Originally published in the Spring 2020 issue of SPOKE+BLOSSOM.

Field to Fork Farm is committed to growing a variety of organic, quality foods for the community. They skip using heavy machinery on their farms and opt for a biological soil system, where soil health is adapted for specific plants. They utilize the most space and resource- efficient methods to grow their produce. Field to Fork prides itself on its productivity and quality, as well as its dedication to providing the community with bountiful produce.

Located in Palisade, Colorado, the farm offers Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscriptions that deliver packages of fresh produce to local consumers. CSAs are a way for farms to pay for business and production costs. CSA members pay at the beginning of the growing season and receive weekly shares of produce from the farm throughout the season. Field to Fork offers traditional 30- to 40-week seasonal subscriptions that include home delivery during the summer months, as well as a four-week fall extension. They also offer a “punch card” style membership where members can choose their week’s produce at the farm. Memberships can be supplemented with eggs, flowers and fresh Maison La Belle Vie French bread. Field to Fork also sells its produce at the Grand Junction Natural Grocers and regional farmer’s markets in the summer.

Field to Fork Farm provides the only four- season CSA in Mesa County, and starting in January of 2020, the farm introduced a new winter salad share including a mix of spinach, French radish, Japanese salad turnips, onions, garlic, beets, carrots, apples, Swiss chard, kale, kohlrabi, rose radicchio, potatoes and spicy microgreens. Winter produce is grown in their 15,000 square feet of greenhouses. The types of produce grown are selected based on what will leave the smallest possible carbon footprint and be the most resource efficient.

Field to Fork also recognizes the benefit in collaboration between local farms to benefit the community. In April, the farm is hosting a workshop for local growers on owning and operating a farm. The workshop features the author of the best-selling book The Market Gardener, Jean Martin Fortier. Fortier focuses on educating growers on how to own a profitable, productive and ecological farm. He is the co-founder of Les Jardins de la Grelinette, a Quebec farm known for its productivity and cost efficiency, as well as the Ferme des Quatre- Temps, which focuses on permaculture growing techniques and holistically-raised livestock. Fortier will be hosting two workshops at the farm in April. It provides a great opportunity for small farmers to connect with local agricultural leaders and businesses.

To learn more about the farm’s produce and farming methods, CSA memberships and the workshop visit fieldtofork-farm.com, or their Instagram @fieldtofork.farm.

Field to Fork Farm: Four Seasons of Community Supported Agriculture