Harvest
Berthoud’s Fickel Farmers Market
Fickel Park, 620 Mountain Ave., Berthoud Saturdays, beginning June 14, 9am–1pm www.berthoud.org/1430/The-Berthoud-Market
Erie Farmers Market
Briggs Street between Wells and Moffatt, Erie Thursdays, 5–8pm, May 15–Sept. 18 www.realfarmersmarketco.com
Estes Valley Farmers Market Visitor Center, 500 Big Thompson Ave., EP Thursdays, 8am–1pm, June–Sept. www.facebook.com/EstesValleyFarmersMarket
Farmers Market at Fairgrounds Park
700 S. Railroad Ave., Loveland Sundays, 9am–1pm, June 1–Sept. 28 www.cityofloveland.org/farmersmarket
Fort Collins Farmers Market
1001 E. Harmony Rd., FC (rain or shine) Sundays, 10am–2pm, May 4–Nov. 9 Wednesdays, 10am–2pm, June 4–Sept. 24
fortcollinsfarmersmarket.org www.facebook.com/fortcollinsfarmersmarket
Greeley Summer Farmers Market
7th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues, north of Lincoln Park Saturdays, 8am–Noon, May 3–Oct. 25 www.greeleygov.com/fm
Larimer County Farmers Market
200 W. Oak St., FC (courthouse parking lot) Saturdays, 9am–1pm, May 17–Oct. 25 www.larimercountyfarmersmarket.org
Loveland West Farmers Market at Jax 2665 W Eisenhower Blvd, LV Tuesdays, 9am–1pm, April 22–Nov. 4 www.facebook.com/ LovelandWestFarmersMarket
Timnath Sunday Market
Colorado Feed & Grain, 4138 Main St., Timnath Second & Fourth Sundays 10am–2pm, May–Oct www.TimnathFarmersMarket.org
Windsor Farmers Market
Boardwalk Park, 100 5th St., Windsor Saturdays, 8am–12:30pm, June 7–Sept. 6 www.windsorgov.com/FarmersMarket
FARM STANDS 2025 NoCo Farmers Markets
Bartels Farm
3424 E. Douglas Rd., Fort Collins thebartelsfarm.com www.facebook.com/The-Bartels-PumpkinPatch-137755902661
Chapmans Produce
31985 CR 17, Windsor www.facebook.com/ChapmansProduce
Colorado Fresh Farms
8101 S. Timberline Rd., Fort Collins www.coloradofreshfarms.com
Desiderata Ranch
4617 W. CR 2, Berthoud www.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 CSA
3421 West CR 54G, Laporte (next to Overland Foods) www.greendogfarmcsa.com
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.
Hazel Dell Mushrooms
3925 E. CR 32 (Carpenter Rd.), Fort Collins www.hazeldellmushrooms.com
Hoffman Farms, LLC
3545 W. O St., Greeley www.hoffmanproduce.com
Hope Farms
1601 N. Shields St., Fort Collins www.facebook.com/CULTIVATINGHOPECO
Jodar Farms/Fort Collins Vine Farm
Order online/pick up in Fort Collins www.jodarfarms.com
Long Shadow Farm
Order online/pick up Berthoud www.longshadowfarm.wixsite.com/longshadow
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 www.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
Pope Farms and Produce 6501 West 28th St., Greeley www.popefarmsproduce.com
Scofield Fruits
1821 W Eisenhower Blvd., Loveland www.scofieldfruits.com
Sunny Daze Gardens
901 S. CR 5, Fort Collins www.sunnydazegardens.com
Tigges Farm 12404 CR 64½, Greeley www.facebook.com/tigges.farm
Vibrant Life Farms
3315 Glade Rd., Loveland
Order online, delivery to Loveland/Fort Collins www.vibrantlifefarms.com
Well Fed Farmstead 2229 W. Vine Dr., Fort Collins www.wellfedfarmstead.com
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
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 high-maintenance 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 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.
Buy Local 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 Market at Town Park
June 14 to September 27 on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm
Estes Valley Farmers’ Market
Estes Park
June 5 to September 25 on Thursdays from 8am to 1pm
Farmers’ Market at Fairgrounds Park
Loveland
June 1 to September 28 on Sundays from 9am to 1pm
Fort Collins Farmers’ Market
Fort Collins
May 4 to November 9 on Sundays from 10am to 2pm
June 4 to September 24 on Wednesdays from 10am to 2pm
Greeley Farmers’ Market
Greeley
May 3 to October 25 on Saturdays from 8am to 12pm
Larimer County Farmers’ Market
Fort Collins
May 17 to October 25 on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm
