The farm has become a Hidden Gem of Colorado in the last week. NBC 11 News came and toured the farm for this popular news segment that featured local Colorado talent.
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
