Friday, November 6, 2009
Harvest Time in the Valley
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!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Garlic & Lamb
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"
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!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
In Cahoots!
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.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Fire Fly Mountain Produce introduces Routt Countys first 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!
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
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!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Deep Roots Presents Summer Cooking Series!
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
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!!
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
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Deep Roots Presents "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.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Summer Herb Walks!
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
These walks will introduce
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
Wed. August 26th 4pm
Monday, June 29, 2009
Routt County Riders 4th of July Parade
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.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Deep Roots Spring/Summer Newsletter
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).
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
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.
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!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Steamboat Springs harvest share/swap, gardening tips, inquiries etc...
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
Saturday, June 13, 2009
HISTORIC ROUTT COUNTY FUNDRAISER TOMORROW!
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Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Oak Creek Community Garden
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
Monday, June 8, 2009
HISTORIC ROUTT COUNTY
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Monday, June 1, 2009
Cayuse Classic
Come help us celebrate our 10th Anniversary AT THE 2009 CAYUSE CLASSIC! Cay•use {ki- yoĆ³ss} (noun) : a small pony of a western North American breed
A Family Event and Benefit for The Community Agriculture Alliance
SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 2009Sidney 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
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Friday, May 29, 2009
CSA SHARES
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
Andy Grant, Farmer, Grant Family Farms (970) 568-7654
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.
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