Francisco Francisco is originally from Guatemala where his dad was a contractor and the family grew some veggies as a normal part of growing up. In his native Mayan Akateco dialect his name is Pal Ana and his brother is Pal As. When translated into Spanish they both became Francisco, which is also their last name. He moved to Arizona in 1977 and later California and Oregon,  where he worked at various jobs including cotton and mushroom farming.

In 1997 he started working for White Mountain Farm in the potato warehouse, and then started heading up their garden in 2000. Today he is the floor foreman for White Rock Specialties, overseeing a crew of 16 or so, and is still the head gardener out in the White Mountain vegetable fields. In 2016 he started his own farming at the Rio Grande Farm Park and has been known for excellent communication and great crops: fennel, mint, leeks, lettuce, chard, kale, and much more. Francisco uses all natural organic methods.

He is married to Alma Lima and between them they have 9 children.

Roasted Fall Vegetable Salad with White Beans

Laz Ewe Two Bar Goat Dairy was founded in 2007 by Jennifer Knoblauch.  The dairy is nestled between Del Norte and South Fork Colorado on the Knoblauch Ranch (4 generation ranch). Her and her daughters (Amy Neuerburg and Christine Knoblauch) started with 20 head.  Before starting the dairy, goats had already been a major aspect of the Knoblauch ranch both girls were very active in showing and judging dairy goats for 4-H and ADGA. 

The herd has now grown to 75 head of milkers (milked 2x/day) consisting of French Alpines and Recorded Grades. Goats feed on native grass hay cut on the ranch and graze on pasture during the day. Jenny makes around 100 pounds of cheese every week that is either made into feta (semi hard, dry, salty) or chevre (soft, creamy).   They also have a small cow herd for making cow cheese including the specialty cheeses of romano, parmesan, edam, cheddar, blue cheese. 

Butternut Squash Lentil Soup

Haydn Christensen, owner and operator, grew up in Monte Vista, Colorado surrounded by swathes of hay fields. From the time he could walk, he was helping out on the family farm, learning the ropes of the agriculture industry and building a dream of owning his own farm on the front range. Fast forward eighteen years and Haydn began his educational career at Colorado State University to obtain a degree in Soil and Crop Sciences. Even before graduating, he had built the first Colorado Fresh greenhouse in 2012 and transformed the business into produce production for the local community and beyond. He and his wife Lindsay work the farm 7 days a week under the supervision of 2 year old son Kelby! They recently relocated back to Monte Vista, CO.

From seed to harvest, we are dedicated to providing sustainably grown produce. We believe in incorporating new and improved farming techniques whenever possible and eliminating chemical pesticides to better the health of our environment. Our hydroponic greenhouses save energy, facilitate faster production, and allow us to use less water than we would in the field! For field operations, we like to take a responsible and intelligent approach to conventional farming by applying the newest and safest techniques possible.

Winter Beet Salad

The Valdez family has been farming and ranching in Southern Colorado for five generations. Stephen Valdez, who was born and raised in the San Luis Valley, settled with his wife Sandra back in the valley in the early 1990's. He started operating farm and ranch land near La Jara, Colorado, where he continued to grow his cattle and farming operation alongside his wife, Sandra, and their four children Rachel, Erika, Olivia, and Garrett. 

After many years of running the commercial cow/calf operation and traveling to horse shows with his daughters, Stephen starting looking into the bison industry which would fit his model of sustainability better. In 2017, they purchased their first bison, which has progressed into a 1,500 acre hay production and bison operation. 

Big River Bison has been family owned and operated by Valdez Farm & Ranch since inception in 2017. Today, the whole family takes part in raising and selling their bison products. The Valdez family takes great pride in their practices and love the memories they are creating on the farm and ranch. They are going to keep striving for sustainability in their business as well as their land. Their goal is to keep improving and growing each year so that they will be able to continue this operation for generations to come. 

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Chili

Meet Dan Hobbs & Nanna Meyer, the faces behind Pueblo Seed & Food Co.!
Our family farm operation was established in 1996 on the Pecos River of northern New Mexico, moved to Pueblo County, Colorado in 2000 and to Montezuma County in 2021. We chose McElmo canyon, near Cortez, to grow our seed crops in a more isolated setting, free of pollen drift.

Our mission is to renew and strengthen communities by stewarding the land and guiding the health of seed, food and people. 

We grow a diversity of certified organic crops on 30 irrigated acres including open pollinated seeds, chile peppers, varietal garlic, mixed vegetables, legumes and heritage grains, which we sell in the form of seeds, fresh produce and value added products at our Seed & Bakehouse.

We are dedicated to on-going learning and improvement on our farm. We have been certified Organic since 2001 and have designed our systems with principles and practices from rotational, conservation, regenerative, and biodynamic agricultural farming traditions. 

We have been growing seed and garlic for national seed companies for many years. Our customers include High Mowing Organic Seeds, Territorial Seed Company, Botanical Interests, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Fedco Seeds, Renee's Garden Seeds and farm-based seed companies such as Siskiyous Seeds, Redwood Seeds, Wood Prairie Seed, Restoration Seed and High Desert Seed. 

Our work with seeds also has a conservation and stewardship dimension. Over thousands of years subsistence and production farmers from all over the world have selected and handed down seeds and plants. We are grateful for the hard the work of farmers, and the seeds themselves, and we do our best to keep them genetically pure so that they can continue to evolve while in our care. We also do our best to tell the stories of seeds and food as they have been told to us and through personal observation and kitchen work!

Apple Butternut Squash Casserole 

Nestled on the bluffs overlooking the Huerfano River near its confluence with the Arkansas, our family has farmed and cared for this land for more than 80 years. Great Grandmother Malone named this farm for the views of the beautiful mountain ranges to the west and the vast prairies to the east.

Over the years, we have always understood the importance of good stewardship of the land and water resources we have been entrusted with in this community. Our respect and gratitude for the vision of our ancestors continually anchors our hopes and dreams for the future while guiding our decisions to ensure the sustainability of this community for generations that follow.

The Perfect Fall Pasta
with Delicata Squash, Pancetta, & Goat Cheese

The Diestel Family Ranch has been in the family for over 70 years. It all began with Great Uncle Ernest, who taught our Grandpa Jack everything he knew. With Great Uncle Ernest’s time-tested techniques and honest philosophies, Grandpa Jack founded our humble farm in 1949. Since then, we’ve done everything but compromise the values he staked his name on to raise the leanest, cleanest, most delicious birds that money can buy. It’s a tradition that’s survived for decades, most recently with Tim and Joan Diestel, who laid a sound foundation for the transition from their watchful eye to their children, Heidi and Jason Diestel.

Sure, the Diestel Family Ranch is now under its fourth generation of family management, and you can expect that transition to come with a hefty helping of new ideas, renewed passion, and, well, new arguments around our family dinner table. But our commitment to doing things right will never change—not even if we make it to our fortieth generation.

Apple-Stuffed Acorn Squash