Winter foraging
INSIDE
Your guide to farm stands and farmers’ markets
LOCAL FOOD AND FARM GUIDE
All Natural makes all the difference. Everything you eat starts with how it is raised and how it gets to you. Know what you and your family are eating.
• Black Angus cattle selected for high marbling genetics, locally farm-raised in large pastures in a low stress environment
Dry-aged for
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• NEVER EVER given antibiotics, hormones, or steroids or fed animal by-products • Available by quarter, half, or whole, cut and packaged just the way you want it •
tender, moist, consistently great flavor.
GROWING SEASON 2021 | 3 TNR (Trap/Neuter/Return) Do you have a feral cat colony on your property? Let us help! Contact our Community Cat Program at: (970) 233-5133 HOMES/JOBS NEEDED FOR Working Cats • Shop Cats • Warehouse Cats • Barn Cats • OUTBUILDING Cats • Brewery Cats SavingAnimalsToday.org /workingcats Support business that supports bicycling. RiDE on ride-magazine.com To advertise in RiDE, call Greg or Scott. In Fort Collins call Greg Hoffman 970-689-6832 greg.rmpublishing@gmail.com All others call Scott Titterington 970-980-9183 scott.rmpublishing@gmail.com 2023 Ride is out now! Visit your local bike shop to pick up your FREE copy.
Foraging for local foods during the winter
For some Coloradans, the double payoff of being out in nature and having the ability to round up incredible things to eat is a major selling point of living in the Centennial State. Foraging locally offers the opportunity to track down and harvest everything from mushrooms professional chefs pine to cook with to an array of sweet, tart, and colorful fruit. But first, a word of caution. It is dangerous to harvest and eat food you cannot properly identify. The below information is intended to be fun and educational, not instructional. It’s crucial to be 100-percent sure what you eat is safe and identifiable during the foraging process.
VEGETABLES
Wild asparagus —Asparagus makes an incredibly versatile and tasty addition to any meal. Expert foragers claim the taste of wild asparagus compared to the varieties offered in grocery stores doesn’t compare. Asparagus is perennial, which means you’ll find it growing in the same spot every year.
MUSHROOMS
Morels —If you’re a fan of mushrooms, the nutty taste of black and yellow morels is something you don’t forget. The fact these mushrooms are incredibly elusive makes them even more coveted by foragers and professional chefs. While forest fires are a constant source of anxiety and despair for much of Colorado, forested
areas that have experienced fire events offer some of the best opportunities to find morels.
Porcini —Found in the high country between elevations of 10,500 and 11,200 feet, the porcini is a highmaintenance mushroom when it comes to weather, and it won’t grow without a combination of monsoon rains and sustained summer heat.
FRUIT
Wild Strawberries —Most people love strawberries, but when it comes to locally foraging for these astoundingly sweet, juicy, and berries, you’ll need to think much smaller compared to the conventional varieties you’d buy at the store. If you’ve ever hiked through the mountains and saw tiny red fruit
4 | GROWING SEASON 2021
Leah Hanson
All Year Long
Jodar Farms: jodarfarms.com
Jodar Farms offers an online farm store with weekly drop offs at many convenient Northern Colorado locations. They sell hogs (half and whole) as well as eggs all year long.
MouCo Cheese Company: mouco.com
Made locally in Fort Collins, You can find MouCo Cheese at most King Soopers, Safeway and Whole Foods Markets in the Rocky Mountain Region as well as at specialty shops and cheese stores throughout the area.
Mountain View Meats: mvmeatsfc.com
Located in Fort Collins, Mountain View Meats raises their animals humanely and works to feed their community. They sell bulk beef and pork.
Remember: Farmers ’ Markets Go Through Fall
Berthoud Fickel Farmers’ Market | Berthoud
June 8 to September 21
Thursdays from 4 to 7pm
Estes Valley Farmers’ Market | Estes Park
June 3 to September 30
Thursdays from 8am to 1pm
Farmers’ Market at Fairgrounds Park | Loveland
June 4 to September 24
Sundays from 9am to 1pm
Fort Collins Farmers’ Market | Fort Collins
May 7 to November 12
Sundays from 10am to 2pm
June 14 to September 27
Wednesdays from 10am to 2pm
Greeley Farmers’ Market | Greeley
May 6 to October 18
Saturdays from 8am to 12pm
Larimer County Farmers’ Market | Fort Collins
May 20 to October 28
Saturdays from 9am to 1pm
that resembled strawberries, what you saw might very well have been wild Colorado strawberries. You can also spot berry clusters similar to raspberries, which are quite delectable. Your best bet for finding these is late spring and early summer. With adorable tiny red berries that emerge in summer, wild strawberry plants can be identified by their blue-green leaves, small groupings of white flowers, and long red stems. While you’ll need to harvest loads of berries to cook with or snack on due to their small size, their unforgettable sweet taste will be worth the extra effort. High in Vitamin C, the leaves and berries of these plants can be steeped for a delicious tea.
Wild Plums —Discovering a wild plum tree in Colorado is pure joy for most local foragers. These trees are found near streams and irrigation ditches in the foothills and across the plains. In spring, wild plum trees are adorned with a stunning explosion of white flowers.
Later in the summer, sweet purple, blue, and reddish fruit appear on the trees that can be harvested before the fall. Wild plums are incredible when eaten fresh and are excellent for all manner of jams and jellies.
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BUY LOCAL
CACTI
Prickly Pear—As you’d expect, dealing with this cactus’ sharp needles is no picnic. But for tenacious foragers willing to put in the work, they’re a rewarding natural offering that’s as bountiful as they are easy to find. Thick gloves are mandatory while harvesting
prickly pear, but not for the reason you’d expect. Its long needles (spines) can easily poke through the skin of your hands, but the prickly pear’s tiny hairlike needles are what usually cause the most pain and irritation. The edible parts of the prickly pear can be split up into three
sections: the green pad, or base of the cactus, the flowers, and the colorful fruit that grows at the top of the plant. Small younger plants are thought to be much tastier than older ones. Because of Colorado’s dry climate, prickly pears can be found throughout the state.
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2023 NoCo Farmers Markets
Berthoud’s Fickel Farmers Market
Fickel Park, 620 Mountain Ave., Berthoud
Thursdays, 4–7pm, June 8–Sept. 21 www.berthoud.org/1385/Farmers-Market
Erie Farmers Market
Briggs Street between Wells and Moffatt, Erie Thursdays, 5–8pm, May 1–Sept. 14 www.realfarmersmarketco.com
Estes Valley Farmers Market
Visitor Center, 500 Big Thompson Ave., EP
Thursdays, 8am–1pm, June 1–Sept. 28 www.facebook.com/EstesValleyFarmersMarket
Farmers Market at Fairgrounds Park
700 S. Railroad Ave., Loveland
Sundays, 9am–1pm, June 4–Sept. 24 www.cityofloveland.org/farmersmarket
FARM STANDS
Bartels Farm 3424 E. Douglas Rd., Fort Collins www.thebartelsfarm.com www.facebook.com/The-Bartels-PumpkinPatch-137755902661
Desiderata Ranch 4617 CR 2, Berthoud http://desiderataranch.org
Folks Farm & Seed 2917 S. Taft Hill Rd., Fort Collins www.folksfarmandseed.com
Garden Sweet 719 W. Willox Ln., Fort Collins www.gardensweet.com
Green Dog Farm 3421 West CR 54G, Laporte (next to Overland Foods) www.greendogfarmcsa.com
Hazel Dell Mushrooms 3925 E. CR 32 (Carpenter Rd.), Fort Collins www.hazeldellmushrooms.com
Fort Collins Farmers Market
1001 E. Harmony Rd., FC (rain or shine) Sundays, 10am–2pm, May 7–Nov. 12 Wednesdays, 10am–2pm, June 14–Sept. 27 www.fortcollinsfarmersmarket.org
Greeley Summer Farmers Market
Union Pacific Depot, 902 7th Ave., GR Saturdays, 8am–Noon, May 6–Oct. 28 www.greeleygov.com/fm
Larimer County Farmers Market 200 S. Oak St., FC (courthouse parking lot) Saturdays, 9am–1pm, May 20–Oct. 28 www.larimercountyfarmersmarket.org
Loveland West Farmers Market at Jax 2665 W Eisenhower Blvd, LV
Tuesdays, 9am–1pm, April 18–Nov. 7 www.facebook.com/ LovelandWestFarmersMarket
Timnath Sunday Market
4138 Main St., Timnath
Second Sundays, 9am–2pm, May–Oct www.TimnathFarmersMarket.org
Windsor Farmers Market Boardwalk Park, 110 5th St., Windsor Saturdays, 8am–12:30pm, June 3–Sept. 9 www.windsorgov.com/FarmersMarket
Something about being on a farm just feels good. The pace feels relaxed and your interactions, maybe, more genuine. So swing by a farm stand soon and pick up some deliciousness while you’re at it.
Heritage Lavender 4809 Foothills Dr., Berthoud www.heritagelavender.com
Hoffman Farms, LLC 3545 W. O St., Greeley www.hoffmanproduce.com
Hope Farms 1601 N. Shields St., Fort Collins www.cultivatehopeco.org
Jodar Farms/Fort Collins Vine Farm Order online/pick up Fort Collins or Wellington www.jodarfarms.com
Long Shadow Farm Order online/pick up Berthoud www.longshadowfarm.com
Native Hill Farm 2100 CR 54G, Fort Collins www.nativehillfarm.com
Ollin Farms 8627 N. 95th St., Longmont www.ollinfarms.com
On the Vine at Richmond Farms 3611 Richmond Dr., Fort Collins https://onthevineatrichmondfarms.com
OwlTree Farm 4605 E. CR 58, Fort Collins www.owltreefarmco.com
Papa Joe’s Honey 4855 W. Eisenhower Blvd., Loveland www.facebook.com/PapaJoesLocalHoney
Raisin’ Roots Farm 2229 W. Vine Dr., Fort Collins www.facebook.com/raisinroots
Sunny Daze 901 S. CR 5, Fort Collins www.sunnydazegardens.com
Tigges Farm 12404 CR 64½, Greeley www.facebook.com/tigges.farm
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