LOCAL FOOD AND FARM GUIDE
Growing Season 2023
INSIDE:
YOUR GUIDE TO FARM STANDS AND FARMERS’ MARKETS
Support your local farms Container gardening
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.
WE OFFER
• Black Angus cattle selected for high marbling genetics, locally farm-raised in large pastures in a low stress environment
• 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
• Dry-aged for tender, moist, consistently great flavor.
www.blueskyfarmcolorado.com
(970) 222-7147 • Rbluesky8@msn.com • Windsor, CO
Please request a cutting instruction sheet to place your order. LET
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US SHARE WHOLESOME, NUTRITIOUS, AND SAFE NATURAL BEEF WITH A TASTE YOU CAN TRUST.
The Regional, a true taste of Fort Collins in a charming, inviting nook in Old Town. Sourcing from many local farms and small businesses in the community to bring you a delicious variety of unique, organic, and thoughtful dishes made with so much love, you can taste it!
Business Hours- 7 days a week
Mon- Fri Lunch and Dinner
Sat and Sun Brunch and Dinner
Happy Hour every day 4-6
130 S Mason St. Fort Collins, CO. 80524 web: theregionalfood.com
(970) 689-3508
eat local • drink local
PARTNERING PURVEYORS & LOCAL FARMS
Folks Farm, Native Hill Farm, Well Fed Farmstead, Belafonte Farm, Jodar Farm Hazel Dell Farm, Lone Pine Cattle, High Point Bison, Happy Lucky Tea Bean Cycle Coffee Roasters, Life’s A Booch, And Many Local Breweries and Distilleries!
restaurant oyster bar craft cocktails
Container gardening
Katie Harris
’Tis the season for gardening, and if you’ve found the task too daunting to try in the past, this year’s the time to get started! Read on to find out why you can have your own garden, regardless of any space, time or physical constraints that may be holding you back.
WHY TRY IT?
Let’s start with the obvious reason: You want to! Container gardens brighten up the landscape, attract birds and desirable insects, and can save you money on your grocery bill!
The perfect solution in small spaces, all it takes is a pot or two outside your front door to get started. Small gardening pots are portable, making them convenient to bring inside and protect in poor weather, or to move to a new locale as desired.
Not only that, but compared to larger, in-ground gardens, containers tend to attract fewer weeds and use less water overall. Best of all, they are easy on the back. Consider setting small containers on a table or bench as you plant or opt for larger pots that sit high off the ground already.
WHAT TO GROW
Container varieties of many plants can be found at your local gardening store. Other options include dwarf varieties which stay small and require less space. When choosing plants, the sky is the limit. Flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables can all be grown in pots, and many can be mixed together to create a more attractive and efficient raised garden.
While a large variety of plants can be grown in Colorado, some make better choices than others for beginners. Zinnias and petunias are favorite flower varieties to start with, while peas, beans, and radishes are some of the easiest vegetables to grow. From the fruit family, strawberries, peppers, tomatoes and squash tend to be fairly foolproof, and basil and chives make great starter herbs.
USEFUL TIPS
It’s important to give your plants a strong start by selecting the right containers. While nearly any type of pot, basket, barrel or tub can be used for planting, whatever you choose should have proper drainage. You can easily
create your own drainage if needed by drilling or poking holes in the bottom of a container.
Next, it’s time to choose a location for your garden. Check the planting instructions on your seed packets or plant containers and follow sunlight recommendations, which may call for shade, partial sun or full sun.
When you’re ready to plant, be sure to purchase potting soil, which is formulated for container planting, rather than garden soil. Keep in mind that plants in containers need to be watered more frequently than plants in the ground, and soil should be kept damp to a knuckle deep at all times.
Follow directions on the seed packet or container when planting to ensure proper spacing and pot depth and add stakes or trellises to containers when called for.
Finally, keep track of what you plant and record your successes along with any lessons learned in a journal to refer back to next year. Reap your rewards, learn from your mistakes, and you’ll be a gardening pro in no time! Happy planting!
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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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Support your local farms
Nowhere in the commercial food chain can you handpick the producer of your food as you can when you buy from local farmers. Oftentimes, you can see and tour the farm and meet the farmers when you purchase items or pick up your share. Some farms make additional opportunities for community and relationship building by offering opportunities to work at the farm in exchange for food or simply to learn about and be a part of the process. Proximity, transparency, and communication allow you to hold important conversations and choose from among those who grow their vegetables or raise their local meats in
the humane and sustainable ways that matter to you.
Local food is often more nutritious because smaller local farms produce more accessible seasonal organic produce, organic meats, grass-fed meats, healthier pastured and freerange meats and eggs, produce, and more. Local food endures less premature harvesting and stress in shipping and handling, which prevents more quality and nutritional degradation.
Local food is also more delicious. Extending lines of production and handling impact many things about the food including quality, nutrition, and flavor, too. Local food reaches you at the peak of ripeness under
the best harvesting conditions in the shortest possible time, which is reflected in the taste.
MEAT
Amy’s Grass Fed Beef | Bellvue http://www.barncatservices.com/beef/ index.html
Amy’s Grass Fed Beef is a small, family-operated farm raising only forage-fed, hormone- and antibioticfree cattle, which roam on high-altitude mountain pastures. Grass fed and grass finished, the beef is then processed at a small, custom plant in Evans, Colorado and sold by the whole, half and quarter. To place your order, call or complete the website order form.
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Eggs, meat, milk and so much more
Lea Hanson
Craig Angus Ranch | Fort Collins
https://craigangusranch.com/
Craig Angus Ranch has been producing top quality beef since 1978. Customers can choose from grass-fed or grain-fed cattle and can buy a whole, half or quarter cow. Pork is also available once a year each summer and can be purchased whole or half. For full details on pricing, processing and ordering, check out the website.
Living Water Ranch
https://www.livingwaterranchcolorado.com/ This family-owned ranch began when the Stahla family learned just how much better grass-fed meat can taste.
After purchasing their Livermore ranch just a few years ago, they got to taste the results for themselves and now offer it to customers throughout the region. Sold by the half, the quarter and by individual cuts, this is one of the few places you can pick and choose your cuts of grass-fed, Colorado grown beef.
EGGS
Jodar Farms | Fort Collins
https://www.jodarfarms.com/ Jodar Farms has been raising chickens and pigs for 14 years using free-range and pasture-based growing methods. “By creating habitats for the animals that allow them to partake in natural behaviors; our products have proven to be some of the highest quality when it comes to flavor, freshness and grade.”
Laughing Buck Farm | Fort Collins
https://www.laughingbuckfarm.com/
Laughing Buck Farm is a fun and educational farm offering programs and special events for families and children throughout Northern Colorado. In addition to camps, classes and lessons, the team sells farm-fresh eggs and organically raised, sustainable pork fed on a diet of garden thinnings, windfall apples, goats-milk whey and kitchen leftovers.
Windsor Dairy | LaPorte
http://windsordairy.com/
In 2015, the long-standing Windsor Dairy sold their dairy farm and no longer offer raw milk, raw milk cheese, raw pork or raw e ggs. However, the family still raises grass-fed and grass-finished beef available as quarters, halves or whole cows.
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