Harvest Time in the Valley

by Erica Olson for Deep Roots

Somehow, it has already become November. For many, our gardens have brought forth their last produce of the year; the greenhouse-enabled are still able to boast of the fruits of their labor. It is also the time of year when livestock are heading to market. Locally, the Yampa valley offers up beef, lamb, pork, chevon (goat), rabbit, and a wide arrange of poultry. Additionally, we are literally the land of milk and honey, with local producers available to supply us with goat milk, cow's milk, and sweet, golden honey.

I-80 closed in Wyoming last week due to bad weather; it reminded us how isolated we can be. Nearly all of us remember the winter storms that closed the pass a few years ago and how quickly the stores ran bare. With those possibilities, it makes sense for us to develop a local food network so that we can thrive on our own resources, rather than depending on our ability to import from outside sources.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

From the Ground Up: Yampatika and Deep Roots have partnered together to sponsor a four-part series of hands-on gardening workshops out at Legacy Ranch. The focus is on a permaculture approach to gardening; participants have been assisting to re-create the heirloom gardens that may have existed at the site.

The first two workshops have come and gone, but we still have two more to go. The next workshop will be February 18th, so mark your calendars now! This will be a great opportunity for those of us who look at seed catalogs the way inmates look at centerfolds, especially those who love to garden and can't bear to see summer's end. We'll be going over choosing your plants, how to start seeds indoors, and various planting techniques for your garden. For further information or to sign up, call Yampatika at 970-871-9151.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sunday, November 8 will be the second annual Routt County Agricultural Fall Gathering. Meetings run from 11-3:30, featuring the Farmers Bureau, Farm Union, Routt County CattleWomen, Routt County Cattlemen, Habitat Protection Program, the Routt County Conservation District. In addition, Deep Roots will be hosting a public forum from 3-3:30 pm and would like to extend an invitation to all community members interested in developing a local food system to show up and make your voices heard!