GARNA facilitates discussion of agriculture in the Arkansas Valley

Ann Ewing of the USDA Forest Service Salida District and David Lynch of Guidestone Farms spoke about the history and future of local agriculture last night at the Salida Community Center as part of GARNA’s “Our Sense of Place”, a year-long inquiry into the Upper Arkansas Valley bioregion.

Ewing, a local resident for 27 years, drew on extensive local knowledge, archival research and stories from “old timers” in presenting an agricultural history of the Valley. She emphasized the role that small-scale agriculture played in making people, especially immigrant families, self-reliant. In the 1920’s, commercial agriculture made up a small part of local industry; most people were employed by mines or the railroad. Nevertheless, it was common for families to grow their own food in garden plots or “truck patches” and barter or sell produce to local merchants. At one point in the 1920’s, Ewing said, the region had 18 grocery stores; Smeltertown alone had four.

Citing historical documents, Ewing noted that lettuce and potatoes were grown commercially, while alfalfa and timothy grass were raised by ranchers to feed cattle and horses. Field peas and oats were also popular crops. Produce grown in the Arkansas Valley was sent by rail to the Front Range, and in some cases farther. Early in the century lettuce sheds dotted Salida alleys — one can still be seen behind Benson’s Tavern — and harvesting the ice used to cool lettuce sheds and railroad cars provided gainful wintertime employment for some. Franz Lake was the site of an early fish hatchery and aquaculture initiative; fish from the facility were shipped as far as Chicago.

Agricultural production slowed during the Great Depression, then nearly doubled between 1930 and 1945 as “victory gardens” were planted and food was grown to aid the war effort. At one point, 316 farms in the Valley had 140,195 acres in production, Ewing said.

In contrast to this rich agricultural heritage, David Lynch painted a picture of contemporary society where people are largely divorced from the land. The lack of once-common agricultural knowledge has contributed to the growth of a food industry which produces cheap, rather than healthy, food. “Typical Americans go to the grocery store in the same way they go to a filling station — just to fill up,” Lynch said.

As development pressures and the cost of farmland increase, consumers will need to understand the social, environmental and economic aspects of local food systems in order to ensure that local food will continue to be available, according to Lynch.

There is cause for optimism, however. In contrast to places like Summit County, which is now devoid of farms, the Arkansas Valley still has farmland and the water rights needed for local agriculture. The past few years have seen an emerging local agrarian renaissance: both Salida and Buena Vista now have seasonal farmers markets; community-supported agriculture (CSA) is increasingly popular; and there is a broader understanding that the land planning status quo in Chaffee County encourages development at the expense of farming and ranching.

It is not necessary for residents to recreate local agrarian knowledge, Lynch said. “The wisdom is already here in the Valley.”

Newer organizations backstop efforts by local farmers and ranchers. Guidestone serves as an umbrella organization for Cottonwood Creek Dairy and Weathervane Farm, while providing meaningful educational farm experiences via workshops, internships and volunteer opportunities. The Central Colorado Foodshed Alliance works to educate people about the value of local food and connect producers and consumers. Eric Belsey’s Backyard CSA takes an innovative approach to sustainable local agriculture: in exchange for land in residential backyards, the Backyard CSA will plant a garden and provide produce to the homeowner.

Lynch also discussed Land Link, an initiative formed to addresses the problem of agricultural land being sold for development or dropping out of production, which often happens as older farmers retire. Land Link matches new farmers with mentors, arranges internships and apprenticeships and provides technical knowledge about lease arrangements, stewardship agreements and estate planning.

Suzanne Ward and others at GARNA based “Our Sense of Place” on a similar program in Palo Alto, California called Exploring a Sense of Place. Grounded in the writings of natural philsophers, Exploring was designed to connect people to the ecosystems in which they live through study and experiential education.

GARNA’s “Our Sense of Place” will continue monthly with a combination of seminars and field trips. Upcoming topics will include wildlife, astronomy, weather, birds and wildflowers. Learn more at GARNA.