Fresh produce is quickly making its way into the area, and we couldn’t be more excited!
When? The time is right now and available throughout the summer, even into early fall. What? All types of fresh vegetables and yummy fruits are now coming into our local markets, hopefully locally grown or at least Colorado grown. However, the more locally grown produce that we can get our hands and stomachs on, the better for us! If you are shopping at the local grocery stores, look for the Colorado Proud label to choose fresh produce grown in Colorado.
One place you can find local foods this summer is the Pagosa Farmers Market, currently located at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, 225 S. Pagosa Boulevard, every Saturday from 9:00am to 1:00pm until mid-September. The earlier you can get to the market, the better chance of getting super fresh locally grown produce from our very local farmers, who offer a variety of fresh vegetables such as heirloom tomatoes, beans, fresh herbs, greens, summer squash, and root crops. Some of these producers sell only at the farmers markets, others offer the purchase of fresh produce through their websites or social media sites. There is a booth at the market that features vegetables grown by local backyard growers.
Look for the Small Growers Co-op booth if you’d like to support small local growers.
Another location is the Peach Stand, located at North Pagosa Boulevard and Navajo Trail Drive, just behind the gas station. This fruit and vegetable stand appears each summer, usually after the July 4th holiday, and remains open until mid-October. They are a grower from the Western Slope, Palisades area, hence the name of the peaches they grow, Palisades Peaches. The Palisades Peach is a free stone peach, meaning the peach pit is easily removed from the fruit – it is a very juicy and delicious peach, great for fresh eating! They also offer a variety of other fruits, such as melons, cherries, apricots, plums, and nectarines; fresh veggies include corn, onions, peppers, squash, and later in the season, pumpkins. When available, they also have roasted chili peppers. The stand is open Sundays through Fridays, closed on Saturdays.
If you’re looking for an open-air market to stroll through uptown, each Tuesday evening, at the Higher Grounds Coffee Shop, a number of local vendors are set up to sell their wares. There are plenty of local food producers at this location, including vendors selling meats, mushrooms, fresh vegetables, and more! It is in the cool of the late afternoon every Tuesday from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm, located at the corner of Village Drive and Davis Cup Drive. Parking is available in the lot across from McDonald’s.
Don’t forget about our local food pantries as another source of fresh food. Right now, generous folks with home gardens are donating portions of their crops to our local charitable food system. If you are in need and the high cost of food is preventing you from enjoying the benefits of fresh, locally grown produce, please do not hesitate to visit one of the six local food pantries. They have healthy, nourishing vegetables as they become available from some of our local growers, such as the Vista Lake Community Garden.
So far this season, the Vista Lake Community Garden has grown and donated fresh lettuce and beets… with beans, tomatoes, peppers, squash, potatoes, onions, peas, and herbs on the way!
Speaking of community gardens, there are two currently growing fresh produce in Pagosa Springs. The Vista Lake Community Gardens, as mentioned above, located on Port Avenue in the PLPOA/Vista Community, have two gardens operated by the Vista Lake Community Garden Committee, a subcommittee of the PLPOA. They maintain a number of beds dedicated to growing food for the community food pantries, but they also have a number of individual beds available to anyone in the PLPOA community to grow their own fresh fruits and vegetables.
The Pagosa Springs Community Garden is another location with beds available to Pagosa Springs residents to grow their own food. Located downtown along the San Juan Riverwalk, just west of the grow domes, this outdoor garden is not only a great space for learning to grow fresh produce, but is a peaceful sanctuary right next to the river to enjoy the sounds of nature. The garden manager is present frequently and is ready to offer a tour of the gardens and invite everyone to partake in the experience of growing food and experiencing the natural surroundings.
If you’re seriously interested in growing some of your own fresh food for yourself or your family, but don’t have the space to do so, consider obtaining a bed (or two) in one of these community gardens. Both locations usually have an expert or two who visit the gardens and are more than willing to offer plenty of advice, sharing their knowledge and experience. It is also refreshing to know that these spaces are not only for growing food, but also for growing relationships with other gardeners. Both gardens hold several free community events in summer, open to the public, and most times include special activities for children and adults alike. To learn more about our community gardens, where to get local fresh foods, and the other efforts of Healthy Archuleta, please visit our website at wwwfoodcoalition4archuleta.org or send us an email at fsfearchuleta@gmail.com.