THE BEET LIST

Harvest Time in the Valley

2009-11-06T14:04:00.000-08:00

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.

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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.

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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!

Garlic & Lamb

2009-08-23T16:02:00.000-07:00

A Stinking Rose for Steamboat

Garlic is one of the easiest vegetables to grow in our mountain climate. With a small investment and a little work, the gardener is rewarded with a luscious—if smelly—crop of beautiful, tasty bulbs. My general rule of thumb is to plant in late September, harvest in late July. Here are my steps to delicious garlic:

In Advance
1. Plan the garden location and size. The garden should be located where it can receive good sun and will get enough water, but won’t be in standing water. It takes about two pounds of seed garlic to plant a 4’ x 6’ bed, which produces more than my husband and I can eat in a year. Sell some, share with friends, pickle some, eat more.

2. Prepare the garden bed by removing all weeds. Loosen the soil and add soil amendments as soon as possible, so the soil has a chance to absorb them.

3. Check local garden stores for seed garlic or order it from a reputable source. Don’t use grocery-store garlic, which is often treated with sprouting inhibitor.

Planting Day
4. Peel off the outer layer of dry skin from the bulb of garlic. Gently separate the individual cloves. Depending on the variety, you may have 4-12 plantable cloves. I plant the largest cloves, and eat the smaller ones.

5. In the garden, use a narrow trowel or bulb planter to make a hole about 3 inches deep. You can add a sprinkle of bone meal to the bottom of the hole, which helps bulbs with root growth. Place the clove into the hole, root end down, and cover with soil. The root end is the dry, gnarly, rough end. Plant cloves 4 inches apart.

6. When you’ve planted all your cloves, give the garden a little water. Then cover with a good 6 inches of straw and water again. This mulch will help keep the moisture in until snow arrives and will help prevent weeds next spring.

Watch this space next spring for tips on growing and harvesting your garlic!

Mary’s Lamb Cook-Off
It’s all about LOCAL: talented local chefs will prepare mouth-watering dishes using locally-raised lamb and locally-raised produce! It’s the first-ever Mary’s Lamb Cook-Off!

Mark your calendar! This event is part of OktoberWest, September 19, at Bear River Bar & Grill on the ski mountain.

Competing chefs will receive one side of lamb and will prepare dishes for two competitions: Best Little Lamb and People’s Choice. The Best Little Lamb contest will be judged by a panel of five experts.

Please join us at 3:30 pm for the People’s Choice competition. You’ll get to sample an astonishing variety of lamb dishes, plus you get to vote for the winner!

Update on "Pass The Bread"

2009-08-23T09:59:00.000-07:00

Pass the Bread

Report on inaugural event, June 26, 2009

First, to the future: It looks like October 24 will be a great day for our next Pass the Bread!We’ve received a lot of enthusiastic support for an October event, but to make it happen, Lynn and Lynne need your help! We need a few people for a small committee to plan the event, and help us find hosts for the event. Let us hear from you soon, so we can move forward with plans for the October Pass the Bread.

Please visit the website for continuing updates and to give your input: passthebreadcelebratecommunity.wordpress.com/
You can contact us at: passthebreadcelebratecommunity@gmail.com

And now, the report:
Pass the Bread, June 26
We had about 30 host homes, and around 300 people participated around Routt County. What a terrific start to this event! We received great feedback, with a lot of guests mentioning that they’d like to be hosts the next time around.

Different kinds of dinners
Hosts were creative, and came up with lots of different ways to do their dinners:
• A few dinners were co-hosted by two friends
• One of the co-hosted dinners was held as a patio party, and only singles were invited
• Another co-hosted event was a brown-bag lunch in the park
• One host home focused on age, and invited people representing every decade (in age) from the 20s through the 70s.
• The potluck structure seemed to work well for most people. One nice thing about a potluck is that everyone is participating in the meal at a more in-depth level.

Other suggestions we received:
• We learned some new ideas for how to include people you don’t know on your invitation list. One great idea that still works with the theme is to have the host invite a group of people he or she knows, but that don’t know each other.
• Another theme that we like is the block party. Knowing and understanding our neighbors can be the foundation to greater understanding across the greater community.
• Make it a day-long event so that hosts can choose between breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner.
• A few people noted that there was some confusion in the general community about what Pass the Bread actually is and how it works. We need to do a better job of helping people understand.

People’s response to Pass the Bread
In general, it appears that people’s response to Pass the Bread can be summed up with one or both of the following statements:
• Pass the Bread is about building community by people getting together
• Pass the Bread is about building community by enabling connections to work on community projects
And there was a nearly universal comment that what we have in Routt County is unique and special. Quite a few people who have lived in other communities commented that there’s a stronger sense of community and connectedness here than anyplace else they’ve lived.
　
Thoughts about future dinners
There were a lot of good suggestions, some that we plan to incorporate the next time around. Here are some ideas:
• There was a lot of energy and animation created by meeting and conversing with a diversity of people outside a person’s usual social network. We intend to find ways to expand the range of people involved, so that the diversity is even greater (age, race, religion, political, geographic, etc.)
• One difficulty seems to be in having younger people involved in the event. How to reach them so they know it’s happening; how to encourage their attendance; how to have the participation of young parents? One suggestion we had was to have a group such as Girl Scouts or 4h have a fundraiser by offering babysitting for this event.
• Some people felt strongly that there should be a definite topic-driven conversation around each table. Others felt that the dinners should be followed up with community service on a project. Others just enjoyed meeting new people and having a good conversation.

We have set up a page called "After Dinner" on our web site (passthebreadcelebratecommunity.wordpress.com/) that gives people the opportunity to exchange information about community projects. We’ve listed a few that people reported from their dinner conversations, so be sure to add your own interests!
• The co-chairs had intended to do this event twice a year, but there was enough feedback suggesting quarterly events that we decided to make something happen in October.
• Several people would like to see this idea go national!

2009-08-23T09:56:00.000-07:00

In Cahoots!

2009-08-09T19:30:00.000-07:00

The end of July saw a presentation at the Community Center from Cindy Dvergsten of Dolores, Colorado. The topic was about how agriculture supports civilization, but that agriculture needs a community to sustain and nurture it in return. For those who missed it, let me essplain. No, is too much; let me sum up.

Cindy started the evening by discussing the complexity of agriculture. It is many things to people: art, science, craft, culture, practice, profession, industry, business, and/or a way of life. But for how much longer? 75% of our food comes from a mere 10% of the population—specifically, giant corporations.

Only ONE percent of our population is involved in agriculture: a mere SIX percent of those are under the age of 30; most farmers are 50+ years old.

The remaining 90% of the farms in the US are family-owned, although those numbers are precarious; government regulations continue to threaten small farms. Our government's policy since the 70s has been “get big or get out,” thanks to Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz. Butz believed that if we increased the efficiency of our agricultural production that it would lead to more disposable income.

Perhaps—for everyone but farmers. JFK described farmers as those who are forced to “buy at retail, sell at wholesale, and pay freight both ways.” Mid-sized family farms are feeling the ever-tightening pinch of the soaring cost of inputs coupled with low prices paid to them in return. The majority of family farms rely on off-farm work to supplement their farm income.

As Cindy pointed out, nurturing family-based agriculture is a continuous process, creating a full-cycle feedback loop. Healthier land equals more opportunities to create wealth; biological wealth leads to social wealth, which in turn leads to economic wealth.

But Steamboat's different! I can hear the cry now. We have such a short growing season! We can't possibly compete!

Really?

In 1930, Routt County was home to 928 family farms—compare that to the 610 farms in 2007 (with $34,115,000 as their combined value of production). Those farms were prolific in raspberries, strawberries, lettuce, peas, spinach, green beans, cabbage, potatoes, oats, barley, dairy cows, and so forth. In 2007, we were in the top 5% in the US for sheep production with a mere 9,000 head, versus 52,000 in 1930.

We may have a short growing season, but our weather is unbelievable. Our potential is huge and our soil is rich. We have not had to deal with the exploitation of our land the way other areas have. By buying locally-produced food, we support our economy, our land, and our selves.

Fire Fly Mountain Produce introduces Routt Countys first CSA!

2009-08-06T06:41:00.000-07:00

Firefly Mountain Produce CSA
*****(Sorry, this CSA has currently been filled.)********

About the CSA ...
These shares are available once a week and costs $14.

Right now, these greens are available:

baby arugula
baby mizuna (a great braising or stir-fry green)
baby spring turnips (crisp, pure white, and delicious!)
rainbow chard
tender kale
cilantro
basil
teenage lettuce heads

In a week or two, I will have my full salad mix (mesclun) available, which will include lettuce, spinach, arugula, kale, Asian greens, and some various other beautiful greens and flowers.

In the next couple of weeks, these will be available:

mesclun mix
arugula
spring turnips with greens
baby bok choy
baby beets with greens
baby carrots
green onions
radishes
new blue potatoes and russets
various Asian greens for braising

I am open to ideas and being flexible, but an example of a weekly
share would be:

1 small head of lettuce (or equivalent substitute)
1/2 lb of mixed salad greens
1 bunch of arugula
1 bunch of radishes
1 bunch of something else:
(bok choy or turnips or chard or kale or beets, etc.)

Subscribers can keep in touch with me by email and phone, and we can substitute items as well as add any extras that might be available. This share could be picked up once a week and would cost $14. Pickup location to be determined.

Contact info:
Christina
Firefly Mountain Produce
40431 Anchor Way
Steamboat Springs, CO 80487
970.846.9662
fireflymtn@msn.com

Local CSA available!

2009-08-06T06:37:00.000-07:00

Morgaine's 8 Gardens will be a High Altitude All Year Round greenhouse.

Emphasizing winter growing, the idea is to provide enough vegatables and berries to approximateley 10 families in a CSA style. Practicing "french" intensive raised bed gardening with a full cycle of soil nourishment. Worms, rain catching, and composting are included in accordance with organic growing practices.
Though, we have no intention of being Certified Organic (in attempt to keep prices low) any one would be welcome to see how we are growing.
We will rotate 150+ different varieties of heirloom vegatables ranging from lettuces to cauliflowers as well as corns.

We will be looking for some help in a cinder block party that we are trying to organize for the weekend of August 8th. Barbeque and Fat Tire will be served to all those who can help.

Expected to Start Fall 2010 in full service. During Fall/Winter 2009 garden anaylsis; food would be based on availability and volunteer's get first preference and then an interest list (email name and phone number to morgaine8@hotmail.com)
Tina Husman Suriano
Morgaine's 8 Gardens
Kremmling, Co.
970-724-9062
970-819-8594 (cell)
970-879-3081 (fax)
morgaine8@hotmail.com

Historic Routt County! update

2009-08-06T06:33:00.000-07:00

Here Is What Historic Routt County! Has Been Up To ...

Restoration of the Diamond Window Cabin started on July 20.
Follow daily progress on our Diamond Window Cabin Web Site.

You'll Find:
Photo Gallery showing all stages of construction - see it for yourself!
Volunteer Information Center - Help Rebuild History! Look here for the latest schedules and needs. Volunteers always are welcome!
Sponsors & Contributors - Thank You!
Information on How to Contribute
General Project Information and News Articles
And More!

We are thrilled with the community support we are receiving. If you would like to participate in the restoration, please call Towny at 846-4553 or email him at hrc@historicrouttcounty.org.

Check the Diamond Window Cabin Web Site often for the latest pictures and news!

2009-07-29T15:36:00.000-07:00

Deep Roots Presents Summer Cooking Series!

2009-07-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

DEEP ROOTS

Presents:

Summer Cooking Series
with Linda Halteman Lewis

• Classes held at
Thurston Kitchen & Bath
1625 Mid Valley Drive
(between Postnet & Soda Creek Pizza)
• PLEASE Pre-Register! Class sizes are limited.
• contact info: lsgamber@yahoo.com or 819-8695

Main Dish Salads:
August 6, Thursday 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Learn to cook healthy, high protein, vegetarian salad main dishes. They’re cool, tasty, and convenient. We’ll explore the nutritional qualities of beans and veggies, and learn some yummy new salad dressings to jazz up your homegrown salads!
Sign up by August 5: $30 Deep Roots members/ $35 nonmembers
Day of price: $32 Deep Roots members/ $37 nonmembers

Pesto!
August 12, Wednesday 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Classic basil pesto as well as cilantro pesto recipes and demonstrations will be taught plus some creative new uses for your home made pesto. Freezing techniques as well.
Sign up by August 11: $20 Deep Roots members/ $25 nonmembers
Day of price: $22 Deep Roots members/ $27 nonmembers

Naturally sweetened jam:
August 13, Thursday 6:00pm – 7:00pm
How to make delicious and very fresh tasting freezer jams using natural sweeteners. The health benefits of natural sweeteners over processed white sugar and artificial sweeteners

will be explored.
Sign up by August 12: $20 Deep Roots members/ $25 nonmembers
Day of price: $22 Deep Roots members/ $27 nonmembers

Home Made Pickles:
August 20, Thursday 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Learn to make and can your own Dill pickles from scratch with no “weird” additives or preservatives. It’s fun, rewarding, and not nearly as intimidating as you might think!
Sign up by August 19: $30 Deep Roots members/ $35 nonmembers
Day of price: $32 Deep Roots members/ $37 nonmembers

Local Food Projects in our area!!

2009-07-29T09:11:00.000-07:00

After the film "Fresh" was shown at Library Hall on 7/22, a handful of locals got up to speak about what they are doing to make local food available to our community. They are currently looking for volunteers/participants with their projects. Please read below to learn more about steps we are making in our community towards attaining local, fresh food ...

Tina Suriano and her family are living at 8,500 ft. in Rabbit Ears Village on the East side of Rabbit Ears Pass. They are building a greenhouse and plan to do a winter CSA which will provide fresh vegetables for 10 families. You can contact Tina to learn more about her project at steamboatglass@hotmail.com

Moonshines Homegrown Produce
Fresh Goats Milk, vegetables & eggs

We produce our own milk, vegetables, eggs, beef, lamb & on occasion, pork. We believe in natural & pesticide-free food.Moonshines Homegrown Produce has been in development for retail for the last four years.
I started selling shares of my Oberhausli dairy goats. This gave people a place to get fresh, raw milk. Many use it for kefir, yogurt, cheese and they just drink it.The divas get wonderful 2nd cutting alfalfa that my dad & family put up right on the ranch. They each get a portion of high protein grain during milking time. They love to be milked & are very happy to give us the beautiful milk that my family & many others enjoy on a daily basis.
My mission along with my family is to help locals find the purest kinds of foods within a short distance of their home. Please look for what your local farmers & ranchers have to offer - they have been working hard for Americans for many generations. They will take care of you when you don't have the time.
What I have & when I have it:
Plenty of:
Raw Goats Milk: March-Nov.
Beef: July-Oct.
Lamb: Sept.-Oct.

Call for availability:
Greens: April-Sept/Oct.
Eggs: Year round

Other vegetables:
Through summer & fall
Homegrown wool yarn/roving: Summer till we are out

Lorrae Moon
970-824-9568
moonshines@wildblue.net

Grant Family Farms CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture)
Shares available to be delivered to Steamboat Springs Residents!Call soon to secure your share.
Purchase Colorado grown, farm fresh produce from Grant Family Farms at the Steamboat Springs Farmers Market every Saturday morning!

CONTACT:Michael Moss
Grant Family Farms Mountain Coordinator
(970) 846-6233
michael@springsips.com
Andy GrantFarmer
Grant Family Farms
(970) 568-7654
andy@grantfarms.com

Community Cultivation is a horticulture program that addresses the vocational, social and life skills of individuals with disabilities and/or at risk populations. Community Cultivation is a work simulated environment that enables members to acquire the skills they need to be successful in the employment sector.
Participants learn to grow local, organic vegetables, herbs and cut flowers in five plots at the Yampa River Botanic Park . Once produce has been harvested, they sell their produce at the local Farmer's Markets during the month of August.
We are in our second year, and we have more than double our population! Twenty to twenty- five students from all over of Routt County are participating in Community Cultivation.
We are always looking for volunteers to garden with us, or offer any unique skills you may have to offer.
For more information on our programs or if you are interested in getting involved, please contact us at communitycultivation@yahoo.com.

Sincerely, Dana Colgan & Beth Davison

Dana Colgan
Colorado Educational Consulting
(970) 819 - 1216
PO BOX 773233
Steamboat Springs, Co

2009-07-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

Deep Roots Presents "In Cahoots"!

2009-07-14T10:04:00.000-07:00

In Cahoots!
Community Supporting Agriculture Supporting Community

Deep Roots and the Community Agriculture Alliance will be hosting special guest presenter Cindy Dvergsten at 7 pm on Thursday, July 30 at the Community Center. Cindy, with her husband Mike, has operated Arriola Sunshine Farms outside of Dolores, Colorado, since 1987. Lately, their focus has been on creating wholesale markets and managing via a whole-farm approach, a technique that Cindy helps other farms and ranches implement.

Cindy's presentation will be focusing on the fact that while agriculture is necessary to sustain civilization, it takes a community to support agriculture. As Scott Ford noted in, “Let's Use a Different Economic Map,” local agriculture contributes to our economy in very valuable ways, yet only about one-tenth of one percent of our labor source income comes from agriculture.

Out and about, the word on the street is that there is a high demand for locally-produced food that is grown in a sustainable manner. Small CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) are popping up around the valley, and there are even two other Western Slope CSAs that are running a thriving business bringing healthy produce into the valley for our consumption. In the spirit of keeping out hard-earned dollars close to home, how can we support local agriculture—and in return, allow it to support us?

In that vein, Cindy will be discussing ways for us in the Yampa Valley to create a community that will help sustain family farms and ranches, and the reciprocity that occurs in terms of social, economic, and environmental capitol. She has recently given a similar, well-received presentation in Mancos, Colorado, focusing on boosting the local economy and establishing its self-sufficiency by strengthening the area's agriculture.

As dry as all this may sound, Cindy is a dynamic and well-versed speaker. This is a presentation for all of us who look forward to the Farmer's Market, who appreciate roadside stands selling peaches, for those of us who recognize the blandness and petroleum dependency of eating asparagus from Argentina. It is a call to action for small family farms—those of us who raise a dozen cattle or a few pigs, who are overflowing with eggs from the family coop while others around us would pay good money for such golden-yolked treasures.

Let's put all the pieces together. I hope to see you there.

Summer Herb Walks!

2009-07-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

Earth Centered Studies Presents
Summer Herb Walks
With Herbalist Jessica Kinnaman Striker

Come learn the basics of holistic healing where nature is the classroom.
Learn to identify & use many edible and medicinal plants

that grow in the Yampa Valley.
These walks will introduce

wild crafting, botanical pharmacology, plant lore, therapeutics & more.

Herb walks are $15 & last about 2 hours on various trails in Routt County
Space is limited & registration is required
Call 819-6782 to sign up

Fri. July 17th 3pm

Thur. July 23rd 5pm

Wed. July 29th 4pm

Tues. August 4th 9am

Mon. August 10th 2pm
Wed. August 26th 4pm

Routt County Riders 4th of July Parade

2009-06-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

ROUTT COUNTY RIDERS NEWS
June 25, 2009
IN THIS ISSUE
4th of July Parade
JULY RCR MEETING

RCR CONTACT INFORMATION
www.routtcountyriders.org

President: Robin Craigen Vice President: Lisa Shafer robin@movingmountains.com lisa@steamboat-springs.com
Secretary/Treasurer: Scott Schlapkohl Exec. Director/Admin: Jackie Brown
sschlapkohl@msn.com jbrown@marabouranch.com

JOIN ROUTT COUNTY RIDERS IN THE 2009 4TH OF JULY PARADE!!

Please ride your bike in this year's Independence Day Parade in support of Routt County Riders! Meet at Orange Peel Bicycle Shop wearing your RCR bike jersey and celebrate the accomplishments and goals of our cycling club by joining the parade through Steamboat Springs!

DATE: SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2009
TIME: MEETING AT 9:00AM / PARADE AT 10:00 AM
PLACE: OUTSIDE ORANGE PEEL BICYCLE SHOP
RSVP TO JACKIE @ jbrown@marabouranch.com

NEXT RCR MONTHLY MEETING WILL BE HELD ON THURSDAY, JULY 02, 2009 AT 5:30PM
Meeting Location: We are switching to the Board room on the 1st Floor of the Mountain Resorts / Resort Group Building at 2150 Resort Drive. Come to the door at the back of the building and head upstairs to the 2nd Floor.

Deep Roots Spring/Summer Newsletter

2009-06-23T10:49:00.000-07:00

Hello! from
Deep Roots
Spring/Summer '09 Newsletter
... and the beet goes on!

Pass the Bread
It's almost here! Pass the Bread will be happening on Friday, June 26 in Routt County. This is a wonderful new event that is designed to bring together people from throughout Routt County, with the intent of strengthening our sense of community. Our goal is to have 100 homes hosting dinner for 8-12 people, all on the same evening; each home will have both guests that they know and guests that they don't (yet) know. Please visit our web site for more information about being either a host or guest: http://.passthebreadcelebratecommunity.wordpress.com

Community Agriculture Dialog
The Routt County Community Agriculture Dialog was held on March 18, and we received a lot of great input and ideas. The information was presented during a session of the event What's in Your Foodshed?. A final report has been written, and it was presented to Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet during a visit to Steamboat Springs in April. The report will also soon be mailed to local, regional, state, and national elected officials, as well as to numberous agricultural and land-use organizations.

"Fresh" the movie
Library Hall, July 15, 7pm
"Russ Kremer, the President of the Missouri Farmers’ Union and of Ozark Mountain Pork Coop discusses the danger of concentrating animals in feedlots . . .
Will Allen, 6ft 7″ former professional basketball player, is now one of the most influential leaders of the food security & urban farming movement. His farm and not-for-profit, Growing Power, have trained and inspired people in every corner of the US to start growing food sustainably...
Joel Salatin writes in his website that he is “in the redemption business: healing the land, healing the food, healing the economy, and healing the culture.” And if you visited his farm, you’d know he means it & lives it!
He produces beef, chicken, eggs, turkey, rabbits, and forestry product. Yet, Joel calls himself a grass-farmer, for it is the grass that transform the sun into energy that his animals can then feed on. By closely observing nature, Joel created a rotational grazing system that not only allows the land to heal but also allows the animals to behave the way the were meant to — as in expressing their “chicken-ness” or “pig-ness”, as Joel would say." - http://www.freshthemovie.com/

Save the Date! "In Cahoots" July 30
Deep Roots and the Community Agriculture Alliance will be hosting specialguest Cindy Dvergsten on the evening of Thursday, July 30 at the Community Center. The theme for the speech will be "In Cahoots: Community Supporting Agriculture Supporting Community." While agriculture sustains civilization, it takes a community to support agriculture. Cindy will be discussing ways for us in the Yampa Valley to create a community that will help sustain family farms and ranches. Please watch the Deep Roots summer calendar or our web site for more details (www.deeproots-co.org).

Membership
On June 1 Deep Roots had our first membership meeting. Merry Lester gave an engaging presentation on the topic of crop rotation in your garden. She showed her multi-year rotation among her raised beds. The advantages of crop rotation are to keep the soil enriched and keep pest/disease down. She also provide plant door prizes.
(A membership form is attached to this email if you'd like to become a member.)

DEEP ROOTS calendar on AIRSET

All Deep Roots members have received an invitation to check out our Deep Roots calendar on Airset. While not complete yet, it has the events updated for June & July. If you know of any event that should be on it, please email them to julia.deeproots@gmail.com. We have published our calendar at http://www.airset.com/Public/Calendars.jsp?id=23539 so even
non-members can view it, and will have it embedded in or linked to our website. Airset is a free cloud group which gives you the option to link your personal calendars with the Deep Roots calendar and have all of your information in one place.

A very special Thank You to Tiffany Leeson for all of her hard work in compiling our calendar and to Paul Potyen for his continued hard work with creating & maintaining our website! www.deeprootsco.org

The Beet List Blogspot
This is the place to be to find out about events, share ideas and keep connected to the Yampa Valley community. Postings include art, ecology and agriculture as we are dedicated to a healthy, sustainable and vibrant lively hood in beautiful northwest colorado. Farmers markets... garden clubs... sharing & swapping of your harvest... ask a question... give an answer.. visit - http://beetlist.blogspot.com/

... and the beet goes on!

Steamboat Springs harvest share/swap, gardening tips, inquiries etc...

2009-06-20T12:18:00.000-07:00

Please use this post (under 'comments') as an area where you can, for example, search for compost, swap &/or share your bountiful harvest, ask or provide a helpful tip for successful gardening, seek help for a project, etc. etc. ...

HAYDEN FARMERS MARKET

2009-06-20T11:35:00.000-07:00

HAYDEN FARMERS MARKET

Fridays, Starting June 19th

Market from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Walnut Street

Produce, Flowers, Food, Crafts, and More

See you there!

(Vendors interested can call 846-0616 for more information)

Hayden Garden Club & Farmers Market Info

2009-06-20T10:27:00.000-07:00

Please check here regularily for information on what's going on in Hayden with the Hayden Farmers Market & Garden Club. This is the place where you can place your comments, share your harvest &/or add updated information regarding the goings on in Hayden ...

HISTORIC ROUTT COUNTY FUNDRAISER TOMORROW!

2009-06-13T09:00:00.001-07:00

Diamond Window Cabin Fundraiser June 14

Sunday is Just Around the Corner...

You've marked it in your calendar, so don't forget to come this Sunday, June 14 to the Historic Routt County! Diamond Window Cabin Fundraiser.

Starting at 11:00am, the event will be located at theStagecoach State Park in the Arrowhead Group Picnic Area. There will be plenty of signs telling you where to go. Your admission fee of $15 covers your Parks Pass - kids under 12 are free.

You know by now that the event will include theTour Du Reservoir De Stagecoach Bike Ride as well as the Art of the Diamond Window Cabin Silent Auction. One of the featured pieces will be the original art pictured here by Chula Beauregard. Prints of this piece will be available as well.

What else is planned?

Park naturalist Andrew Henry will lead groups around a shorter BIKE TOUR at noon and talk about the lake, its history and its wildlife.
BBQ by THE SMOKEHOUSE, Routt Beer Floats
Live Music by THE GREEN RIDGE RAMBLERS - Doug Decosta, Belinda Rossi, Gene Sanders
Horseshoe and Bean Bag GAMES for the kids
Decorate your own Diamond Window BIRDHOUSE, compliments of Interact, a local high school service club
Complete details are here >

Art of the Diamond Window Cabin Silent Auction

Here's a Sneak Peak...

The works of art shown here will be available Sunday. Historic Routt County! thanks all of the participating local artists and businesses, such as the following:
For more silent auction items, click here >

Original Artwork by Gigi Walker

Hanging Aspen Tree Pottery by Deb Babcock

Jim Steinberg Prints of the Diamond Window Cabin will be available.

Original Artwork by Carol Jean

Fishing Passes for 2 at the exclusive Green Creek Ranch

Original Jewelry by Tibby Speare

Other contributing artists are Jody Elston, Cindy Wither, Sue Schneller, Greg Block, Jane Sindell, Crystal Staepel, Susie Pattillo, Jan Behnke.

Contributing businesses are The Tugboat, Yampa Valley Feeds, Special Places of Steamboat, Theo Dexter of Lone Oak Studios

For more Silent Auction Items, click here >

No RSVP is required - the more the merrier! If you have any questions, please call Meg Tully at (970) 736-1175.

Historic Routt County! is grateful for the support of its event sponsors:

Oak Creek Community Garden

2009-06-09T14:17:00.000-07:00

Greetings!
I just wanted to let you know that the OC community garden is still in the works. We've been waiting on materials before scheduling a work day.
With the help of JoAnn and Michael Mow, we've acquired some logs to use for raised beds, and Bob (Public Works) is providing us with top soil.
If anyone has access to rebar, we need several pieces to secure the beds.
We'll keep you posted on a work day.
Thanks,
Lynne Paschal
"If you're gonna have a garden ya'gotta have some dirt!"- Luna Tart

HISTORIC ROUTT COUNTY

2009-06-08T01:57:00.001-07:00

Original Artwork by Chula Beauregard

Diamond Window Cabin Fundraiser

An inaugural event of Historic Routt County!

Need an Excuse to Come Out to Stagecoach for the Day?

We've Got Lots of Reasons...

Tour Du Reservoir De Stagecoach Bike Ride for the whole family - Be sure to bring your helmets!
Fishing, Hiking, Walking, Food, Fun
Art of the Diamond Window Cabin Silent Auction featuring Special Works of Art by local artisans
Handcrafted birdhouses with diamond windows
Horsehoes, Bean Bag Games for the Kids
Routt Beer Floats
Presentations about the history of the Cabin and the area

Live Music by Doug Decosta and The Green Ridge Ramblers

Food by THE SMOKEHOUSE

Catch the Trout of
Your Dreams

You could be the proud owner of two fishing passes at Green Creek Ranch valued at $250. This exclusive site features the most private water between Stagecoach and Catamount. Donated by Todd Hagenbuch.

In addition to special works of art, other Silent Auction Items include:

Gift Certificate from THE TUGBOAT
Handcrafted birdhouses with diamond windows made by Johnny Walker
The first 50 participants will receive a reusable grocery bag and a goodie bag, compliments of SPECIAL PLACES OF STEAMBOAT

More about the Diamond Window
Cabin Project

Historic Routt County! invites you to be our guest at the first-ever Diamond Window Cabin Fundraiser June 14 from 11:00am - 4:00pm at Stagecoach State Park at the Arrowhead Group Picnic Area.

The fundraiser will feature two very special events: The Art of the Diamond Window Cabin Silent Auction andThe Tour Du Reservoir De Stagecoach Bike Ride.

Proceeds will go towards the restoration of the Diamond Window Cabin that overlooks Stagecoach Reservoir.

Tour Du Reservoir De Stagecoach

Mountain Bike Ride

Join us for a mountain bike ride around the Elk Run Trail surrounding Stagecoach Reservoir. An organized ride will begin around noon, but you are welcome to start on your own and ride at your own pace. The trail will be well-marked, so enjoy the day and get some exercise in a beautiful setting with friends. Be sure to bring your helmet!

More Information on the Elk Run Trail >

Art of the Diamond Window Cabin

Silent Auction

There will be a silent auction of beautiful works of art contributed by local artisans, such as theoriginal artwork featured here by Chula Beauregard. Also featured will be handmade pottery items, jewelry, gift certificates and baked goods.

Many Thanks To...

Chula Beauregard, Gigi Walker, Johnny Walker, Cindy Wither, Dancy Gould-St. John, Sue Schneller, Crystal Staepel, Carol Jean, Jody Elston, Deb Babcock, Tibby Speare, Jan Behnke.

Sunday, June 14, 11:00am - 4:00pm

COST: Admission fee of $15 per person, kids under 12 are free. If you bring $100 or more worth of contributions from friends, family or self, your admission fee will be waived. Fee includes daily parks pass.

LOCATION: Stagecoach State Park Arrowhead Group Picnic Area

Map of Stagecoach State Park Campground >
Stagecoach Area Map >

For More Information Contact:
Meg Tully at (970) 736-1175 or
email: admin@historicrouttcounty.org

HRC! is grateful for its event Sponsors

Indian Summer Ranch

Cayuse Classic

2009-06-01T21:54:00.001-07:00

Come help us celebrate our 10^th Anniversary

AT THE 2009 CAYUSE CLASSIC!

Cay•use {ki- yoóss} (noun) : a small pony of a western North American breed

A Family Event and

Benefit for The Community Agriculture Alliance

SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 2009

Sidney Peak Ranch, Steamboat Springs

Bring your Horse and Enter the Events!

Horse events for Adults and Kids from 9 am to 1 pm - Enter You and Your Horse in any of the following:

Hunter Jumper Show; Ranch Horse Versatility, or PokerRun Trail Ride or

Plus!! Bring the Family for a Fun-Filled Day and Evening!

Spectators invited to participate in the Our Newest Event - the Outfitter’s Race!!!

with a Calcutta Auction! ~ 4:00pm

CASH BAR & LIVE ENTERTAINMENT Yampa Valley Boys! ~ 5: 00 pm

WESTERN BARBECUE DINNER Catered by C’s Catering! ~ 6:30 pm

BBQ Dinner Tickets: $50 adult / $10 youth 8-13 / 7 and under FREE

BENEFIT AUCTION - Helping Community Agriculture Alliance Keep Our Heritage Alive ~ Bid on your favorite Basket of Goodies!

Visit our website www.communityagalliance.org

for Information, Horse Event Registration, Schedule of Activities, Directions and more

or call 879-4370

Corporate and Sponsorship Opportunities Available

2009-06-01T05:19:00.001-07:00

CSA SHARES

2009-05-29T13:55:00.001-07:00

Grant Family Farms CSA shares available to be delivered to

Steamboat Springs Residents!

Call soon to secure your share. Read below for more info &

check out the attachments on this email.

Note From Michael Moss: "One thing that is not spelled out on this press release is that we are setting up payment plans for folks. A $150 dollar deposit locks in the share and then we take two payments in June and July. Another option for folks is pay by the first of June and we can offer a discount."

GRANT FAMILY FARMS CONTACTS:

Michael Moss

Grant Family Farms Mountain Coordinator

(970) 846-6233

michael@springsips.com

Andy Grant,

Farmer, Grant Family Farms

(970) 568-7654

andy@grantfarms.com

Community Supported Agriculture is here:

Grant Family Farms delivers

farm fresh produce

direct to

Colorado’s mountain communities

(Northern Rockies) Grant Family Farms has been feeding the nation fresh organic food since 1974. In fact, this 2,000-acre farm in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains was the first to be certified organic by the state of Colorado.

Since Lew and Andy Grant first started selling beans, tomatoes, peppers and onions at Front Range farmer’s markets more than three decades ago, there’ve been major changes in how many people think about food. While the Grant family once needed to ship their produce far and wide to grocery stores that featured organics, community consciousness has shifted: People in Colorado are reconnecting with local farmers as they seek out fresh organic food grown as close to home as possible.

Grant Family Farms is making the dream of eating locally grown food a reality for folks all over Colorado. In fact, the Grant family already grows enough organic produce to support many families – and it’s their long-term dream that eventually they’ll be able to sell the abundance of all 150 heirloom varieties of vegetables they’re growing to fellow Colorado families.

Mountain communities are an important part of the mix. Now Grant Family Farms offers mountain towns around Eagle County, Summit County, Leadville and Jackson County the opportunity to participate in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) – an up-front investment in the Grant family’s best farming practices that brings a bounty of fresh organic food to your table. By purchasing a seasonal share in the farm, you’ll eat farm-fresh greens, beans, carrots, beets, squashes and more, all harvested at their peak, for 26 weeks starting in mid June. It’s a direct connection between the farmers who are growing your food and the bountiful harvest your family eats every week.

“Our members call it ‘their farm’ and that’s the biggest compliment, because that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to forge that relationship between the farm and the consumer,” says farmer Andy Grant. “The crown jewel of our beautiful state is the mountain communities. Now we are able to grow 150 kinds of veggies down here, pick it and have it in the mountains in a day…It’s wonderful.”

Commit to a helping of fresh food that’s appropriate for your personal needs. Choose a heaping “family share” of vegetables (which works for a foursome or a couple with a weakness for veggies), a “small share” (perfect for beginners or couples, without quite as much quantity as the full family share) or a smaller “single share” (which would suffice for a single person or a couple on the go). CSA members can also buy a share in eggs from Grant Family Farms, 22 weeks of fresh Colorado-grown fruit, 10 weeks of pesticide-free flowers, and by order, farm-raised organic chicken, turkey, goose, duck, goat and lamb.

“What’s going on with local food and consciousness is awesome. It’s reconnecting people with the food that they grow. It really reconnects the consumer with the farm. It reinforces the bond between the consumer and the farmer. It’s a partnership,” Grant says, explaining much of the philosophy behind the CSA. “The shareholders are replacing banking, which is so important to a farmer. In return, our responsibility to them is to grow great food for them for six months. It’s a responsibility and a joy to grow great food for our members.”

In-market comparison shopping shows that the value of a Grant Family Farms CSA share is unprecedented – you simply can’t match the quantity and quality of an organic farm share’s produce for the price. Family shares cost $1,170 ($45/week); small shares are $869 ($33/week) and single shares are $589 (less than $23/week). A single fruit share is $396 ($18/week) and a single-dozen egg share is $128 ($4.95/week). Enjoy a colorful spray of weekly cut flowers for less than $14 a bouquet.

Every week, CSA shares are delivered directly from Grant Family Farms’ fields to local mountain communities for pick-up. Bringing this produce to the mountains is a partnership with mountain businesses and employees, so part of each food dollar goes right back into the local community. As shareholders enjoy the abundance of delicious and nutritious food, they can rest assured that they’ve made an investment in good health, a better environment and the best farming practices for the planet. It’s top-quality food direct from the farmer to your table.

When you invest in the Grant family’s produce shares this summer you’re supporting local agriculture, local communities and healthy eating – and a culinary adventure that is guaranteed sustain any mountain family well past the typically short growing season.

To sign up, visit Grant Family Farms online at www.grantfamilyfarms.com or call (970) 568-7654 and secure your 26-week share for a summer and fall table filled with delicious, local, organic food. If needed, payment plans are available to help make this high-value investment as affordable as possible for everyone.

To learn more about the fresh produce, eggs and meats grown at Grant Family Farms, plus more about our history, philosophy and farming practices, visitwww.grantfamilyfarms.com.

FRESH

2009-05-29T00:35:00.001-07:00

Very inspiring film... watch the trailer - it goes from ugly to beautiful very quickly! Not to mention inspiring!!! I have contacted them to see what it would take to have Deep Roots be a host for this film in Steamboat Springs. I will keep you locals posted! - Lisa

FROM THE DIRECTOR -
We're excited to announce the screening of FRESH across the United States.

FRESH is a call to action; it means to inspire its viewers to positive change, not scare them into a terrified complacency. As such, the majority of the screenings will be followed by a panel discussion with local representatives from the sustainable food movement so audience members can learn what's going on in their communities and get involved.

We will bring together farmers, activists, chefs, and policy-makers, all working to create a more healthy, tasty, and sustainable future. Please join us, not just as part of an audience, but as part of a movement to better our food system, and to bring about a new vision, a new paradigm, a new reality, one that works for everyone.

Here's the trailer http://www.freshthemovie.com/

Here's the list of screenings http://www.freshthemovie.com/screenings/

TREE MULCH!!!

2009-05-29T00:29:00.000-07:00

Hey Gardeners--Passing along from Paul Flood that he has tree mulch
(by the bucket or truck load) that he'd like to sell at minimal price
-- make him an offer. Paul's housing development is next to the
elementary school across from Dry Creek Park. He'll help load with
his skidsteer. Call Paul at 846-2550 for more information.

Also a reminder that Farmer's Market meeting is this Thursday, May
28th from 5:30-6:30pm at the Hayden Library--contact Suzanne Banning
for more info at 846-0616.

2009-05-18T14:52:00.001-07:00

Hello fellow gardeners.

We have been bumped from the Thursday Town Hall Meeting on 5/21 and have been re-scheduled for Thursday, June 4th at 7:30 pm where we will be presenting our Farmers' Market idea to the town board members. It would be great to have as many Garden Club members there as possible. So, mark your Calendars.

Also, I would like to hold an organizational meeting on Thursday, May 28th at 5:30 to 6:30 pm at the Hayden Library. Please come and bring your ideas, suggestions, and energy regarding the Farmer's Market.

If you have questions, please don't hesitate to email or give me a call.

Thanks!

S.

Suzanne Banning
970 846-0616
bannings@ticus.com

Hours For Master Gardener

2009-05-18T14:50:00.001-07:00

If you know of anyone who needs community service hours for Master Gardeners, I can keep lots of people busy on Carpenter Ranch. Eileen Coffelt and I will be working on the gardens (landscaping, weeding, transplanting) 9- noon tomorrow morning, Tues. May 19th. Just show up ready to work, everyone is welcome. It's gorgeous out here! We will be scheduling more work days in the future.

Betsy Blakeslee
Carpenter Ranch Facilities Manager

bblakeslee@tnc.org

(970) 276-4626 (Phone)
(970) 276-4625 (Fax)
(970) 846-9102 (cell)
nature.org

Carpenter Ranch

P.O. Box 955

Hayden, CO 81639

2009-05-13T16:12:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

I hope you will join us for the upcoming Cayuse Classic and the celebration
of the 10th Anniversary of the Community Agriculture Alliance.

I have dinner tickets available for sale ! I would also encourage any of
you that would be willing to volunteer for this fun event to contact Marsha
Daughenbaugh at the Community Ag Alliance marshad@communityagalliance.org
This is truly is a fun day and supports a great organization!

2009-05-12T14:49:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, Escape to Hayden

May 16th, between nine and noon

Come to the historic grain elevator

For the

1st Annual Seed and Seedling Exchange

Share your seeds and seedlings:

Exchange them
Sell them
Buy them
Or simply admire them

and chat about the weather.

For further information, call Betsy at 276 4770

Or Yampa Valley Feeds at 276-4250

Hayden farmers market!!!

2009-05-09T07:20:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone!

The plans for the Hayden Farmer's Market have been shaping up. I would like some time to discuss at the next Garden Club meeting on May 18th if possible.

The vision: The farmer's market that I envision would be a small town community event that could generate revenue for the local business that chose to have evening hours on the evening of the farmer's market, could draw the community out for a social event once a week, and could generate the sale of fresh produce, homegrown and handmade products.

I have had lots of positive feedback and excitement from everyone that I have talked with regarding having a farmer's market in Hayden. There have been discussion of having it on Walnut Street as well as having it on a weekday evening. Most people felt that Friday's would conflict with other weekend plans and especially the restaurant's said that they could not participate on Friday evenings. I had specifically talked to the business on the street about having in on Thursday's but as Craig has organized their market for Thursday, we will look at Wednesday's evenings with set-up starting at 4:00 pm and the market going from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm and break-down done by 9:00 pm. The farmer's market will be on the Hayden town agenda on May 21st. So it would be great if we had a good showing from the Gardening Club members at that meeting.

I am starting a list of vendors. So, if you are interested in selling some of your products/produce, please send me an email so I can gather names, numbers, and list of products to be sold.

I have not been contacted by any of the club members regarding input for the farmer's market so I would love your suggestions and input. Please don't hesitate to drop me an email.

Happy gardening.

Suzanne Banning

2009-05-09T07:16:00.001-07:00

Celebrate the Birds!
Saturday, May 9th at the Carpenter Ranch
6:30am-3:00pm

With the return of Spring, you are invited to help kick off the birding season with the 1st annual Celebrate the Birds! event at The Nature Conservancy's beautiful and historic Carpenter Ranch. This is a free, day-long, community event filled with activities for the entire family. Some of the highlights of the day's events include: a birding tour and book signing with renowned ornithologist and author of The Smithsonian Field Guide to Birds of North America, Ted Floyd; guided bird walks led by The Yampa Valley Birding Club, the American Birding Association and the US Forest Service; a "Birds of Routt County" art show and presentation from landscape painter Joan Hoffmann; as well as games, educational programs and family activities led by Yampatika. The interpretive trail will be open all day for exploration. Participants are welcome to pack a picnic lunch to enjoy during the day.

Community Garden Update!

2009-05-07T09:32:00.000-07:00

I wanted to fill you all in on the progress of the community garden. By tomorrow the site should be finished with the earth-moving bits.. By next week i'd like begin to move materials on site- we have just about everything donated so far...i still do not have a firm find on wood to build the beds but we are working on that. Plenty of dirt! Dave Epstein donated railing, a cistrine, and more (as needed) from the home resource. The railing will look great painted- it's metal and rather nice! Lynn and I decided to not rush the build date, so we'd like to push it back to the end of this month. When that is firm we'll send out an other email.

Thanks again for you support and advice, we'll transmit more information as it comes!

Chloe Hartstein

"If you're gonna have a garden ya'gotta have some dirt!"- Luna Tart

Community Gardens in Oak Creek!!!!!!

2009-05-04T12:05:00.000-07:00

Here is the view of what exists now and what could exist in oak creek!!!!

Greens & Roots: two amazing women from Oak Creek, Chloe and Lynn, are working toward making this a reality!

what can we do to help?

contact chloe lee:

subvertanything@yahoo.com

2009-04-25T15:23:00.000-07:00

2009-04-25T15:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome!

2009-04-22T21:11:00.001-07:00

Hello all!

This Blog was created to start an amazing network and get folks connected to what is happening in our beautiful valley. We have had tons of interest in our food shed, our ecology, protecting our agricultural history and our land stewardship. How do we work together to create a healthy, vibrant and sustaining community? This is the possibility of a place to share, get exited, connect and really dive in!

have fun and enjoy!

much love

Lisa