Our Local Farm Partners 2018
One of the most important reasons our food is so delicious is our fresh local ingredients, grown and raised by farmers we know and trust. Learn more about our main farm partners and the stories behind our local produce, fruit, beef, eggs, cheese and lamb below.
Red Wagon Organic Farm, Niwot, CO- Amy and Wyatt. 19 mi from our kitchen.
In their own words:
We have been farming together since 2004. We believe in growing local food for local people. The vegetables we sell to you are the freshest possible and we are helping to support an important local food system. We believe that we should not be dependent on vegetables grown hundreds or thousands of miles away."
We love to grow unusual varieties, but taste is always our top priority. Every season we trial new varieties and look for vegetables that have superior flavor. This may mean unusual heirlooms or mainstream standards."
We strive to have a sustainable farm and to us this means many things. It means using our land, water, and other resources in a responsible way. We farm in a manner that is sustainable for the land and also provides wildlife habitat. We also strive to have a farm that is economically sustainable. This is the only way the farm will continue to operate year after year. That means paying our workers a fair wage and putting money back into the local community."
"One of the best parts is that we sell directly to the people who consume our vegetables. We get to share our stories, challenges, and other information with our customers and we also get to enjoy the gratitude they show us."
Learn more here about Red Wagon and their farm stand, get recipes and see what's available at market
(Photo credits: Header- Back to Basics Kitchen, Portrait- Red Wagon Farm)
Ela Family Farms, Hotchkiss, CO- Steve and Becky Ela (Fourth Generation). 248 mi from our kitchen.
In their own words:
”Located on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains outside of Hotchkiss, Colorado, our ninety-nine acre organic fruit farm is dedicated to growing the best-tasting peaches, apples, pears and cherries around. The mouth-watering fruit we grow is the result of four generations of farming wisdom, innovation, and experience."
"All our products are certified organic and are only made from fruit we grow on our family farm. We only use fruit picked at its peak of flavor."
"Steve (the fourth generation) started converting the farm to certified organic production in 1994. Starting with peaches, pears, cherries, and then apples, the farm is now 100% farmed with organic methods. Steve changed watering the orchard from wasteful furrow irrigation to sprinkler and drip irrigation. Combined with investments in many acres of new trees, frost control technology, and continued development and refinement of insect control, the family farm has remained in the forefront of orcharding."
"Things often stay the same through generations. For us at Ela Family Farms that includes a commitment to bringing you the best possible tasting fruit, farming in a manner that is environmentally friendly, and supporting family farms."
Also to be mentioned is Jeni Nagle, Ela's Front Range representative who has worked with us for the last four years and Ela Family Farms for the last 14 years! If you've ever shopped at Ela's Boulder Market stand, you've probably met Jeni.
Learn more here about the Ela farm, the four generations of history, more than you ever thought you could know about varieties of peaches, apples etc., and where to get Ela products here. We highly recommend their annual farm tour.
Find them at both Boulder and Longmont Markets!
(Photo credits: Back to Basics Kitchen)
Jodar Farms, Ft. Collins, CO- Aaron and Ria. 53 mi from our kitchen.
We've seen some of the happiest chickens in the most idyllic setting at Jodar Farms. We have proof of it every week when we crack open their eggs to reveal super bright orange yolks.
In their own words:
"Jodar Farms is a family-run farm located in Northern Colorado at the base of the picturesque Rocky Mountains. We are dedicated to producing wholesome, nutrient-rich foods. In order to produce such foods our animals are raised using all natural growing practices. We strongly believe that animals should experience the things in life that make us all happy… warm sunshine, green grass and cool breezes."
"Along with producing healthy animals, we believe that people should know the whole truth about what they are eating. Complete records of where our animals come from, how they are raised and where they are processed are readily available. By keeping our members informed, we believe they will be able to make better decisions about the food they feed their families."
"All of the eggs produced on Jodar Farms come from hens with no fences. These ladies have been 
trained to lay eggs in lay boxes and to mosey on home each night. Because of this training we are able to let the layers have full range of the farm, which means they forage constantly. One of the more common hang out locations is in the compost piles….And let me tell you bugs from the compost make the best eggs you’ve ever had! In addition to the forage the hens eat, we also feed a small amount of All Natural Feed to help maintain vitamins and calcium contents."
"Aaron is excited to be one of the first and only local sources of quality poultry in Northern Colorado. After studying the way industrial food is produced, he has become an advocate of the local food movement. Aaron’s business and personal practices are modeled after the food philosophies of Michael Pollan, Joel Salatin, Elliot Coleman and other food advocates."
Learn more here about Jodar Farms, their eggs, their farm stand, and their other products.
Find them at both Boulder and Longmont Markets!(Photo credits: Header and Aaron- Back to Basics Kitchen, Wedding Portrait- Aaron Rice)
Lasater Grasslands Beef, Matheson, CO- Dale and Alex Lasater. 112 mi from our kitchen.
Beef, it's often an option for dinner here at Back to Basics Kitchen. Here's the story behind it.
In their own words:
"Our cattle have never been confined to a feedlot, they spend their entire lives grazing grass pastures. Our cattle are harvesting a naturally-renewable resource: the grasses of the Great Plains. Our grassfed cattle are raised without antibiotics, pesticides, hormones, growth implants, animal by-products, or steroids.”
"Our family’s love affair with land and livestock began in 1882, when Albert Hezekiah Lasater and his son Ed purchased a cattle ranch in south Texas. Ed's son Tom began a crossbreeding program that led to the development of one of two new breeds of cattle started in the United States. More than developing a breed, Tom Lasater's life work embodied a new ranching philosophy, one that embraced Nature as a partner rather than a force to be overcome. In 1948 the family moved the cattle herd to the shortgrass prairie of eastern Colorado."
"Today, Lasater Ranch Enterprises are managed by Tom's son Dale, a fourth-generation rancher, and Dale's son, Alex. For more than half a century the Lasater Ranch has been a wildlife sanctuary. There is no poisoning, hunting, or trapping on the ranch... Believing that working with nature is the best policy, many years ago we implemented practices that helped restore the natural balance between animal species, domestic livestock, land and man."
"Grazing animals are vital to the environmental health of the Great Plains, and rightly-raised cattle can help sustain that health... One of the most valuable lessons we’ve learned is that everything in Nature has a purpose... the ant, prairie dog, the coyote, the porcupine... This lesson governs every aspect of our business.”
"Forty years ago it was common practice to dry-age beef for 21 days. Due to the pressures to get beef quickly to the meat counter, dry-aging was eliminated. At the Lasater Ranch, we are not in a hurry, as we are still dry-aging our beef."
Learn more here about the Lasater's ranching philosophy and their beef.
(Photo credits: Back to Basics Kitchen)
Triple M Bar Ranch, Manzanola, CO- Mary and David. 173 mi from our kitchen.
In their own words:
"Triple M Bar Ranch is a family-owned and run ranch in Southeastern Colorado. We take pride in raising naturally grown lamb and Great Pyrenees guard dogs that are born and raised with our sheep. My husband, David and I are the main ranch hands."
"Our ranch headquarters sits on Buckeye Hill in Crowley County on the bluffs overlooking the Arkansas River Valley. We also have grazing land in the valley along the river."
"Due to the quality of pastures that our ewes and rams are on during breeding season, we usually have ewes giving birth to at least twins and most of the time triplets. Our lambing success rate and our success rate on our "bummers" is quite outstanding."
From an excellent 2013 Westword article on Triple M Bar Ranch and Colorado sheep ranching:
"From onions to melons to chiles, everything grown in the area is fair game for these sheep. 'It's kinda cute — they're like humans, because they have their favorites," Mary says. "Okra and eggplant are probably the last things they like to eat.'"
"Before they became sheep ranchers, the Millers were working for the United States Department of Agriculture, focusing on natural-resources conservation across much of southeastern Colorado. They became familiar with the lamb producers and wool growers of the region, and when they were looking for additional adventure, they decided to give ranching a try. "I liked what I saw," David recalls. "I liked the people who were participating. I liked the philosophy, the grittiness...and I understood that there would be hardships, and there would be challenges every day.'"
Find more information here. Triple M Bar Ranch is at both the Boulder and Longmont Markets!
(Photo credits: Triple M Bar Ranch)
James Ranch, Durango, CO- Dan and Becca James. 356 mi from our kitchen.
See our blog post on Susanna's visit to James Ranch here!
Happy 100% grassfed dairy cows from James Ranch give us the cheese that makes our Ponjoo Cheese Bread so distinctive and irresistible.
