Pagosa Farmers Market is off to a strong start in its new location at Tennyson Sculpture Garden and Park. This year there are eighteen unique vendors offering locally farmed produce, grass fed meats, eggs, baked goods, delicious take home meals, locally roasted coffee, honey, teas, fresh herbs and herbal products, hand-made items for home and self and the list will go on as the season advances.
With this article, our featured vendor is Canyon Farm, a micro-farm situated on about 3 acres in southern Archuleta County, just south of Trujillo. Canyon Farm is a mainstay in achieving one of the critical goals of the Market — increasing the local food supply — and has been with the Market from its inception.
Owners Kendall and Debbie McAlister purchased the property between 1994 and 1998, and began planting heirloom apple trees. Unfortunately as the years passed, most of those original trees succumbed to the harsh, semi-arid climate, and difficult soils.
So when Kendall retired at the end of 2015, they decided to pursue their long time interest in vegetable and herb cultivation and began developing their property in earnest.
Now the farm flourishes with improved irrigation, years of growing nutrient-fixing cover crops, and selection of better adapted cultivators. Apple, pear and plum trees are highlights of the farm. The green hoop house grows
heirloom and gourmet tomatoes, and by August, weather permitting, there are melons and okra.
Canyon Farm has been built with a commitment to a diverse local, sustainable food production farm of trees, small fruits, annual food plants, and native vegetation, all nourished organically and irrigated from the San Juan River.
When you buy produce from local growers like Canyon Farm, you know the produce didn’t travel far to get to market, and the fruits and vegetables were able to ripen naturally. Since they travel less and can ripen on trees and in the ground, the produce retains better nutrients and tastes better than store bought. Additionally, when you go to the Market, you support family farms and ranches that serve our community and ultimately, the economic health of the community by keeping your dollars local.
For those with SNAP cards, the Market is the only place in Pagosa Springs that offers Double Up Bucks for the first $20 you spend, doubling your purchase power to $40. And for those 60 years or older and qualify, the San Juan Area Agency on Aging is offering $50 vouchers to spend at the Market to encourage healthy and nutritious eating. To see if you qualify and request a voucher, please call Debra Herrera at 970-403-2164.
Pagosa Farmers Market happens every Saturday from 9am to 1 pm at its new location at the Tennyson Sculptor and Garden Park on the corner of Lewis Street and Hwy. 160 in Pagosa Springs. For more information email pagosafarmersmarket.org or call 970-264-5232.
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