sunset Ave. Fort Collins, 556-5942 www.Sunspoturbanfarm. squarespace.com

9378 County Rd. 78, Fort Collins 303-579-2668

Fort Collins

Lyons Farmette (CSA)

Old Fence Farm (CSA)

Fort Collins www.reddogexpressions. wordpress.com

4121 Ute Highway, Lyons www.lyonsfarmette.com

104 North CR 23, Berthoud www.theoldfencefarm.com

Masonville Orchards

On the Vine at Richmond Farms (CSA)

Masonville www.masonvilleorchard.com apples & pears Mazzotti Farms 2628 Weld County Rd. 49, Hudson www.mazzottifarms.com Meadowmaid Foods (CSA) 1333 Road 50, Yoder WY www.meadowmaidfoods.com 307-534-2289 Miller Farms (CSA) 13912 County Rd. 19 Platteville www.millerfarms.net Monroe Organic Farm (CSA) 25525 Weld County Rd. 48, Kersey www.monroefarm.com Motherlove Organic Farm 503 S. County Rd. 1, Johnstown www.motherlove.com

Revive Gardens (CSA) 1413 W. 57th Ave. Loveland www.farmfortcollins.com Rock Ridge Ranch

Loveland, www.sylvandale.com The Growing Project at Hope Farms 1601 N. Shields Fort Collins www.thegrowingproject.org 303-517-4031 The Old Fence Farm

3611 Richmond Dr. Fort Collins www.onthevineat richmondfarms.com

8851 W. US Hwy 34 Loveland www.rockridgebeef.com

Papa Joe’s Local Honey

Rock Soup Ranch

1309 Westridge Dr. Loveland 593-2800 honey, wax, pollen, royal jelly

2420 E. County Rd. 68 Wellington www.rocksoupranch.com

12404 WCR 64 ½, Greeley tiggesfarm.com

Quatrix Aquaponics

Sauer Family Beef

Top Notch All Natural Meats

LaPorte, www.quatrix.us

6681 County Rd. 50 Johnstown www.sauerfamilybeef.com

Pierce, topnotchmeats.com

Raindrop Retreat (CSA) 6410 Placer Ct. Bellvue www.raindropretreat.com Raisin Roots Farm (CSA) 901 S. County Rd. 31 Berthoud Raspberry Hill Farm

Tigges Farm

Von Trotha-Firestien Farm at Bracewell

2235 N. 47th Ave.Greeley www.scarecrowgardens.com

30951 County Road 27, Greeley bracewellfarm.com

Sixdog Farms

Westbridge Farms

Wellington www.sixdogfarms.com

1225 Blue Spruce Dr. Fort Collins westbridgefarms.com

Sunny Daze 13350 N County Road 15, Wellington, 568-7424 www.raspberryhill.farm

Berthoud www.theoldfencefarm.com

Scarecrow Gardens

901 S. County Rd. 5, Fort Collins www.SunnydazeGardens.com Sunray Natural (CSA) Fort Collins www.sunraynatural.farm Sunrise Ranch (CSA) 100 Sunrise Ranch Rd. Loveland www.sunriseranch.org

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Sylvan Dale Ranch

WiseAcres Greenhouse 3545 W. O St. Greeley facebook.com/ WiseAcres-Greenhouse Wooly Goat Farms(CSA) 117 S Taft Hill Rd woolygoatfarm.com 970-599-4756

2016 FARMERS MARKETS Berthoud Local Farmers Market Fickel Park in downtown Berthoud Saturdays, 9 - 1, Jun 25 - Sept 24 Locally grown produce, producer-made goods, local services, CSAs www.berthoudlocal.org/farmers-market/

Downtown Mead Farmers Market Mead Town Park Sundays, 10 - 1, Jun 26 - Sept 25th Local farm produce, artisan crafts and entrepreneurial goods www.townofmead.org

CAMC Fort Collins Farmers Market Harmony & Lemay in Front of Ace Hardware Sundays, 11 - 3, May 6 - Oct 28, Wednesdays, 11 - 3, Jun 13 - Oct 31 Fresh produce, plants, fruits, cheese, and meats as well as specialty products www.fortcollinsfm.com

Drake Road Farmers Market 802 W Drake Rd., Fort Collins Saturdays, 10 - 1, Apr 16 - Sept 24 Fruits, Vegetables, Pastas, Breads, Soaps, Dairy Products, Meats www.drakeroadfarmersmarket.com

CAMC Loveland Farmers Market HWY 287 in front of Hobby Lobby (3133 N. Garfield) Tuesdays, 11 - 3, May 1 - Oct 30 Produce, plants, fruits, cheese, and meats as well as specialty products www.fortcollinsfm.com City of Loveland Farmers Market at Fairgrounds Park 700 S Railroad Ave.

Sundays, 9 - 1:30, Jun 26 - Sept 25 Produce, fruit, coffee, flowers, popcorn, honey, mushrooms, BBQ sauce, salsa, soap, lotion, meat, music, food truck, etc.

www.cityofloveland/farmersmarket

Erie Farmers Market Briggs Street in Downtown Thursdays, 5 - 8, May 19 - Sept 22 Colorado farms, locally hand made and homemade foods, arts and services www.relfarmersmarketsco.com Estes Valley Farmers Market Bond Park on E Elkhorn Ave. Thursdays, 8 - 1, Jun 2 - early Oct. Fresh produce, breads, cheeses, smoothies, flowers, and more from area farmers www.facebook.com/EstesValleyFarmersMarket Greeley Farmers Market at the Depot 902 7th Ave. Saturdays, 7:30 - 12, May 21 - Oct 29, Wednesdays, 3 - 6, July 6 - Sept 28 Produce, meats, honey, eggs, baked goods, jams/ jellies, soaps/lotions, local arts/crafts www.greeleygov.com/fm;

FARM STANDS SEE WEBSITES FOR SEASONS AND HOURS OF OPERATION

Anders Farm 8443 US HWY 8, Fort Lupton www.facebook.com/AndersFarm-138514266184151/

Gaia’s Farm and Gardens 4328 W Co Rd 54G, Laporte www.gaiascsa.com

Bartels Farm 3424 E Douglas Rd., Fort Collins www.thebartelsfarm.com

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

Blue Bench Farm 33772 HWY 257, Windsor www.bluebenchfarms.com

Ginger’s Farm 12037 County Rd. 74, Eaton www.facebook.com/GingersFarm

Carrie’s Clucks 37477 Co Rd 21, Windsor www.carriesclucks.com

Good Grin Farm 2925 W Mulberry St., Fort Collins www.goodgrinfarm.com

Croft’s Greeley Farm Stand 4110 Centerplace Dr., Greeley www.croftfamilyfarm.com

Green Dog Farm Fort Collins www.greendogfarmcsa.com

FoCo F.R.E.S.H. 2225 W Vine Dr., Fort Collins www.focofresh.com

Happy Heart Farm 2820 W Elizabeth St., Fort Collins www.happyheartfarmcsa.com

Jessup Artisian Farmers Market 1957 Jessup Dr., Fort Collins Thursdays, 4 - 7, starting mid-Jun Live music, local produce, eggs, cheese, bread and baked goods, and lots of other local handmade art www.farmhousefc.com Johnstown Milliken Farmers Market Charlotte St. and Parish Ave. Fridays, 4 - 8, Jun - Oct Baked goods, arts & crafts, flowers, vegetables, honey, jams, plants, juices www.johnstownmillikenchamber.com Larimer County Farmers Market 200 W Oak St. Saturdays, 8 - 12, May 14 - Oct 22 Fresh veggies, fruit, meat, eggs, baked goods, craft and specialty items, wine, kombucha, jams and jellies, dog treats, plants and cut flowers www.larimercountyfarmersmarket.org Louisville Farmers Market 824 Front St., Louisville Saturdays, 9 - 1, May 28 - Oct 22 Colorado farms, locally handmade and homemade foods, arts and services www.relfarmersmarketsco.com Wellington Farmers Market Centennial Park Thursdays, 4 - 8, Jun 20 - Oct 20 Fresh foods, and horticultural products www.wellingtoncofarmersmarket.org

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

Ollin Farms 8627 North 95th St. Longmont www.ollinfarms.com

Heritage Lavender 4809 Foothills Drive Berthoud www.heritagelavender.com

On the Vine at Richmond Farms 3611 Richmond Drive, Fort Collins www.onthevineatrichmond farms.com

High Altitude Organics 25572 Weld Co Rd 32 La Salle www.highaltitudeorganics.com

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

Hoffman Farms, LLC 3545 W 0 St., Greeley www.hopsandpeppers.com

Red Dirt Farms 609 East Co Rd 70, Wellington

Jodar Farms

5100 E Co Rd 48, Fort Collins www.jodarfarms.com Long Shadow Farm 101 Bothun Rd., Berthoud www.longshadowfarm.com Native Hill Farm 2100 W Co Rd 54G Fort Collins www.nativehillfarm.com

Revive Gardens 6501 W 91st Ave., Westminster www.farmfortcollins.com Sunny Daze 901 S. Co Rd 5, Fort Collins www.sunnydazegardens.com Tigges Farm 12404 Co Rd 64 ½ Greeley www.tiggesfarm.com

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2016 Growing Season CALENDAR of

MAY 4

EVENTS

time; You must RSVP by either buying a ticket at www.thegrowingproject.org or emailing info@thegrowingproject.org for instructions for paying by cash, check or work trade. $10

Humanure Composting 101 6-7:30 pm; The Growing Project Garden at Hope Farms, 1601 N. Shields St. 80524 Learn principles and basic techniques of composting “human manure” for agriculture purposes. You must RSVP by purchasing a ticket at www.thegrowingproject.org or emailing info@thegrowingproject.org to pay by cash, check or work trade. $10

Morning Yoga at the Larimer County Farmers Market 8am - 200 W. Oak Street (Larimer County Courthouse parking lot); with Elan Yoga; Dog Video Filming; larimercountyfarmersmarket.org

MAY 4

MAY 14

Movie Screening-To make a Farmer at the Lyric Cinema Café; Fundraiser for Poudre Valley Community Farms, a Land Cooperative; Doors at 5:30pm, Movie at 6pm

MAY 7

Hands-on Chicken Coop Building -SLA Workshop 10-4pm This 1-day hands-on workshop will teach you how to properly plan for the number of birds you want to keep, by building an adequate coop with plenty of space for your feathered friends to roam. We will build the coop together and discuss proper laying boxes, roosting perches, access and more. You will need to be comfortable with power and hand tools and be willing to work as a team. $60, 12 people max More info and register: https:// sustainablelivingassociation.org/workshops/ abundant-backyard/

MAY 11

Foraging for Spring Flowers and Pollinators 6-7:30pm; Off of hemlock at parking lot for McMurray Natural Area; Learn about spring flowers and pollinators in the area. Dress for weather! This class will be outside the whole

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MAY 14

Make Your Own Container Crevice Garden 1:30-3:30; Gardens on Spring Creek; A new garden trend is growing plants that need special drainage in the cracks between vertical rocks. Bring your own trough or container 1215 inches wide. Taught by Sherry Fuller, Curator, $15

MAY 21

Take Control of your Sprinkler System 10-noon; Gardens on Spring Creek; Learn to monitor, make adjustments, and understand the functions of your system. Taught by Eric Olsen, City of Fort Collins Utilities. $15

MAY 21

Meet your Vegetables at the Larimer County Farmers Market (recipes and tasting of seasonal fm vegetables and fruits!) 8am 200 W. Oak Street (Larimer County Courthouse parking lot); larimercountyfarmersmarket.org

MAY 21

Basics of Rock Gardening 1-3pm; Gardens on Spring Creek; Learn how our rock garden was build and ways to adapt that to fit into your home landscape. Topics include rock placement, soil choices and plants.

Taught by Dillon Hancock, Horticulturs; $15

MAY 22

Tour de Coop 8:30 - 1:30 pm More info and registration here - https://sustainablelivingassociation.org/ event/tour-de-coop/

MAY 24

Spring into Summer: A Growing Project Fundraiser 7- 9 pm at Odell Brewing Co, Live music by Write Minded, silent auction, snacks, beer and friends. Help us raise money for our new educational garden at Hope Farms! $10 entry includes one beer ticket; additional beer tickets are $3. Pay at the door, we accept credit cards.

JUNE 4

Science Saturday (Chemistry Club – Running Colors/ Slime) at the Larimer County Farmers Market 8am-noon; 200 W. Oak Street (Larimer County Courthouse parking lot); larimercountyfarmersmarket.org

JUNE 4

Spring Farm Tour 10-5pm; Grant Farm CSA, 12155 N CO Rd. 15, Wellington; Family friendly event, Tour the farm, take an intro to permaculture class and meet the new team. www.grantfarms.com

JUNE 6

JUNE 13

Farm School with Angela Monday June 6, 9:30 - 12:30; $30, ages 5 and up; Come and explore animals, garden and nature on the farm. We will be exploring bugs in the garden and talking about the role of beneficial insects. We will get our hands dirty in the garden, explore the nature around us and learn about life on the farm all in a fun outdoor setting while creating a relationship with the world around us. Please send your child with water, lunch and a snack. www. laughingbuckfarm.com

Jessup Farm Artisan Village Open Air Market 4-7pm; June 16 - October 27, Thursdays only, free; live music

JUNE 7

JUNE 16

Pony Camp with Kat Tuesday, June 7th, 9:30 - 12:30; $30, ages 7 and up; Pony Camp is a fun way for children to spend time on the farm and get lots of time with our horses and ponies. In addition to joining in on a full round of farm chores feeding chickens, pigs, and playing in the hay barn, we’ll spend LOTS of time with the horses, grooming, leading, saddling, learning about parts of the horse and then learning the basics of riding. And if it gets too hot, we’ll just declare it time for horse baths! Please send your child with water, lunch, a snack, boots, and long pants. Children need boots or sturdy shoes that cover the toes when working with horses. www.laughingbuckfarm.com

JUNE 8

Art on the Farm with Christine and Kat Wednesday, June 8 - Friday, June 10 9:30-12:30; $90, ages 5-7; Three days of creative farm fun for the younger artist. Campers will explore the farm and a variety of artistic adventures!

Action Art, brushes of nature and a bit of big and messy round out this camp. Artists should wear clothes for getting messy and bring water, snack and lunch. www.laughingbuckfarm.com

JUNE 11

Impact of Soil Health on Nutrition (w/ Eli & Sarah Hodapp), 10am, $15, info at www.FortCollinsNursery.com

JUNE 11

Morning Yoga at the Larimer County Farmers Market 8am- 200 W. Oak Street, Larimer County Courthouse parking lot; with Elan Yoga. Health Fair: Personal trainers, fitness groups, and dietitians from fort Collins, larimercountyfarmersmarket.org

JUNE 11

Barn Dance at the Wolverine Farm Letter Press and Public House; Fundraiser for Poudre Valley Community Farms, a Land Cooperative. Danc’in from 7:30-10pm

Gardeners and Chefs - Allergy Aware 9-noon; Gardens on Spring Creek; Come join us for cooking and gardening. We will make fun recipes, exploring the plants that flavor our foods and making our own book of recipes to take home! The first edition of this camp will feature dairy free, nut free, and gluten free recipes. $125

JUNE 16

Rock Garden Concert A benefit for Project Self-Sufficiency, 6:30pm, $12 adv/ $15 door, info at www.FortCollinsNursery.com

JUNE 18

Brewers Olympics & Beer Festival noon-5; Go West T-Shirt Company, 1725 Heath Pkwy, Fort Collins; 12 breweries compete in games of chance and skill to benefit House that Beer Built II; family friendly activities, food trucks, bouncy house, DJ and dunk tank. $10 entry and one beer, additional beers $4 suggested donation

JUNE 18

Meet your Vegetables at the Larimer County Farmers Market (recipes and tasting of seasonal fm vegetables and fruits!) 8-noon; 200 W. Oak Street (Larimer County Courthouse parking lot); larimercountyfarmersmarket.org

JUNE 18

Read Aloud with Larimer County Farmers Market 10 am – 11 am, Poudre Library

JUNE 18

Solstice Farm Dinner Grant Farm CSA, 12155 N CO Rd. 15, Wellington; Lovely music as we launch the first day of summer. www.grantfarms.com

JUNE 19

Father’s Day Tree Planting Sale info at www.FortCollinsNursery.com

JUNE 20

Summer Solstice Run Jessup Farm Artisan Village; more information and tickets at www.jessupfarm.com

JUNE 20

Full Day - Garden Animals I and II 9am-4pm; Gardens on Spring Creek; Explore the exciting world of insects, arachnids and bugs. What they do, how they work and even meeting a few up close! $220

JUNE 20

Afternoon - Garden Animals II 1-4pm; Gardens on Spring Creek; In the afternoon we will focus on the different animals living in the Garden and Colorado through exploration, games and crafts. $120

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JUNE 20

Morning Garden Animals I 9-noon; Gardens on Spring Creek; Explore the exciting world of insects, arachnids and bugs. What they do, how they work and even meeting a few up close! In the afternoon we will focus on the different animals living in the Garden and Colorado through exploration, games and crafts; $125

JUNE 22

Family Farm Camp with Kat Wednesday, June 22, 9:30 - 12:30; $30, all ages, parents welcome to stay; On Family Farm Days we will do a round of farm chores, play in the haybarn, learn about horses, hug the chickens, brush the ponies and get a sense of what life is like on the farm. We could also also have hands on nature activities and / or water fun depending on the day. Please send your child with water, lunch and a snack. Children need sturdy shoes that cover the toes when working with horses. www.laughingbuckfarm.com

JUNE 22

Parable In Gastronomy Received Over A Solstice Table 7:30pm - Disassembly dinner including fire dancers at the new Lyric Cinema property on North College; more info contact bmozer@ hotmail.com or lyriccinemacafe.com

JUNE 25

Down on the Bayou Dinner Grant Farm CSA, 12155 N CO Rd. 15, Wellington; Cajun Cuisine and a little New Orleans Blues and Jazz; www.grantfarms.com

JUNE 27

Full Day - Arts Camp I and II 9-4pm; artistic experiences in the Garden! The morning camp will focus on different types of art each day. Our afternoon camp will explore music, theater and dance—all happening in the beautiful outdoor spaces of the Gardens on Spring Creek; $220

JUNE 27

Morning - Arts Camp I 9-noon; Week of artistic experiences in the Garden! The morning camp will focus on different types of art each day. Our afternoon camp will explore music, theater and dance— all happening in the beautiful outdoor spaces of the Gardens on Spring Creek; $125

JUNE 29

Herbal Remedies from Backyard Plants 5:30-7pm; Gardens on Spring Creek; Make the most of your backyard gardens and home by attending these classes; $15

JULY 2

Science Saturday at the Larimer County Farmers Market 8-noon; 200 W. Oak Street, Larimer County Courthouse parking lot; larimercountyfarmersmarket.org

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JULY 3

Community Night Chicken Dinner at the Farm House at Jessup Farm Portion of Proceeds go to Poudre Valley Community Farms, A land Cooperative.

JULY 6

Art on the Farm with Christine and Kat Wednesday, July 6 - Friday, July 8, 9:30-1:30; $100 (3 longer days, includes materials), ages: 7+; Bookbinding, sketching, painting, nature and fabric art. This camp concludes with an art show for family and friends. Artists should wear clothes for getting messy and bring water, snack and lunch. www.laughingbuckfarm.com

JULY 9

Morning Yoga at the Larimer County Farmers Market 8am- 200 W. Oak Street (Larimer County Courthouse parking lot); with Elan Yoga; larimercountyfarmersmarket.org

JULY 9

Smart Solar Gardening Through Design and Microclimates Workshop (with Kelly O’Donnell), 10am, $15, info at www.

FortCollinsNursery.com

JULY 10

Community Night Chicken Dinner at the Farm House at Jessup Farm Portion of Proceeds go to Poudre Valley Community Farms, A land Cooperative.

JULY 11

Morning Gardeners and Chefs - Conventional Cooking 9-noon; Gardens on Spring Creek; Make fun recipes, explore the plants that flavor our foods and make your own book of recipes to take home! The second edition of this camp will feature more conventional recipes than the first $125

JULY 12

Beer or Chocolate- Why Choose?

7-9 pm, Odell Brewing; Come enjoy organic raw chocolate from Radiantly Raw and paired Odell beers as we raise money for Friends of Happy Heart’s programs at the same time! Tickets will be for sale at www.happyheartfriends.org beginning June 20th

JULY 13

Introduction to Urban Beekeeping 5:30-7pm; Make the most of your backyard gardens and home by attending these classes; The Gardens on Spring Creek; $15

JULY 16

Meet your Vegetables at the Larimer County Farmers Market Recipes and tasting of seasonal fm vegetables and fruits! 8-noon; 200 W. Oak Street, Larimer County Courthouse parking lot; larimercountyfarmersmarket.org

JULY 16

Thunder Moon Dinner Grant Farm CSA, 12155 N CO Rd. 15, Wellington; Colorado Cuisine with a flair of Colorado Musical melodies; www.grantfarms.com

JULY 17

Heart of Summer Farm Dinner 5-9pm; at Happy Heart Farm; 5 courses prepared by a local chef paired with local beer and wine; $80 proceeds benefit Friends of Happy Heart Farm; Details at www.fortifiedcollaborations.com

JULY 17

Community Night Chicken Dinner at the Farm House at Jessup Farm Portion of Proceeds go to Poudre Valley Community Farms, A land Cooperative.

JULY 18-22

Photography on the Farm with Kirsten Monday July 18 Wednesday, July 20, Friday July 22, 9 - 12 ; $90 (3 day class), ages 8 and up; www.laughingbuckfarm.com

JULY 22

Rock Garden Concert 6:30pm, $12 adv/ $15 door, info at www.

FortCollinsNursery.com

JULY 23

Summer Festival 9:00-12:00 at Jessup Farm Artisan Village; more information at www.jessupfarm.com

JULY 24

Community Night Chicken Dinner at the Farm House at Jessup Farm Portion of Proceeds go to Poudre Valley Community Farms, A land Cooperative.

JULY 28

Fresh Salsa and Beer Pairing Class 6-8pm; Fort Collins Brewer; Summer beers need summer food pairings! Come learn how to make fresh salsa and pair FCB beers with high-acid summer fare. To reserve your spot visit www. fortcollinsbrewery.com

JULY 29-31

Summer Perennial Sale info at www.FortCollinsNursery.com

JULY 30

Urban Homestead Tour 9-3pm, Explore six working homesteads in Fort Collins and Loveland in this self-guided Urban Homestead Tour. Learn some tricks of the trade while getting inspired for your own home and garden. Bees, chickens, goats, greenhouses and hoops, repurposed and recycled materials, edible gardens and other demonstrations will be featured on this year’s Tour. Proceeds benefit the Gardens on Spring Creek and Loveland Youth Gardeners. Children 12 and under are admitted free.

JULY 31

Community Night Chicken Dinner at the Farm House at Jessup Farm Portion of Proceeds go to Poudre Valley Community Farms, A land Cooperative.

AUGUST 3

Homesteading Basics with Christine Wednesday, August 3 - Friday, August 5, 9:301:30; $100 (3 longer days, includes materials), ages 7 and up; Campers will have hands-on practice with beekeeping and candle making, chicken care and campfire cooking, gardening and food preservation, plus a little stitching and sewing! Homesteaders should wear clothes for getting messy and bring water, snack and lunch. www.laughingbuckfarm.com

AUGUST 6

Science Saturday at the Larimer County Farmers Market (Environmental Learning Center) 8-noon; 200 W. Oak Street (Larimer County Courthouse parking lot); larimercountyfarmersmarket.org

AUGUST 6

Garden a’ Fare Wine Tour 6-8pm; Gardens on Spring Creek - Garden a’ Fare is a series of two culinary pairing events highlighting edible garden creations by local chefs featuring produce grown in the Garden of Eatin’ paired with Blue Skies wine or Odell beers. Wine Tour will feature modern “progressive dinner” style courses by local chefs paired with four varietals of wine from Blue Skies while Beer Tour will include savory and sweet tapas paired with Odell brews. Guests are treated to local music, silent auction, and a complimentary event tasting glass - all the while having the opportunity to explore our beautiful botanic gardens $75

AUGUST 8

Morning - Colorful Colorado 9-noon; the Gardens on Spring Creek; Colorado history and landscapes. Build your own fossils, plant a native tree and make herbed butter just like a pioneer! We will spend a week exploring grassland to glacial landscapes; as well as incorporating fun activities related to Colorado history $125

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AUGUST 9

Family Farm Camp with Kat Tuesday, August 9th, 9:30 - 12:30; $30, all ages, parents welcome to stay On Family Farm Days we will do a round of farm chores, play in the haybarn, learn about horses, hug the chickens, brush the ponies and get a sense of what life is like on the farm. We could also have hands on nature activities and / or water fun depending on the day. Please send your child with water, lunch and a snack. Children need sturdy shoes that cover the toes when working with horses. www.laughingbuckfarm.com

AUGUST 11

Workshop: Microgreens (w/ Kathy Hatfield), 4:30pm, $21, info at www.FortCollinsNursery.com

AUGUST 13

Morning Yoga at the Larimer County Farmers Market 8am- 200 W. Oak Street (Larimer County Courthouse parking lot); with Elan Yoga; larimercountyfarmersmarket.org

AUGUST 13

Spanish Sturgeon Moon Dinner Grant Farm CSA, 12155 N CO Rd. 15, Wellington; The taste of Espania at the foot of the Colorado Rockies. Enjoy the sound of spanish guitars and the flavor of the old world. www. grantfarms.com

AUGUST 15

Farm Day with Kat Monday, August 15th, 9:30 - 12:30; $30, ages 4 - 10; On Summer Farm Days we will explore the children’s garden, play in the haybarn, learn about horses, hug chickens, and get a sense of what life is like on the farm. We could also have hands on nature activities and / or water fun depending on the day. www.laughingbuckfarm.com

AUGUST 18

Rock Garden Concert $12 adv/ $15 door, info at www.FortCollinsNursery.com

AUGUST 20

Meet your Vegetables at the Larimer County Farmers Market Recipes and tasting of seasonal fm vegetables and fruits! 8-noon; 200 W. Oak Street, Larimer County Courthouse parking lot; larimercountyfarmersmarket.org

AUGUST 20

Tour de Farms More info and registration online www.sustainablelivingassociation. org/event/tour-de-farms-2/

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AUGUST 21

3 Forks Progressive Farm Dinner Farms TBD; Diners are encouraged to ride their bikes on an approximate 3 mile loop from farm to farm to enjoy a course and entertaining experience at each farm, paired with wine and beer. Bike ride led by Bike Fort Collins.

Tickets and more info at www.fortifiedcollaborations.com

AUGUST 27-SEPTEMBER 5

Yard Sale at Fort Collins Nursery info at www.FortCollinsNursery.com

AUGUST 27

Boots and Spurs Dinner Grant Farm CSA, 12155 N CO Rd. 15, Wellington; Old west meets new west as the flavors align for a little bit of down home cooking! www. grantfarms.com

AUGUST 27

Garden a’ Fare Beer Tour 6-8pm; Gardens on Spring Creek. A series of two culinary pairing events highlighting edible garden creations by local chefs featuring produce grown in the Garden of Eatin’ paired with Blue Skies wine or Odell beers. Wine Tour will feature modern “progressive dinner” style courses by local chefs paired with four varietals of wine from Blue Skies while Beer Tour will include savory and sweet tapas paired with Odell brews. Guests are treated to local music, silent auction, and a complimentary event tasting glass - all the while having the opportunity to explore our beautiful botanic gardens; $55

AUGUST 28

Farm to Table Dinner 6-8pm; Fort Collins Brewery Revel in the flavors of summer produce from local farms as we gather to celebrate the harvest season. Tickets will be on sale at www.fortcollinsbrewery.com and www.happyheartfriends.org beginning in August.

SEPTEMBER 4

Mishawaka 100 Year Harvest Dinner at Grant Farms 12155 N CO Rd. 15, Wellington; 5 courses prepared by Chef Brent Jackson of The Kitchen Fort Collins, paired with brews from Horse & Dragon; select wines available, music by Grant Farm; 5-10p; $80; tickets and more info at www.fortifiedcollaborations.com

BEE A-MAZE-ING Help the bees find their way through the honeycomb to the top of their hive!

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THIS COULD BE A GARDEN

Growing a more verdant community in Northern Colorado

PHOTO COURTESY THE GROWING PROJECT

BY DANA GUBER

WE WANT TO TELL YOU a story.

This story takes place in the empty lots and lawns of Fort Collins, on the streets, in the parks, in the neglected neighborhoods, and on the lots doomed for urban development. This story begins walking the streets and paths around this city, riding our bikes down alleyways and over asphalt. It’s a tale of the empty spaces, the inspiring unoccupied terrain that makes us think - this could be a garden.

We dream of filling the line between where the blacktop ends and the concrete begins with food producing spaces. We envision unpaving parking lots to put in urban gardening paradises.

And we find wonder in the seeds we scatter in unloved places. Â Just a small desire to see something green in a world of black and white and gray.

At The Growing Project, we imagine concrete and asphalt artifacts, fossils from a different time. We muse that children will find these long lost remnants, in their neighborhood or school garden and save them to remember a concrete civilization, the people of pavement, now

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swallowed by green and gardens.

We are lucky at The Growing Project to take part in the transformation of bare spaces into beautiful food-producing gardens. We teach people how to grow their own food and we help distribute this homegrown food to the populations that need it the most. Together we are growers, educators, and organizers, and our goal is to make it easy for everyone to obtain nourishing foods regardless of their income.

At Poudre Valley Mobile Home Park, we removed broken blacktop to install a garden, going back every week to plant seeds and pull weeds with the kids. We cover concrete with planters and garden beds at The Boys and Girls Club, cultivating and connecting weekly with the youth. We smother grass with cardboard and compost at The Murphy Center, sharing stories and planting tomato starts with our homeless and transient friends. We dig in long rows of veggies and plentiful perennials at our one acre garden at Hope Farms that feeds the community.

We are organic architects, building

soil and drafting drip lines. We dream of designing orchards on urban lots destined for development. We wonder about ways to direct our water to nurture food flourishing on medians and in alley ways instead of letting it disappear down storm drains.

We are community organizers and chaos chasers, designers and demolishers, students and teachers, foragers and cultivators. We look for silence between the rows of tomatoes and for wonder below our feet and between our fingertips. We wander this city in search of spaces. Spaces to break ground or to build it up, looking for those forgotten places that make you think -this could be a garden.

Dana Guber is the Executive Director of The Growing Project, a local non-profit that plants community gardens where they are needed in Northern Colorado, providing food and direct agricultural experiences ,education and advocacy.

To learn more about The Growing Project and how to get involved, please visit www.thegrowingproject.org

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Fortified Farm Dinners 28 |

Our farm dinners showcase the very best our region has to offer in locally grown food, culinary creativity and community collaboration. Every dinner raises funds for a local non-profit. Join us for a delicious dinner on the farm! [ JULY 17 ] Heart of Summer Dinner at Happy Heart Farm [ AUGUST 21 ] 3 Forks Progressive Farm Dinner – Farms TBD

For tickets and more information, visit:

fortifiedcollaborations.com

[ SEPTEMBER 4 ] Mishawaka 100 Year Harvest Dinner at Grant Farms CSA

Event Sponsorship opportunities available

[ SEPTEMBER 25 ] Harvest Moon Salmon Bake at Poudre Valley Commmunity Farm [ OCTOBER 8 ] 5th Annual Bounty and Brews Beer Dinner at Jordan’s Floral Gardens