The true hidden gem of the farm is the complex food system that includes the smallest of microbes to the largest animal. Crispin, the reporter on the story, later shared with me that the farm was his favorite hidden gem to cover! It’s hard to go wrong with the super productive gardens and cute farm animals.  

You can watch Hidden Gem: The Living Farm at NBC 11 News by clicking the bold text.

On the news, we toured the farm and our unique growing systems. When I described the demonstration garden’s production rates I shocked Crispin. In this 128 square foot garden, I grew over 800 pounds which equated to over $3,000 in the last year.

This demonstration garden is the star of the farm’s free Garden Show. The garden show is the newest addition to the Living Farm’s extensive educational program. This educational program was started because of a recommendation from my sister. Three years ago, while speaking to her on the phone, she said that I should start teaching gardening. That day the dream of our educational outreach began. Today, the farm has online gardening education ready to help struggling gardeners.

If you would like to taste our delicious produce you will want to visit our farm-to-table cafe. The cafe is popular in the news because the food comes from our farm. Because the cafe is farm-to-table so they have to experiment with a seasonal menu. In the fall, the squash, turnips, and beets are the stars of the show. In the spring, there are plenty of young salad greens and the first strawberries.  All the restaurant leftovers come full circle, back to the farm to feed the pigs. Nothing goes to waste in this system.

To get the full experience of this hidden gem, you will want to stay at our farm inn located above the cafe. The cozy rooms are a favorite throughout town because of the delicious farm breakfasts! Once you have gotten the chance to get settled at the cafe, you will want to come tour the farm. The farm tour visitors have the opportunity to pet the animals, explore our farm market, and get their hands dirty.

One of the best parts of the farm tour is our “listening station”. The listening station is set by a pasture on the farm. This station encourages visitors to listen to the sounds of the farm. What can they hear? A sheep calling to another? The grass blowing in the wind? A chicken laying an egg? How do these sounds differ from the sounds of the city? On the farm, you won’t hear road noise or sirens. The farm is a special place in this way.

My favorite story of this tour season was a little boy who was holding one of our lambs. As he was petting her woolly fleece, he turned to his mother and said, “Look mom! It’s a rug!” This connection he made with our animals opened his eyes to the circle of life.

Today, it is common for children to be far removed from the natural life cycle. Many of them don’t know how the meat and vegetables get to the grocery store! It is such a joy to be a part of educating the next generations on where their food comes from.

Being on NBC 11 News helped the farm to spread the message of clean food being the best alternative. Whether your food comes from a local farmer or backyard we are here to help you connect.

It is an honor to be a hidden gem of the valley. With our farm’s unique “eco-system” and educational outreaches there is so much for our visitors to experience.

So, what do you say? Will you come visit? Or would you like to take advantage of our gardening educational programs? The Garden Show might be a great place to start.

I look forward to having you visit the farm, whether that’s the garden show or a tour, it will be a pleasure to have you.

Until next time, may your garden be easy, fun, productive, and always organic,

Lynn Gillespie

The post NBC 11 Names the Living Farm A Hidden Gem of Colorado appeared first on THE LIVING FARM.

This is a new product for us to offer online, but it has been around the farm for a long time.

It’s the farm’s Backside Warmers!

If you have ever warmed your hands by a campfire, you will know the age old dilemma, toasty front and freezing backside. It is time to say goodbye to the constant fireside rotation. The wool backside warmer is felted to be the size of your camping chair so that you can enjoy a warm tush.

The benefit of using wool for the backside warmers is that it traps your heat and reflects it back to you. The best way to describe the feeling is like having an electric blanket set to low in your chair.

Back side warmers are not only great for camping chairs you can use them in your car seat, at your desk, at work, or on the couch.  These wonderful gifts will soothe a sore back, warm a tush, or just make a seat more cozy.

Can you imagine having a wool cozy with you for those long car rides, camping trips, or at the office?

These felted wool backside warmers are unique in that you can poke holes in the top so they rest on your car seat without worrying about ripping. Unlike other fabrics, wool will not rip at a seam, so the conversions you can make are endless!

I’m really excited to offer these to you today. Each backside warmer is $49 and comes in Chestnut, Camo and Night Sky color scheme.

This week is one of the best weeks to get your order in! With Thanksgiving coming up for the farm, many of the orders get backed up with the holidays beginning.

If you would like to get your Holiday order in, now is the time!

Have you already ordered? Then maybe it’s time to share the holiday sale with a friend? Each purchase goes towards sustaining small family farming and our free gardening educational programs. It would be an honor to share these US local gifts with as many new farm friends as possible.

Now is the time to send invites or order, as we only have so many supplies to make these products and time is ticking!

So, go on ahead and place your order by clicking the link below –

Click here to start shopping!

Or, if you want to see these backside warmers in action, watch this short video from the Garden Show!

Speaking of the garden show, have you taken a moment to check in on the last episode? There was quite the impressive surprise from the harvest and I want to share that with you. Just click here to watch it.

I look forward to receiving your orders and starting to hand make each of  your products. Making your holidays extra special with one of the farm’s gifts would be such a pleasure.

If you have any questions about the Holiday Sale, please leave a comment and I will get back to you when I get the chance.

Thanks for supporting the farm,

Lynn

The post Backside Warmers the Newest Wool Addition to the Holiday Catalog! appeared first on THE LIVING FARM.

The post The Many Benefits of Wool Slippers appeared first on THE LIVING FARM.

It has been such a joy to have you as a part of our growing season. We have come a long way this year, and as the farming season and gardening educational programs come to a close, we are excited to begin planning for the next year of educational outreaches.

Would you like to help us continue in this educational outreach program? We are not selling any advertising or doing any fundraising, and I would like to keep it that way.

Instead, I would like to invite our extended farm family to join us in the ultimate win-win situation, our 2016 Holiday Sale!

 ame>

Find the one-of-a-kind gifts you have been looking for and give back this holiday season. Preorder from our great Holiday Sale today!

The Farm’s Holiday Catalog has so many handmade farm products to choose from! If you are more excited about starting your garden, then there are plenty of online High Performance Garden Courses for sale as well! You can start shopping the Holiday Catalog today at – thelivingfarm.org/holiday-catalog/

These products are handmade and take time to create, that’s why I would like to encourage you to order your gifts today to make sure that you get them in time for the holidays! When you order early, we have a chance to keep our people flock around through the slow season on the farm, another benefit to ordering early is the assurance that you will get your products in time for the Holidays!

This year, we are expanding beyond just pillows, slippers and gardening education. Some of the new and exclusive items to this Holiday Sale include –

Felted Woolly Down Filled Dog Beds

Felted Cat Caves

Wool Mittens

Willow Stools

And many more that will be featured in the weeks to come.

So, why are we building so many new products for this holiday season? Your holiday season should be full of fun, quality products, at the best prices possible. This is our way of giving you all of these things in one place. By offering unique and fun items, your holiday season can be enjoyed even more fully by giving gifts that are not only one of a kind, these are gifts that give back in BIG ways.

Each purchase that you make helps to support the garden show and the living farm staff and the sheep flock.  Each purchase makes a huge difference to us.

This year, the farm has gained two new smiling faces, and we would like to keep them. Through the fall and winter, our gardens go to sleep, and production slacks off. This year, the staff would like to stay through the winter, so it is time for the farm to diversify!

All of our handmade woolen products that were so well loved last year are making a comeback with new additions. With your help we can make a big family farm holiday season possible, our hands are willing, would you like one-of-a-kind products?

Please check your holiday gift list to see if there is anyone on your list that would love to have some handmade farm goodies. Once you have gotten your shopping done, please share the Holiday Catalog with your friends and family!  We want to thank you in advance for your purchase and spreading the word. It means a lot to us.

Are you ready to start shopping? Go to – thelivingfarm.org/holiday-catalog/ to get started!

I look forward to having you join us as we ready for the holiday season.

Until next time, may your holidays be full of family and wonderful gifts.

Lynn

The post 2016 Holiday Sale Announcement! appeared first on THE LIVING FARM.

#3 The Foodie’s  Fresh Ingredients Gift

For the foodie’s in your life you know that the quality of their ingredients is very important. We all know that the local and organic ingredients will always have the best taste and flavor. It is possible to give them the highest quality ingredients this holiday season. Simply go to localharvest.com and search your zipcode. You will get a listing of all of your local farmers and what they sell. Get in touch with a few and find out about their CSA’s or gift baskets. Supporting your community’s farms in this way boosts your local economy and gives the gift of the most nutrient dense flavorful food to your loved ones!

Elisabethan Headband Eco-Fashion

#2 The Fashionista’s Colorful Upcycled Clothing

In our home town of Paonia there is a designer that works solely with upcycled clothing. Each of her skirts, shirts or accessories are made up of dozens of cotton tshirts in beautiful swirling designs. Her fun and unique style is a favorite here and across the United States in many boutiques. The Elisabethan is known in the community for her quirky  and colorful patterns and designs. I would highly recommend her for a unique dress up piece for those ladies in your life who love color and using sustainable materials in unique and exciting ways.

#1 A Good Night’s Sleep for the Insomniacs

I can’t help it, these pillows are that amazing! Each felted wool pillow is a life changing gift. Not only because of the benefits of sleeping with a wool pillow such as increased REM sleep. This will also change the life of our farm staff by helping us to finish the farm manager’s house for Lael and her family. This pillow can do wonders, both for your sleep and for the farm.

I was struggling with sleeping through the night earlier this year. It wasn’t until a friend began talking about her new pillow that I connected that it could be as simple as replacing my pillow. After some research into different pillow materials I found wool stuffed pillows. This natural and sustainable material doesn’t slip and slide like my down pillows of the past, it is breathable, anti bacterial and has been found to increase REM sleep. It is so exciting that I can make these pillows with the wool from my sheep. I know each fleece personally and know that none of the sheep have been harmed in the making of the pillow. It is completely organic and unique process as these are more durable, transformable and comfortable than any other wool pillows I’ve found. This season is all about giving the gift that keeps on giving. So, we have made the large sleep pillows available for a discount of $30 when you purchase two! I want to share the beauty of the best sleep possible with everyone! To learn more about the pillows unique design and benefits check out our website at www.thelivingfarm.org/wool-down-pillows.

I hope these gifts help you when finding unique sustainable gifts for your friends and family. Go on ahead and comment below and share the sustainable and unique gifts you are giving this season. We would love to hear all about it!

Until next time, may your holidays be filled with rest and family!

Lynn

The post Top 3 Black Friday Sustainable Shopping Ideas appeared first on THE LIVING FARM.

Dr. Mercola is one of my heroes. It is always a treat when I open an email of his and learn something new. I’m shocked I didn’t think of him when I found myself struggling with sleeping through the night. A friend of mine told me how she had transformed her sleep by changing her pillow to a natural “Dr. Mercola Approved” pillow. I had no idea that my pillow could be keeping me from a good night’s sleep. I had to find out what kind of pillow he recommended.

“The types of sheets, pillows and comforter on your bed can make a significant difference in how well you sleep. But, not just any new bedding will do.” – Dr. Mercola, “Caution Sleeping on This “Steals Your Energy as You Sleep”

This was an exciting idea, I had to find out the certain standards that Dr. Mercola held all of his bedding to. This was my road map for finding a great pillow. I knew in the beginning that this pillow also needed to be machine washable, dryable and completely sustainable. I found Dr. Mercola’s 3 key requirements for the perfect natural pillow are:

3. No Fire Retardant Chemicals

Most pillows include harsh fire retardant chemicals. One of the most commonly used fire retardants is polybrominated diphenyl ethers or PBDEs.“PBDEs resemble the molecular structure of PCBs, which have been linked to cancer, reproductive problems, and impaired fetal brain development.” Dr. Mercola explains in an article Should You Throw Your Pillow Away? – Researchers did a study and found that sleeping pillows topped the list on having the highest amount of these chemicals. Exposing ourselves to this is an unnecessary risk because there are natural pillows that don’t contain these chemicals. The pillows that have the highest amounts of PBDEs are: polyurethane foam pillows, polyester pillows and feather pillows!

2. Completely Hypoallergenic

“Dust mite feces and decaying bodies are responsible for  most of our allergic reactions. Allergic reactions can range from very mild to severe. If you have existing air sensitivities, your reaction could be even more intense. When considering bedding choices, it’s important to note that dust mites thrive in warm, humid conditions.” Dr Mercola “Caution Sleeping on This “Steals Your Energy as You Sleep”

Do you wake up with an allergic reaction in the mornings? Most likely it is dust mite feces in your pillow. In two years a down pillow can accumulate up to two pounds of dust mite feces. YUCK! This is because a down pillow is the perfect home for dust mites, it dries very slowly and doesn’t wick away moisture which the dust mites need. This same problem can occur with cotton batting filled pillows.

1.Breathable

The optimum sleeping temperature is between 64-68 degrees. Too cold and your body is working hard to warm up and any hotter and your body will be working hard to cool down. Either way instead of resting your body is working to stay at a comfortable temperature. Down and polyester are not as breathable as you need and you will often be too hot. “Reducing the amount of “thermal stress” on your body by selecting the appropriate bedding is so important if you want to get a great night’s sleep.” – Dr. Mercola “Caution Sleeping on This “Steals Your Energy as You Sleep”

What kind of pillow fits all the requirements? We know that synthetic materials, cotton and down don’t hold up to these standards. The only natural material that does is wool. Wool is naturally fire resistant, it naturally wicks away moisture and it is naturally breathable. Wool bedding has also been found to increase REM sleep and lower the resting heart rate of those who use it.

“When it comes to treating yourself to the best bedding possible – and thus the most optimal sleep experience – I fully recommend wool.” – Dr. Mercola “Caution Sleeping on This “Steals Your Energy as You Sleep”

Remember when I was struggling with sleep? When I learned about Dr. Mercola and his wool pillows I had to give them a go. Because I had my own wool from my flock I thought I would just use one of the many  fleece that I already had. The fleece was already sustainably grown from my well loved sheep. All I needed to do was make it machine washable and comfy. Most wool pillows are not machine washable and are filled with wool batting that lumps together over time. So, I designed a felted woolly down that was completely transformable and machine washable. That first night I slept with my wool pillow I had the best sleep of my life! Thank you Dr. Mercola! After that I just had to share the pillow with my friends and family. So, I made a bunch of prototypes and gifted them to my close friends. They came back amazed wondering how they could buy more.  I was amazed that all of them reported better sleep.

I started planning for a sale, and then realized that I wanted these pillows to be about the holiday season of gift giving. On my family farm we are raising the final funds to finish building a home for our farm manager and her family. This gift for our farm manager is very important to me, as are these pillows. That’s why all of the proceeds from purchasing your own one of a kind felted wool down pillow will go towards making our farm managers house into a home.

Our farm manager, Lael and her family From left to right: Avory, Lael & Addison Photo credit Captivating Love Photography

Join us and give the gift of a good night’s sleep to your friends and family! They are the Dr. Mercola recommended natural pillow and family approved because of their durability and comfort! Giving the gift of natural sleep is easy, when you purchase 2 of the standard sized sleep pillows you will receive $30 off the original price! And, I am so excited about these pillows that each one is guaranteed for 30 days. Within that time if you are not satisfied, simply send it back and we will refund your purchase price!

Help a Farm to Help a Family and buy the natural pillow that Dr. Mercola would use. We need 100 to be sold to reach our goal and supplies are limited. They will only be available until December 15th. Go and get yours today before they are gone!

Thank you for being a part of the farm, it is a pleasure to have you come alongside us in this season of peace, joy and goodwill to all men.

Lynn

The Living Farm

The post The Search for the Dr. Mercola Approved Pillow appeared first on THE LIVING FARM.

The post 3 Easy Solutions for a Great Night’s Sleep – Help a Farm to Help a Family Final Fundraiser! appeared first on THE LIVING FARM.

Construction is underway on our Help a Farm to Help a Family Project. Because of your support at the Benefit Dinner and your sponsorship of square feet of the house we have been able to move forward on building the tiny home for our farm manager, Lael, and her family. Building began the 8th of this month with the farm crew and with a little help from Bill Mentgen, Lynn’s Brother. Bill designed the tiny home and helped that first week to get a majority of the framing finished.

He took progress shots of the building process. They truly did so much in one week of building!

With the construction crew came some extra help in the gardens. Allison, Todd’s daughter, helped in the greenhouses all week. It was so enjoyable to share the farm with the younger generation. The beet harvest was one of the many things she assisted with on the farm.

We are beginning on the third week of building and the house has gone up fast. Tom and Ben have been working on the new construction everyday as well as monitoring harvest. They have been the superheroes of this project and cannot be thanked enough!

So much has changed on the house in the past two weeks. This is the north facing side of the house with a view of mt. Lamborn.

The view from the living room frames the mountain beautifully! The space will have lots of windows that will connect Lael and her family to the outdoors at all times.

The loft area for the kids has peaceful views of the valley. One of the changes as the building came into being at the beginning of this month was making the loft ceilings higher so that the rooms had the flexibility for future growth of the children.

The next step in the building process will be placing the roof. We hope that the rain holds off long enough so that we can get this important work finished.

Would you like to stay involved with the project? We have a list of materials for furnishing the house that we are still in need of. You can look over the list below and compare it with what is laying around in your garage. Bookcases, paint and laminate or hardwood floor remnants would be greatly appreciated to make this into a home. If you aren’t local and can’t donate spare items you can help by sponsoring a square foot. This will enable us to purchase the materials to furnish this into an energy efficient home for our incredible farm manager.

This project would never have happened without your support. Thank you for supporting the future of the Living Farm!

Lynn

(P.S. To insure that you won’t miss out on the latest farm news don’t forget to subscribe to the farm newsletter!)

(P.P.S In case you missed the exciting news from last week you might want to give the blog post Celebrating 100 Leafy Greens Course Students a read!)

Supplies List

• Drywall mud
• Paint
• Pro-panel—green
• Pro-panel—cream
• 1 exterior door
• 5 interior doors
• hardwood floor scraps
• kitchen cabinets
• bathroom cabinets
• water heater—propane
• 2 hot water solar panels
• PV solar panels/system
• 4 burner propane range
• composting toilet
• towel rods
• front load washer
• mirrors
• wood stove,  small
• stove pipe 6” triplet & single wall
• Firewood
• Stepping stones or pavers
• Light fixtures
• Ceiling fan
• Dressers
• Area rugs
• Bookshelves

The post Construction is Underway! – Help a Farm to Help a Family Update appeared first on THE LIVING FARM.

Chef Frank & Lynn Touring the Greenhouses Photo credit Jim Brett

We had a special guest in July! The Rocky Mountain PBS show, Chef Driven shot an episode for their new season at the farm and cafe. Chef Frank Bonnano and his film crew enjoyed an afternoon tour of the farm with Lynn. The rainstorms we have been experiencing almost every afternoon cleared up just in time for filming! Lynn and Chef Frank went through our farm-to-table process of growing, harvesting and cooking all in one day. They harvested produce in each of our greenhouses to make a new dish for The Living Farm Cafe. Chef Frank and Lynn hit it off discussing their shared passion for good food as they harvested in the gardens.

Harvesting in the Gardens – photo credit Jim Brett

The Greenhouse Tour – photo credit Jim Brett

After touring our greenhouses and gardens we visited with the sheep. All of the ewes and lambs were excited to have a rare mid-afternoon treat.

The Flock Enjoying a Mid Afternoon Treat- photo credit Jim Brett

The camera crew were just as curious of the sheep, as the sheep were curious of them! – Photo credit Jim Brett

Once we had finished visiting with the ewes and lambs we headed to the cafe to cook up our delicious harvest. Chef Mike, Chef Frank and the film crew piled into the kitchen to create a beautiful farm-to-table meal.

In the Cafe Kitchen – photo credit Jim Brett

Once the meal was cooked we all sat down and enjoyed the fruits of our labor. It was wonderful to share the farm with someone as passionate about food as we are! We are honored to be on the Chef Driven show and to have the chance to reach out to more people than ever before with the message of the fresh foods movement. On the farm we look forward to seeing The Living Farm Chef Driven episode in the next six months.

Hazelnut, one of our bottle babies

A few months ago we toured journalists from all over the United States on the farm as a part of a Western Slope Tourism event.  The group were taken on our VIP Behind the Scenes Farm Tour. They loved it so much that after their dinner at the cafe, they came back for Lamb Loving. And that was when the magic happened. Our signature Lamb Loving where guests are invited to tame our lambs by cuddling them from 7:30-8:30, paired with dinner at the cafe is the best example of farm-to-table living we can offer. Hazelnut, our bottle fed baby, charmed the entire crew of writers with her sweet attitude. Katie Foote was one of the journalists who fell in love with the farm (and especially our lambs). In her article, a picture of Hazelnut represents our Farm; and rightfully so! She listed 12 unique dining experiences in the USA and The Living Farm & Cafe are number 11! We are so grateful for this opportunity.
As we grow to fit the needs of our community we have been given more and more opportunities to spread the word of the joys of eating locally. It is exciting to see what August holds for us as we grow the farm staff in a new way and put out more exciting gardening education. We are excited to see what could happen next! Learn how to become a part of growing our farm staff by checking out the Help a Farm to Help a Family web page.

The post Chef Driven & Epicure and Culture at The Living Farm! appeared first on THE LIVING FARM.

Are you ready to learn how you can begin your summer adventures? Let’s hear from HeidiTown!

What is Heiditown?

HeidiTown.com was founded in 2007 by freelance writer Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer. Over the years, HeidiTown blossomed into something larger than a blog; social media began playing a big part in the influential nature of HeidiTown. Today, HeidiTown is a trusted name in Colorado travel and tourism.

On Heiditown.com you highlight Colorado tourism opportunities through local adventure inspiration blog posts. How would you recommend looking for unique activities and events in other states?

 This is a very good question! I’ve always thought that it would be fun to expand the HeidiTown brand to other states, but so far I’ve found so much to do right here in Colorado that I haven’t had time to look into expanding the brand.

 I would recommend going online and visiting a state’s “visit” website. Google the word, “visit” and then the state you wish to explore. One of the first web sites that should come up is the state’s tourism office. This is a very good place to start. For instance, on Colorado.com there are all of the state’s major listings; things like National Parks, etc., but there is also a comprehensive calendar of events that take place across Colorado.

You may also want to contact the visit center directly and ask if there are any blogs about their state that they would recommend checking out.

How can I become a citizen of HeidiTown?

Citizens of HeidiTown are readers of HeidiTown.com, followers of HeidiTown on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google Plus, LinkedIn and Pinterest and listeners of the HeidiTown radio show on KRFC 88.9 FM. Anyone who engages with HeidiTown on a regular basis is a HeidiTown citizen.

Generally you are featuring the Colorado festivals you enjoy. On Memorial Day weekend you hosted one yourself! How did it go?

 Our first annual HeidiTown Fest was a success! I held it in Ouray, a beautiful and charming Colorado town. I wanted to throw my own festival and give HeidiTown citizens the chance to live like the Mayor for a weekend. We kept people very busy with excursions and evening parties; they got a taste of what it’s like to travel Colorado as the Mayor of HeidiTown. I am collecting feedback from participants via a survey and so far we’ve had an extremely positive response.

 We plan to hold HeidiTown Fest in a different town each year so that people can explore the state with me. Perhaps one day it will be held in Paonia and one of the excursions will be a visit to The Living Farm!

Many gardeners are tied to their gardens all summer long because of labor involved. In our high performance garden system gardeners now have the freedom to go and enjoy themselves. How would you give them adventure inspiration? 

The sheer beautiful of Colorado is what inspires me to get out and travel. We have plains, mountains and sand dunes, and at this time of year there is a startling array of wildflowers blooming everywhere from Fort Morgan to Durango.

I would challenge folks to get out and explore a new place this summer – whether it’s Larmar with its hidden canyons, tremendous birding and incredible history or Hayden with its fields of horses and fantastic Yampa River natural areas. Hayden even has a farm stay opportunity.    

With so much to explore right out your front door, it’s hard not to be inspired to get out and see it on a weekend.

How can we stay updated with your latest adventures?

Subscribe to the blog, HeidiTown.com,­ to stay on top of all the latest Featured Festivals, etc. You can also connect with me daily at Facebook.com/HeidiTown.comonFB and almost hourly on Twitter @HeidiTown.

HeidiTown.com was founded in 2007 by freelance writer Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer. Over the years, HeidiTown blossomed into something larger than a blog; social media began playing a big part in the influential nature of HeidiTown. Today, HeidiTown is a trusted name in Colorado travel and tourism. HeidiTown loves The Living Farm. Visiting the farm and staying above the café are two of my most memorable experiences as the Mayor of HeidiTown.

The post Summer Adventure Inspiration from Heiditown appeared first on THE LIVING FARM.