Local Harvest
Asparagus, Broccoli, Green Beans, Cabbage, Cantaloupe, Carrots, Celery, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Garlic, Herbs, Honeydew, Onions,
Asparagus, Broccoli, Green Beans,
Cabbage, Cantaloupe, Carrots, Celery, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Garlic, Herbs, Honeydew, Onions,
Peppers, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Red Beets, Squash, Strawberries, Sweet Corn, Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, WatermelonRecipes:Fresh Melon Salad
Vegetable Pasta with Tomatoes
Eggplant Spread
Flavorful Summer Squash
Tortellini PrimaveraColorado CSAs:
Reverse K Bar Ranch
Collbran
(970) 487-3265
reversekbar.com
Turkey Hill CSA by Round Earth
Hotchkiss
(970) 872-4413
roundearth.com
Abbondanza
Organic Seeds & Produce
Boulder
(303) 440-8205
eatabbo.org
CSU CSA
Ft. Collins
(970) 491-7068
specialtycrops.colostate.edu
Lettuce Patch Gardens
Colorado Springs
lettucepatchgardens.com
Grant Family Farms CSA
Wellington
(970) 568-7654Colorado’s family-owned farms are quickly disappearing under our state’s suburban sprawl. Read on to discover how some local farms are standing their ground.
Local vs. organic…it is a debate on the lips of nearly everyone in the food industry (producers, consumers, purveyors, intellectuals, etc.) who are looking for a sustainable alternative. Which is better for you and the environment: traditionally cultivated products grown and harvested within driving distance from your home or organic goods shipped from South America or New Zealand?
On one hand you have the environmental (and possible health) consequences of pesticides, fungicides and fertilizers; on the other hand is the inevitable ecological destruction that results when produce is transported from thousands of miles away.
Rather than pondering the virtues of organic vs. local, it is simple to follow some basic guidelines. Support local farmers, ranchers and purveyors. Eat fruits and vegetables when they are in season, and try to shop at farmer’s markets as much as possible during the summer months.
It isn’t necessary to eat all local all the time, but each effort you make is important not just to you and your family, but to the community as well. Spending your dollars with Colorado’s farmers and ranchers will help maintain a vibrant economy in our state for many years to come and also allows the producers to continue making a living doing what they love.
Many local farms are turning to Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) projects to help support their businesses in a healthy and sustainable way. Monroe Organic Farms, Colorado’s oldest organic farm (established in 1936 in Weld County), created a CSA model because they wanted to work closely with people who appreciated their philosophy.
Their CSA concept is simple. Members join the farm under a non-working or working status and receive a percentage of the produce (the amount depends on the selected package), which is delivered to several distribution centers throughout the Denver metro area and Front Range communities.
CSA is a remarkable way to get beautiful, seasonal produce at its peak during the harvest months. Members receive a box brimming with a variety of vegetables and fruits, as well as optional organic free-range eggs, locally produced honey and organic Colorado beef, all for nearly half the cost of what it would take to purchase the same produce from a major grocery chain (about $21.11 per week for fruits and vegetables to feed a non-vegetarian family of four).
A May-through-October membership includes many luscious fruits and vegetables. Not all are available at the same time, each is harvested according to season, but you are always certain to have enough variety for an incredible array of colorful, wholesome dishes.
For more information about the Monroe Organic Farms CSA membership visit monroefarm.com or call (970) 284-7941.
