Barbara Lawlor, Nederland. Ace Hardware has erected its greenhouse and filled outdoor shelves with perennials and annuals waiting for mountain homes. Grass is turning the Ned landscape green and aspens are filled with soon to appear tiny rolled up buds of heart-shaped leaves.
Spring.
Last Wednesday, May16, 2018, the Farm Stand at Salto began its third year of offering fresh produce and local farm products. Although it was chilly, the vendors tumbled their spinach leaves into bowls and put their alpaca poo on display.
A Magnolia Road farmer brought in fresh eggs and homemade bread.
The Alpaca Poo vendor from Sugarloaf Mountain Farm displayed his sacks of Huacay alpaca fertilizer with pride, saying he and his wife got the idea for raising alpacas one night when they were watching YouTube videos in bed.
“We just decided then to get alpacas. We were married last July on Sugarloaf Mountain and started our farm with seven alpacas. We saw that the poo was selling on line, so we looked into it.”
Brandon Ryan is learning to brew beer at James Peak Brewery, and in his spare time, he gathers manure. He says alpaca poo is not considered “hot” so it won’t burn plants. It retains moisture and physically improves the soil structure, positively impacting the nutrient cycle in a soil ecosystem. It is an organic fertilizer that helps plant foliage grow strong and promotes root and flower development.
Brandon is proud of his poo and looks forward to building a greenhouse on the farm. Each bag of poo will make a gallon bucket of fertilizer and may be reused.
Krisan Christensen brought in her greens from her Farm N’ Wellspring garden in Boulder. She brought in a huge bag of dark green, luscious looking spinach leaves which she said are of the open pollinated variety.
She says all of her produce is sold on a sliding scale, wanting it to be accessible to as many people as possible.
The Farmer’s Market will be open from 4-6 p.m. on Wednesday afternoons on the Salto patio.
