SOUTHWEST COLORADO AGRICULTURAL ADVENTURES BRING FARM-FRESH FOCUS TO AREA
Mesa Verde Country® continues 800-year-old agricultural tradition
CORTEZ, CO Each year, more than 13 million visitors experience agritourism in Colorado, according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture, with nearly 700 farms offering agritourism and recreational services in 2007 (the last year for which the statistic is available). Whether you visit a farm, shop at a farmers' market or tour a winery, you are taking part in one of the fastest-growing activities in the nation.
 Agricultural Adventures in Mesa Verde Country® (video,.wmv, 5:43)
In Colorado, the agricultural tradition is at its oldest in Mesa Verde Country®. The Ancestral Puebloans, the first agriculturalists in the area, farmed the valleys and the mesas of Montezuma County — including current-day Mesa Verde National Park — until around 1300 AD. Growing corn, beans and squash, and raising turkeys, they laid the agricultural foundation for today's farmers and ranchers.
Farmers' Markets
Three towns in the area offer weekly markets, replete with locally grown organic produce, locally produced crafts and live music. Between June and October, visit markets in Cortez (www.cortezfarmmarket.com) on Saturdays (7:30-11 a.m.), Dolores on Wednesdays (4-6 p.m.) and Mancos on Thursdays (5-7 p.m.). Also keep an eye out for produce stands throughout the area.
Museums
The Antique Tractor Outdoor Museum in Dove Creek (www.dolorescounty.org) features more than 100 antique tractors, farm implements and vehicles — almost all in full operating condition.
Farm and Ranch Stays
At Canyon of the Ancients Guest Ranch in Cortez, guests stay on a working farmstead that offers organic gardens and free-range eggs, and select their own vegetables for dinner. Stay at Turning Beyond Ranch in Mancos (www.turningbeyondranch.com) or Never M/T Circle Ranch in Cortez (970-564-1669) for a down-home farm vacation. Looking to become a cowboy for a few days? Take part in a cattle drive at East Pines Ranch in Cortez (www.eastpines.com), a working cattle ranch raising natural grass-fed beef.
Farm and Ranch Visits
Crabapple Tree Farm in Mancos (970-739-1172) offers breeding stock, local grass-fed lamb and wool while promoting the threatened Navajo-Churro breed of sheep. The Dragonfly Farm, a micro-eco farm in Dolores (www.localharvest.org), offers tours and springtime classes. And at Flippin' Eggs in Dolores (970-882-3240), you'll find free-range eggs — as well as turkeys and other birds on a seasonal basis. To get up close and personal with alpacas, visit Shadow Ranch Alpacas (www.alpacanation.com) or Pelican Acres Alpacas (www.AB4C.info), both in Dolores.
Seasonal U-pick locations
Visit one of seven farms and pick your own produce. Check Apple U-Pick in Yellow Jacket (970-565-3123), Hauser's Pumpkin Patch in Cortez (970-560-1201), Jones Farm in Cortez (970-712-1794), Laughing Bear Orchard in Dolores (970-882-2375), Confluence Farm in Mancos (970-533-7292) or Tranquility Acres Farm in Dove Creek (970-562-4339). Canyon of the Ancients Guest Ranch's u-pick gardens are available to those not staying at the ranch, too.
Wineries & Breweries
Yes, there's a vineyard in southwestern Colorado! Visit Guy Drew's Vineyards and tasting room in Cortez (www.guydrewvineyards.com). If beer is more to your liking visit Dolores River Brewery (www.doloresriverbrewery.com) in Dolores or Main Street Brewery and J. Fargo's Microbrewing (www.jfargos.com) in Cortez.
Restaurants
The award-winning Metate Room at Mesa Verde National Park's Far View Lodge (www.visitmesaverde.com) features sustainable and local heritage foods, Colorado wines and sustainable cuisine workshops. The Farm in Cortez (970-565-3834) serves locally grown, mostly organic lunches including soups, salads, and pita sandwiches.
Unique Local Products
Try locally grown pinto and Anasazi beans from Adobe Milling in Dove Creek (970-677-2620). You'll also find high-altitude, local, red winter wheat flour from Cortez Milling in stores throughout the area. Local greenhouses and nurseries that specialize (and offer workshops) in native and drought-tolerant plants include Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery in Dolores (www.fourseasonsgreenhouse.com), and in Cortez, Cliffrose Gardens (www.cliffrosegardens.com) and Let it Grow (970-565-3009).
Annual Events
Major agricultural events include: the Four-State Ag Expo (March); Montezuma Country Fair (July); Mesa Verde Country® Food, Wine & Art Festival (August); Harvest Brew Festival (September); and Pumpkin Festival (October).
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