By Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer –
Agritourism, that intersection of agriculture and tourism, has existed in pockets of Colorado for many years. Delta County and the Grand Valley on the Western Slope are examples of where the world of agriculture and tourism have intermingled for years in the form of winery tours and a farm-to-fork culture.
Photo courtesy of Gaia’s Farm & Garden
Today, Coloradans can experience agritourism in nearly every corner of the state, and there are a variety of activities available.
Delta County, a farming region south of Grand Junction, offers many ways to incorporate agritourism into a vacation plan. Located in Paonia, The Living Farm is a four generational family-run business that has participated in agritourism for nearly two decades.
The farm raises a variety of animals and has five greenhouses brimming with vegetables year-round. The family also runs The Living Farm Cafe in downtown Paonia, which features vegetables and meat from the farm and five cozy inn rooms upstairs.
Visitors to the farm can participate in self-guided or guided tours. Guests get a behind-the-scenes look at a flourishing organic farm in one of Colorado’s most bountiful regions. They learn about organic sustainable farming, meet the animals and explore the greenhouses.
It’s feeding time at the Living Farm near Paonia.
The Living Farm charges a fee for tours, but there is one activity that owner Lynn Gillespie keeps free. Lamb Loving takes place Wednesday to Saturday throughout lambing season, which occurs in the spring. From 7 to 8 p.m. guests spend supervised time in the barn cuddling with sweet, fuzzy newborn lambs.
This activity helps socialize the lambs. Additionally, many people who visit during Lamb Loving report that it provides them with an overall sense of calm and well-being. A local Paonia woman, who suffers from severe migraine headaches, visits the farm frequently during Lamb Loving season, because holding a lamb gives her temporary migraine relief.
While FarmStayUS.com lists more than 50 farm stays (including dude ranches) available in Colorado, there are many more properties participating in agritourism that aren’t in this directory.
One such property is the Horse & Hen in Hayden, 25 minutes west of Steamboat Springs. A family-run operation, owners Ryan and Rachel Wattles allow their guests to participate a lot, a little or not at all in farm activities.
The Wattles especially enjoy hosting families in the farm’s beautiful, four-room farmhouse. With children of their own, including brand new twins, educating little ones about the farm is one of their favorite ways to connect with people. After all, Ryan’s grandfather bought the ranch in 1935, and the property and lifestyle are close to the Wattles’ hearts.
Goats welcome visitors to Horse & Hen.
This is a running theme throughout agritourism businesses in Colorado; the owners have a deep connection to their land and their trade. And this is one of the rewards of incorporating agritourism into a vacation plan — meeting amazing people.
In Laporte, just north of Fort Collins, Gaia’s Farm & Gardens is just such a place. Owner Kathleen Miller has a palpable love of her farm, and genuinely wants to impart her knowledge and appreciation of the natural world to others.
Twenty years ago, Miller started gardening using “permaculture” principles and techniques, which involves working with nature instead of against it and advocates designing human systems based on natural ecosystems.
“Everyone thought I was crazy,” she says.
Miller wasn’t crazy, but she was ahead of her time. Today, people flock to her speaking engagements to learn about permaculture gardening.
Three years ago, in addition to llamas, goats, a pony and chickens, Miller added a bed-and-breakfast component to her farm. Shangra-la Inn is a bohemian cottage where guests are treated to home style breakfasts, quality farm time and a number of spa treatments at Miller’s onsite spa.
As the number of agritourism destinations grows in Colorado, so do visitors’ options.
For those who like to travel with their horses, there are several Colorado farm stay properties that allow guests to bring along their pony. From West Pawnee Ranch Bed and Breakfast in Grover to Oleo Ranch, an off-grid property in the wilds of Hinsdale County, horse lovers have a variety of choices.
Another popular pastime at farm stay properties is participating in interactive classes; farms are offering soap-making workshops, fly-fishing courses and more.
For instance, the Claremont Inn & Winery in eastern Colorado offers Cooking Class Weekends. Presented in the spring and fall, the classes include a full menu and, of course, wine pairings to match the food selections. Zapata Ranch, a nature conservancy preserve just 12 minutes south of Great Sand Dunes National Park in the San Luis Valley, offers various weekend themed classes, such as butchery, baking, ice cream making and more.
The Mountain Goat Lodge in Salida, a goat farm and bed-and-breakfast, offers yoga retreats as well as classes in goat and chicken husbandry and cheese making.
Whether travelers are looking for a romantic escape or a memorable family getaway, they may want to consider incorporating agritourism into their next trip, because when it comes to an agritourism vacation, the possibilities are endless.
Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer is a freelance writer and founder of www.HeidiTown.com, the place for Colorado festival and travel stories.
Learn more about Colorado’s ag adventures. Watch one of these fun videos for more information:
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