Guidestone's Land-Link Initiative

Want to learn more about Guidestone's Land-Link Initiative? Check out this informative video!

Pumpkin Patch Festival - October 16 & 17 and October 23 & 24, 2010

Autumn in the Upper Arkansas Valley is a wonderful time to celebrate with seasonal festivities around the abundant harvest. One great event for children and families will be the Fourth annual Pumpkin Patch Festival at Cottonwood Meadows in Buena Vista. The Pumpkin Patch Festival is a two-weekend celebration open to the public, which offers a variety of activities and amusements for the whole family.

You can join in on a horse-drawn wagon ride pulled by a local team of horses. The team will pull you out to the pumpkin patch where you can pick the perfect pumpkin for Halloween. Other engaging activities include winding through the hay-bale maze, playing chicken bingo, and enjoying a barbecue bratwurst or burger lunch with hot-apple cider and homemade pies and cookies. There will also be arts and crafts for the children, farm games, face-painting and a petting zoo. Enjoy the sights and sounds of life on a farm with your friends and neighbors while enjoying the fall colors of the cottonwoods and the views of Mt. Princeton. You can build a scarecrow. Watch local artisans share their skills and wares. Visit the fire trucks and learn about fire safety with the Chaffee County Fire Protection District. Take a walk back to the beautiful meadows along Cottonwood Creek. See the gardens where Weathervane Farm grows the vegetables provided to you through the CSA and markets all season long. Be sure to check out Cottonwood Creek Dairy and learn about old-fashioned raw milk production. And don't miss Colorado Grown, a distribution center specializing in locally grown and Colorado-based farm and specialty products.

Admission is $5 for adults and children three and over - the tiny tots are free! The cost of admission and the proceeds from the barbeque and baked goods will support Farmhands, Guidestone's educational programs. Guidestone is a non-profit organization that serves the Upper Arkansas River Valley by encouraging our local food economy and preserving our agricultural heritage with the Land-Link Initiative. The Farmhands Education Program, a Guidestone project, aims to join children with the hands-on learning experiences of small-scale local food production.

Come Join In The Fun!

The Pumpkin Patch hours:

Saturday 10am to 4pm, October 16th and 23rd

Sunday 12pm to 4pm, October 17th and 24th

Location: 15264 County Road 350 (look for the pumpkin signs!), Buena Vista. For more information go to www.guidestonecolorado.org.

Special thanks to John Cogswell of Cottonwood Meadows, Weathervane Farm, Cottonwood Creek Dairy, and Colorado Grown for their ongoing support.

David Lynch of Guidestone was recently interviewed by NPR about our Land-Link program. Check out the interview here!

http://krccnetwork.org/news/2010/09/24/land-link-connects-farmers-with-property-owners/

Images From Gail Schwartz Roundtable Event

Thanks to all who joined in the roundtable discussions with Senator Gail Schwartz on May 27 at the Salida Steam Plant. Stay posted as we will be sharing our collective insights from the meeting with you all soon!

Farmhands Summer Season Begins June 8!

Hey all you parents and fun-loving kids out there! Our 2010 Farmhands summer season is about to kick off with Farm Camp, June 8-10, up in Buena Vista. Check out our schedule below for more details about programs happening all summer long both in BV and in Salida!

Join Farmhands Education staff for one or many of these fun, hands-on learning opportunities. Designed for children ages 5 and up, all programs are interactive, educational, and exciting opportunities to experience a working farm or ranch, meet the resident animals, assist with projects and explore the surrounding natural habitat. Teaching locations include Weathervane Farm and Cottonwood Creek Dairy at The Meadows in Buena Vista and the historic Hutchinson Homestead in Salida.

Pre-registration is required for all programs. Please contact Farmhands Director Andrea Earley Coen at (970)309-3175 or email FarmhandsED@gmail.com to register or for more information.

The Meadows, Buena Vista:

Farm Camp

Ages: 5 and up Dates: June 8-10, July 6-8, July 27-29

Times: 9am-3pm each day

Cost: $120 per camp/ 10% discount if you register for all three
Join Farmhands for this unique and exceptionally fun 3-day program. Each day begins with farm chores and a snack. Then it really gets exciting! Days will be filled with teambuilding, nature exploration, aquatic ecology, farm projects, art, journaling, music and possibly even a hint of magic…. We will conclude the camp with a farm feast, harvested and prepared by the campers for their families.

The following programs meet from 9:00-12:00pm and cost $20 each. A farm-grown snack will be provided. Designed for ages 5 and up.

Nature Detectives

June 15 & July 22

Let’s put on our detective hats and go! Explore the woodlands and meadows surrounding Weathervane Farm to learn more about the wild animals that call this place home. Tracks, bones, eat marks and even scat will be our clues to unravel the mysteries of these animals’ homes and habits.

Junior Farmer

June 29

Don your overalls and come on out to the farm for a day of good-ole, down home farm work and fun. We will help work on some projects for Weathervane Farm, and the day will conclude with a special, tasty frozen treat thanks to the cows at Cottonwood Creek Dairy!

Diggin’ for Decomposers

July 20

Get ready to go hunting for the small and squirmy! Through exploration both on the farm and in the surrounding woodlands, learn how the creepiest, crawliest critters are the key to both a forest and our food.

Family Farm Days

Open to ALL ages - Great for families with children 4 and under!

Dates: June 26, July 10, July 24, Aug. 7 Times: 9-11:30am

Cost: $20 for a family of 4/$3 each additional person

Want to come to camp, too? Here’s your chance! Spend a morning on the farm with the whole family. Meet and feed the animals, tour the farm, assist in a farm project and create a farm-inspired craft to take home. A farm-grown snack will be provided, and you are invited to bring a picnic lunch and stay as long as you like!

Hutchinson Homestead, Salida:

Ranch Camp

Ages: 5 and up Dates: June 22-24, July 13-15, Aug. 3-5 Times: 9am-3pm each day

Cost: $120 per camp/ 10% discount if you register for all three
Spend three fun-filled days on a historic ranch! Each day will begin with ranch chores, and participants will get to assist in a variety of ranch projects, learn some animal husbandry skills, explore the pastures and creek, learn about the Hutchinson’s family and general ranching history and practice several traditional art skills, like spinning, candle making, butter making or making jam. There may even be a hint of magic that arises from the past…. The camp will conclude with a ranch-inspired feast and a square dance for campers and their families.

Sen. Schwartz attends agriculture roundtable

From The Mountain Mail:

"Sen. Gail Schwartz and assistant director of agriculture Bob Miller attended a roundtable discussion about farmland preservation, the land-link initiative and local food economy Thursday at the Salida SteamPlant.

Guidestone personnel hosted the public dialogue session.

Schwartz told The Mountain Mail the event was an opportunity for her to listen to small producers and take issues to the state level to better serve rural communities."

Read the entire article here.

Guidestone to Host Senator Schwartz for Roundtable Discussion

Guidestone has invited Senator Gail Schwartz to participate in a roundtable discussion on May 27th. Check out The Mountain Mail article below that gives all the details.

Schwartz solicits farmland feedback

By Arlene Shovald Special to The Mail
5/3/2010

Sen. Gail Schwartz will be in the Salida SteamPlant Annex from 1:30-4:30 p.m. May 27 for a public dialogue regarding farmland preservation, the Guidestone Land-Link Initiative and the local food economy.

Local organizations and businesses are invited to participate in a panel discussion outlining initiatives underway, barriers faced and solutions they envision toward fulfilling their ideas of a local food economy.

Planners said it is intended as a dynamic dialogue to inform state representatives and solicit their active support.

The meeting will be hosted by the Guidestone board. The organization is dedicated to preserving integrity of agricultural resources of the Upper Arkansas River region.

Intent is to foster a local food economy, stewardship of agricultural land in production, educating toward ecological literacy and supporting maintainable development.

The Guidestone Land Link Initiative partners farmers in need of space to grow food with land owners willing to lease or sell land for that purpose.

Schwartz is interested in advancing conservation efforts in central Colorado and developing land use policies contributing to maintaining rural communities.

She wants feedback about ways the Colorado Legislature can support goals of various organizations working toward those objectives. She said she plans to include Colorado Agriculture Commissioner John Stulp in discussions.

To prepare, the Guidestone board developed a survey to guide the program and provide Schwartz with an understanding of challenges in the Upper Arkansas River Valley.

The survey requests a description of food production such as dairying or farming done by the organization, how a group contributes to the local food economy, conservation efforts, barriers encountered and policy changes or financial strategies government might enact or support to help alleviate barriers.

Those interested in participating may get a copy of the survey at Natural Habitats, 202 N. F St., Unit B in The Palace Hotel or at www.guidstonecolorado.org and click on the "survey" icon.

Cottonwood Meadows Cleanup Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who came out to Cottonwood Meadows last Saturday to help with the cleanup! We had a great showing and the cleanup was a smashing success. Check out the photos below.

Earth Day Celebration in Salida - April 22

The Central Colorado Foodshed Alliance (CCFA), and the Greater Arkansas River Nature Association (GARNA), are partnering to host an Earth Day Celebration in Salida.

A short film, sponsored by the CCFA, Coming Home, by the EF Schumacher Foundation, will be shown at 7:30 PM.

Local projects, ideas and businesses, will be featured at the celebration. Local energy projects, alternative currency, local farms, CSAs, farmer's markets, farm education projects, land trusts, a nature association, a foodshed alliance, greenhouses, a bioregional magazine and Transition Town will be some of the featured projects.

It will be held at the Community Center, April 22, 6:30 PM - 9 PM. The cost is free, however, a donation will be appreciated.

Please attend and celebrate our locavore living on Earth Day, 2010.

Guidestone Fundraiser Set for April 11 at the Boathouse Cantina in Salida

Spring is coming out and so is Guidestone! Come learn who Guidestone is and what we are doing to ensure the future of agriculture in this valley. You can help us continue this vital work!!

Join us for a celebration and fundraiser on Sunday, April 11, from 5 till 8 pm at the Boathouse Cantina in Salida next to the F Street Bridge. A 5 dollar bill will get you in and buy you a chance at some tempting raffle prizes and to hear some foot stompin’ music by “Local Honey”. Tickets available at the door.

Special guests will include Commissioner Frank Holman, who is participating in a new Guidestone initiative called Land-Link, a unique partnership between landowners and new farmers.

Guidestone will also roll out its plans for this year’s Farmhands education program, a popular hands-on interactive program to introduce children and their families to the total farm experience. An additional Farmhands teaching location will be announced at this event!!

A healthy local food economy equals healthy, happy people….be a part of Guidestone’s efforts to promote and support a sustainable future for the Upper Arkansas River Valley.

Guidestone would like to thank the following businesses for their support in making this event possible. Our sponsors include, Alternative Choices, Antero Hot Springs, Colorado Grown, Colorado Local Market, Natural Habitats, Ploughboy, South Main, Foresight Multimedia and more. Raffle items are being donated by massage therapist Denise Ackert, Eddyline Restaurant and Brewery, Eliza’s Bed, artist Jimmy “Rocketman” Descant, Mount Princeton Hot Springs, Free the Monkey Consignment, and more.

Hope to see you there!

Weathervane Farm Garden and Fruit CSA Shares Available

By Caitlin Roberts

The CSA model of food production creates honest connections between the producer, the consumer, and the land. In joining the Weathervane Farm CSA share you will be an integral part of the effort to produce quality food for our community, while sustaining the health of our local farmland and our local economy. Weathervane Farm provides a weekly share of the harvest, including a newsletter to connect with the farm, and recipes to aid in the use of all the delicious farm produce.

Weathervane Farm will once again offer garden and fruit shares this season. The share season runs 16 weeks from June 19^th to October 9^th. The garden share will include a bounty and diversity of vegetables harvested in season, washed, boxed, cooled and ready to enjoy. Though the bulk of the produce in the garden share is grown on site, we also work with other organic and no-spray growers to provide hot weather crops difficult to grow outdoors at 8000ft. We work with Austin Family Farms of Paonia, CO to provide the fruit for the fruit share. Designed to provide you with a diversity of fruits throughout the season including cherries, apricots, plums, peaches, berries, melons, pears and apples, the fruit share is a great way to experience the bounty of Colorado’s fruit growing region. To learn more about the shares follow this link to the Weathervane Farm website. http://www.weathervanefarmbv.com/products/shares.html

Weathervane Farm also raises chickens for eggs and meat. Eggs will be available at the farmers market stand and meat will be available fresh on the day of harvest. To learn more about Weathervane poultry products and reserve fresh birds ready for your oven or freezer please follow this link to the Weathervane Farm website. http://www.weathervanefarmbv.com/products/poultry.html

New Milk Shares Avilable at Cottonwood Creek Dairy

Cottonwood Creek Dairy welcomes the newest (and cutest) member of the herd! Dot was born on a chilly, snowy morning last week, but she was quickly up and nursing on mom, Angie. Luckily, the three older calves (Chloe, Clara Belle, and Charlie) had just freed up the calf pen and moved into their new home where they have a new shelter and plenty of room to run. So now Dot has the cozy corner pen of the barn to stay warm and be near mom for her twice a day nursings. Please stop in and check out the new calf palace and say hi to Dot when you come to get your milk in the coming weeks.

All this excitement on the Dairy means that we now have an abundance of raw milk shares available for new members. We are also able to offer more extras to our members in the form of yogurt, cottage cheese, fresh mozzarella, and cream. We also have our own delicious milk-fed pork available by the piece. You can try our bacon, sausage, pork chops with out having to buy an entire share of pork this time! Please contact Amy at amyemcmillin[at]gmail[dot]com or call 719-221-9630 about signing up for milk shares or buying pork.

Colorado an "Island of Tranquility" in the Realm of Raw Milk

Many of you likely know David Lynch of Cottonwood Creek Dairy, Colorado Grown, and Guidestone fame. But you may not be aware that David is also the President of the Raw Milk Association of Colorado. This organization advocates for the availability of traditional raw milk products and for a high standard of safety in the supply. Last weekend, the organization held its annual gathering. Blogger David Gumpert of The Complete Patient attended the meeting and wrote about it at this link.

From As Controversy Over Raw Milk Swirls About, Colorado Is an Island of Tranquility:

"I attended the annual meeting Saturday of the Raw Milk Association of Colorado, and also gave a talk that traced the state and federal crackdown on raw milk over the last four years across the U.S., and how it relates to proposed federal food safety legislation. Afterwards, a number of Colorado farmers and consumers came up to me and said they never realized the extent of government harassment that’s been going on around the country. “It’s a scary situation,” one attendee told me.

But in Colorado, legislation enacted four years ago that allows distribution of raw milk via herdshare arrangements seems to be working well."

Guidestone Volunteer Opportunities!

Guidestone is growing as our mission and work continue to create more opportunities in the Upper Arkansas River Valley. With several projects underway, we are now looking for volunteers to help us achieve our vision of local agricultural growth.

We see volunteers becoming the heart of our work and will only grow stronger through the time and efforts provided by them. If you want to become part of the Guidestone volunteer team, now is the time to let us know. We have many volunteer opportunities that range from blog and recipe writing, to fundraising, farm cleanup and beyond.

Current volunteer opportunities:

Blogger
Help us write blogs about the local food movement, agriculture in the Arkansas River Valley and recipes that showcase local foods.

Adult Education Class Coordinator
Guidestone hopes to expand its educational offerings to adults. Help us coordinate such classes as “Food Preservation”, “High Altitude Gardening” and “Composting 101”. Suggestions for additional classes are always welcome!

Guidestone Fundraiser
Become a part of Guidstone’s first fundraiser of the year. Help is needed prior to and during the event.
Date: April 11, 2010
Location: Boathouse Cantina, Salida, CO

Spring Meadows Cleanup
Don your work gloves and overalls! This event is a great opportunity to get to know the Guidestone Board and Staff and the farmers of Weathervane Farm, Cottonwood Creek Dairy, and Colorado Grown. Help us to prepare the farm for the upcoming Farmhands educational programs and the growing season ahead. Participate in the maintenance of this beautiful land and creek setting here in the Upper Arkansas River Valley.
Date: To be determined

Farmhands
Do you love to work with kids and animals and dig your hands in the soil? Guidestone’s Farmhands education program will be in need of volunteer assistants this coming season. Please let us know if you are interested and stay tuned for more information.

If you would like to volunteer with Guidestone, please contact Lindsay at laj324[at]yahoo[dot]com or Katie at katie[at]southmainco[dot]com.

Quinoa and Sausage Stuffed Squash

This dish has quickly become a household wintertime favorite. The original recipe that this one is based on comes from the Joy of Cooking although it has evolved quite a bit since then. The nice thing about this recipe is that it is easy to get creative and come up with your own combinations of flavors. Have fun and enjoy!

Squash – 3 acorn or 1 butternut
2 T olive oil or butter
1 cup quinoa – grown in the San Luis Valley by White Mountain Farms
½ cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 lb ground sausage – Use any type you like. Visit Colorado Grown for delicious choices
1 cup chopped kale – I saved some in my freezer from last summer’s veggie share through Weathervane Farm
½ cup Parmesan cheese plus extra for topping, grated
Seasonings and salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350

Halve and seed squash. Place a steaming basket in a pot with water (be sure to not allow the water level to be higher than the level of the bottom of the basket). Bring the water to a boil and add the squash halves. Cover and steam until soft, usually 10 to 15 minutes.

Rinse 1 cup quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve and drain. In a medium sized pot heat oil or butter and add chopped onions and garlic. Cook until golden. Add quinoa, toasting for about 3 minutes. Add broth and other seasonings (I used coriander and turmeric… just get creative). Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for 12 – 15 minutes until the liquid is gone.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet cook sausage. Add chopped kale, stirring until wilted. Turn off heat.

Combine quinoa mixture with sausage mixture and parmesan cheese. Make any final seasoning adjustments. Spoon into squash halves and place in baking dish. Top with remaining grated Parmesan. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes.

David Lynch Interviewed on KCFR "Colorado Matters"

Guidestone's David Lynch recently sat down with Ryan Warner of Denver radio station KCFR's Colorado Matters for an interview about the Chaffee County Land Link Initiative. The discussion highlights the concepts and motives behind this new program and also details some of its first participants. To check out the interview click on the following link, then scroll down the page to Wednesday, January 27 and click on the title, "Cultivating New Farmers & Ranchers":

Colorado Matters: Cultivating New Farmers & Ranchers