Welcome: We Farm In Nature's Immage using Holistic Management
Garden Produce & Fruit
In 2010 we will have lettuce, raddishes, tomatoes, pepers of all colors, summer squash, pie pumpkins, chard, sugar peas and other produce available June through September at the Dolores Food Market (retail grocery) in Dolores Colorado.
We will take orders from individuals for choke cherries, apples, pie pumpkins, and winter squash on a first come, first serve basis. Availability depends on the weather. Please contact us by the end of May 2010 to make an order. Although we have participated in local farmers markets since 1987, we do not intend to sell at local farmers markets this year.
How we do it:
Cindy has been involved in market gardening her entire life, learning tricks of the trade from her Grandfather, who was a berry farmer west of the Twin Cities.
We
capture as much solar energy as we can by layering our crops
vertically and spatially. Our aim is to have no bare ground in our
garden. We even allow "weeds" to grow where they are not interfering
and clip them before they go to seed. This provides even more food
for soil organisms.
Our rule of thumb is this: Life
begets life. The more life we create the more life there will be. We
see this in nature and do our best to duplicate it in our garden and
pastures.
Simple management techniques such as crop rotation, green manures, minimal tillage, irrigation water management go a long ways in creating healthy growing conditions.
We use natural methods for insect control and preventative measures for disease control. Healthy soils provide nutrition necessary for plants to withstand stress and damage by insects and disease. We control access by animals and people to our garden area with fencing.
Because soil forms from the top down, will do not turn our soil over unless digging a crop like potatoes. If we till, it is only a light scratching of the surface similar to what nature does with the hooves of animals. The minimal digging we do mimics the amount of turning and mixing that burrowing animals such as gophers accomplish in natural settings. To help control weeds and keep our soil surfaces covered we use a variety of mulches such as wool and weed barriers.
Macintosh
Apples &
Italian Sweet Peppers
Sugar
Pie Pumpkins, Butternut squash and Golden Hubbard squash are among
our favorite crops.
Roses, lavender and oregano attract bees
and provide diversity of color and aroma.
Stewardship is the gift that keeps giving at our farm.
About
The
Dolores
Food Market (grocery)
"Unexpected Gourmet" is the trademark of this customer orientated market. You never know what surprises you will find as the store is constantly looking for high quality, sometimes exotic offerings to delight customers. They are adamant about helping local farmers and practicing fair domestic trade principles. This is a great stopping place for last minute supplies for recreationists heading up into the San Juan National Forest or out on McPhee Lake. This will be our sixth year serving customers at the Dolores Market.
400 Railroad · Dolores,
CO 81323
970-882-7353
Website:
Produce at Dolores Market
Other Services
Cindy
Dvergsten
is available as a speaker
and workshop leader.
She also provides training
and mentoring via her
Holistic
Management distance learning program.
Cindy has been involved in market gardening her entire life, learning tricks of the trade from her Grandfather on their farm in Minnesota. She would help him pick raspberries, strawberries and other produce to sell at their roadside stand just off of Highway 101 in Minnetonka.
Unfortunately, the old farms are long gone, replaced by freeways, homes, office building and shopping centers and traffic jams.
Cindy is a Holistic Management Certified Educator. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Natural Resource Management & Soil Science from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
She has worked for several government agencies including the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service.
Cindy is active in her community having served 14 years on the Montezuma County Planning Commission and three years as a member of the San Juan Resource Conservation & Development Council.
