By Olivia Gilbert
Despite what many believe, growing tomatoes in a high-altitude climate is possible! You can find early season tomatoes (that will blow your mind) at the Pagosa Farmers Market happening every Saturday 9am-1pm until September 30.
Our beloved and long-time vendor, Canyon Farm, grows gorgeous heirloom tomatoes, garlic, carrots, radishes… they even bring small batches of mouth-watering caramel spiced pear butter to market. (We are all doing our best to keep up with them and overhear secrets if we can eavesdrop effectively.)
Canyon Farm wasn’t always what it is today. In 1995 Debbie and Kendall McAlister started their farm with heirloom apple trees, twenty miles south of Pagosa Springs. The farm’s purpose was to support and feed their family, gradually shifting over the years into supporting and feeding the local community of Pagosa Springs. The biggest challenges they initially faced were the high elevation and a source of water for their small acreage. However, Debbie and Kendall were persistent and worked their way around these problems by investing in a hoop house to nurture their crops and using the San Juan River as their main water source. Now, they grow a myriad of produce from commercial-scale tomatoes to plums, pears, and apples.
Selling their produce in the community piqued the McAlister”s’ interest, because they realized there were so few local farmers. They were motivated to up their Farmer’s Market game and show the local public that you really can grow produce at high elevations. For three years, trial and error was a big part of the learning curve in figuring out what they could grow in their hoop house investment. The McAlisters have worked hard to make sure they have tomatoes in the first week of July which nobody else, to their knowledge, has been able to accomplish outside of dome growers.
Gardening for the McAlisters means giving back to the community and sharing their love for gardening with others. Kendall McAlister likes to see what he can do with his gardening skills and once he has a handle on it, he likes to share his produce and knowledge with the community. Kendall’s advice for fellow gardeners – don’t go in with too high expectations; you’ll be able to grow different things on different properties, and you get what you get; don’t throw a fit.
No promises, but you might expect to start seeing plums, pears, and apples at the Canyon Farm Booth in the third week of August. For now, expect to see fresh garlic at this week”s market along with other tasty, nutritious produce.
We are still offering a special deal for SNAP card users until the end of market. Spend $20 with your SNAP card and we will offer you and your family an extra FREE $20 in Double Up Bucks to spend on fresh veggies, eggs, or baked goods. Look for the SOS booth and stop by to snag this incredible deal.
A special thank you to Southwest Organization for Sustainability (SOS), the Town of Pagosa Springs, and the Pagosa Tourism Board for their support of the market.
For more information call 970-264-5232 or email pagosafarmersmarket@gmail.com
Olivia Gilbert is the Pagosa Farmers Market coordinator.