The Roaring Fork Valley, including the communities of Aspen, Snowmass Village, Basalt, Carbondale and Glenwood Springs, is well known for its outdoor opportunities. Skiing, biking, hiking, fishing, rafting and other outdoorrecreational activities make the Roaring Fork Valley an appealing destination for visitors. The healthy ecosystems and abundant natural resources also lend themselves to a flourishing local food scene. The Roaring Fork + Farm Map guides foodies through the valley, making a point to elevate the growers and chefs who bring the food to your fork.

“The Roaring Fork + Farm map intends to help connect visitors to any of the five destinations in the Roaring Fork Valley, to local food and farm experiences in each community and to the land and food on their plates,” says Sarah Jane-Johnson a roadmap consultant responsible for spearheading the efforts behind the map. “This beautifully illustrated map helpsplant the seed to plan a day trip or a weekend within this region, which boasts a wealth of agricultural heritage and amazing local food.”

The map was illustrated by Sarah Uhl, a Carbondale-based artist who uses art as a tool to connect us with one another, ourselves and nature. The tourism organizations in each community surveyed small farming and local food-related businesses and organizations to identify those that had a relationship to local farming by sourcing local or regional produce.

The map promotes the idea of agritourism which, according to the USDA, links agricultural production and processing with tourism to attract visitors onto a farm, ranch or other agricultural business for the purposes of entertaining and educating the visitors while generating income for the farm, ranch or business owner.

“These experiences give travelers a chance to connect with the earth, enjoy the outdoors and learn about the roots of food production. There is increasing interest by visitors to Colorado in local food and deeper connections to the land, and the Roaring Fork Valley makes a great destination for conscientious travelers who care about the food on their plate,” explains Johnson.

For the eager foodie and explorer, the map can be used in a variety of ways. Johnson shares, “The Roaring Fork Valley as a food trail is a diverse experience that can even be ridden (on the Rio Grande trail) or rafted (on the Roaring Fork River). You could have a libation tour, checking out some of the unique and worldclass distilleries like Marble Distilling Company, Woody Creek Distillers and Casey Brewing.”

As Colorado’s emphasis on local food systems continues to grow, initiatives like the Roaring Fork + Farm Map are putting the state on the global map, not only as a destination to enjoy these boutique-style local farm and food experiences, but also as a patchwork of communities that invest in local growers, ranchers and food and drink creators that minimize the distance from farm to fork (or cup) and sow the love right back in to Colorado’s ecosystem and economy.

Find the map at any of the 10 visitor centers around Colorado and at all the businesses featured on the map.

roaringforkandfarm.com

Roaring Fork + Farm Map Brings The Local Food Scene To Center Stage