Author: Jon Huang

Crowley County in Southeast Colorado was once booming with agriculture, but over the past several decades, with urban growth, agricultural decline and loss of irrigated land, it has become one of the state’s poorest counties and a reference point for statewide discussions about water stewardship. For siblings Rocio, Rosaura and Roberto Padilla, Crowley County is a place of hope and new beginnings. A family dream was born in Manzanola, where their parents emigrated from Mexico, built and established Padilla Produce. They all grew up on the farm, reaping the benefits of their family’s hard work and sacrifice, and so when…

What makes Palisade peaches special? According to Audra McDowell, it’s the fact that they grow in a climate of hot days and cold nights. “It creates stress on the trees, and that’s what helps produce more flavor,” she says. McDowell has countless memories of growing up on the family farm in Palisade including the 10-hour summer harvesting days and year-round chores. Her father, Tom Saims, first tasted Palisade peaches traveling across the state in the 1970s. After studying geology in college, Saims worked in the oil fields and began saving money to buy land and start farming. He and his…

If he were a plant, Will Frost would be a radicchio. Colorful, a little bitter and used in unique cuisine. “But I’m not,” says the farmer and Colorado Farm and Art Market president. “I am a spinach plant. I’m gonna give you iron and minerals and make you regular. That’s my job here.” CFAM began in 2004 with a group of community members devoted to Colorado-grown produce and supporting local growers and makers. Their vision: to create a meaningful, artful and food-focused gathering space in Colorado Springs. The founding farmers were committed to organic farming and regenerative agriculture principles. Doug…

Good food recognizes the interdependence of all living creatures and is a mark of a thriving community, from the symbiotic relationship between soil microbes and the growing plant, to the farmers and community members who harvest, deliver and enjoy the food. From San Luis Valley potatoes to Palisade peaches to Rocky Ford melons, Colorado’s agricultural roots run deep. One way to support local farms is to join a Community Supported Agriculture program. For a yearly fee, CSA members receive a weekly produce box at peak freshness and nutritional value. Here are a few farmers running CSAs with delivery to Colorado…

The history of sourdough bread involves connections to ancient Egyptian times, biblical metaphors of breaking leaven bread and its popularity in 19th century U.S. gold rush mining society. With the rise of commercial yeast, food additives and industrial production methods, concern has increased in recent years about the links between chronic disease, environmental harm and ultra-processed foods.   In Colorado Springs, a growing number of local efforts seek to return to a slower, more deliberate craft of breadmaking with fewer ingredients and more whole grains. In 2014, Sourdough Boulangerie began on the east side of town. Nightingale Bread opened in the Old North End in 2017. Provisions Bread and Bakery opened downtown in 2023 and, this April, Nature’s Start Bread Co. plans to open its own retail space on the west side, off Centennial Boulevard.  Sourdough’s “sour” taste comes from the acid in the “starter,” a simple mixture of water and flour at room temperature. This combines with yeast and bacteria in the air to create a bubbling solution that is further “fed” with flour.  Every starter has its own origin story. Victoria Tandberg, owner of Nature’s Start Bread Co., began baking at age 7 and honed the recipe while raising her nine children. She uses two starters: one is based off Carl Griffith’s 1847 Oregon Trail starter…