ORGANIC FARM TOURS

Guided tours of local organic farms organized by Dr. Ron Godin, of the Colorado State University Agricultural Research and Experiment Center in Hotchkiss CO -  The tour will start promptly at 9 am from the Rogers Mesa Research Station, 3 miles west of Hotchkiss. Tours will be led by Pat Frazier, permaculturalist, and president of VOGA (Valley Organic Growers Association- www.vogaco.org ). To get more info, contact Ron Godin at phone: (970) 434-3264. To learn more about the CSU Research Center outside of Hotchkiss: www.colostate.edu/programs/wcrc/pubs/information/rogersmesa.htm.

Unguided farm tours will also be an option. Click on Farm Tours on the left of the screen for details. 

A map for unguided local farms and wineries will be available in the Town Park. 

2008 Harvest Festival Guided 'Organic Farm Tour'

9am  Meet at Rogers Mesa Research Station for short orientation.

930am Lance's Garden: Lance will give us a tour of his farm.  Lance has been growing organic for more than 25 years!

1045am Abundant Life Organic Farm:  Jeff and Kaylee Armstrong will give us a tour of their vegetable growing operation and speak                                             about their roadside stand and farm markets.

1200pm Delicious Orchards: tour and lunch (please bring a lunch, beverages will be available at the orchard).
Jeff & Tracey Schwartz will give us a tour of their orchards, farm stand and wine tasting business.

This year we will have two tracks in the afternoon, there will be an orchard/farm track and a greenhouse track, you are not locked into one or the other and can mix and match if you like.

Orchard/farm Track                                                                     Greenhouse Track
130pm  Austin Family Farms: Glen and Toni Austin will give us a                        TLC Greenhouse:

                                                                                              Lynn Gillespie has been organic
tour of their orchard and berry operation along witj info                                                                                             

about their CSA and many years in organic production.              for over 20 years and will give                                                                                             us a tour of her several
houses she uses for year-round production                                                                              Lynn grow greenhouse small fruits,

                                                                                    vegetables, and lettuce greens.

245pm  Ela Family Farms & Silver Spruce Orchard                                                  Zephryos Farm and Garden:                                                                                      Daphne Yannakakis 
The Elas will give us a tour of their orchards and farm                           and Don Lareau  grow                                                                                             vegetables and cut flowers in
            and a peek at their commercial kitchen. The Elas' sell                          greenhouses                                                                                                            hoophouses, and sell at area farm             much of their fruit and produce at front-range farmers                            markets.
markets.