Delta County Farms & Ranches

Delta County Fair

Each year in August the Delta County Fair showcases the best from our farms and ranches. 4H kids show everything from Angora rabbits to Angus cattle. You can view the art of quiltmaking, sewing, canning, and of course the ever famous pie baking. Call 970-234-3971 for information about the Fairgrounds.

The 2007 Agriculture Census reported that 77% of all apples in Colorado, 71% of all cherries in Colorado and 53% of all pears in Colorado are grown in Delta County. In fact, there are more than 2,500 acres of orchards across Delta County. Whatever your farm-fresh fancy, there is an orchard to suit your taste!

FAIR SCHEDULE:http://www.deltacounty.com/Delta-County-Fair

Farmstays

Farmstays are beginning to become popular in Colorado and we have properties that have opened their doors to families and travelers to share in the farm experience. What is a farmstay: click here for a great page on the topic.

Delta County is proud to have award winning and nationally recognized Farmstays. If you want to just wake up on a farm to the sweet aroma's of fresh cut fields and farm fresh eggs cooking, then you can get that here. If you want to spend some time and learn about soil health and muck out a barn, you can get that too.

You can take classes in everything from cheesemaking to felting, beekeeping to biodynamic farming.

This poppular activity of experirnecing life on a farm is not just some foolish romance from our past, but is rooted in the desire to take our lives out of the office chair and put them into dirt - yes, dirt! Getting our hands dirty and smelling the richness of the soil on our hands is wonderful. Doing work alongside a farmer as she gathers the eggs, or he gathers the catlle is rewarding. It's not for everyone, but if it's for you here are a few places in Delta County that you should know about:

Agape Farm and Retreat When you step onto the grounds of the Agape Farm & Retreat, you will feel a sense of peace, rejuvenation and a strong connection with this beautiful space of love.Amazing beauty will surround you – the Rockies to the east and the high desert to the west. You will wander through beautiful gardens, lush grounds, a vibrant Pinot Gris vineyard and you will get to the property’s most beautiful space, the three-acre pine forest with its towering trees. You will want to sit and meditate, read or write a book, paint, dance, sing, or just talk to these beautiful trees, and be taken by their energy and their amazing presence. And you will feel them … because they will speak to your heart.

The farm has been cared for with the best organic and biodynamic methods and all the plants and trees grow healthy, vibrant and happy. Our Pinot Gris grapes are delicious and award winning. Vibrant organic veggies, apples, cherries, peaches, apricots, raspberries and goji berries thrive in the garden beds. In the midst of this beauty, you will rest comfortably on high-quality mattresses and enjoy private bathrooms. You will have a very healthy and tasty breakfast of organic, gluten free, home grown or local items, that can also be catered to special dietary needs.

The Living Farm Inn and Cafe offers tours of their family farm, classes in farming and great food. Here you will get the authentic life on a farm with all of the chores and fun mixed in. You will see first hand how crops are harvested, washed, prepared and delivered to your plate. Now that's fresh.

Mesa Winds Farm and Winery offers tours of the farm that include the Babydoll Sheep, vineyards, orchards and winery. Wine tasting is available and you stay in remodeled pickers quarters.

Smith Fork Ranch is the luxury end of the Farmstay. Located in Crawford, surrounded by cattle country, this ranch features horseback riding, fishing, hiking and sumptuous meals prepared by the chef with the produce from the ranch gardens. They source local meats, cheese, wines and make their own charcuterie. The hospitality here is the tops and sincere. Once you've stayed you will feel like family.

http://www.9news.com/news/article/267314/344/Bed-and-breakfast-embodies-agri-tourism Visit this link for a nice interview with one of our Farms.

VISIT OUR CALENDAR FOR DETAILS

Produce

Delta County is rich in agricultural history. The county has always had a culture of small farms, orchards, and ranches. Profitable farms and orchards have been the backbone of the countys' economy for more than one hundred years.

Settlers arriving in the County found an abundance of water, volcanic soils, plenty of sunshine, and a moderate climate. The area was prime for fruit orchards in the upper east end and prime for row crops and vegtables to the west. Many of the gold camps in the higher mountains served as buyers for the crops. Elaborate irrigation systems were built by hand that are still in use today. The county thrives because of this.

Today the county holds dear the fertile land and the irrigation systems. The land is still the Countys lifeblood. Delta County boasts an increasing number of organic and sustainable farms and orchards. The farmers here take great pride in their crops and are always reserching new methods of food production. A combination of the soils, hard work and dedication of the Countys agricultural population has lead to a large variety of quality fruits, vegtables, dairy and meat products unsurpassed anywhere in the United States.

We invite you to sample and take home our products. We would also ask you to respect our lifestyle, water and lands. These are our heritage and the future for the next generation. Much of the produce is organically grown. View the list from the Colorado Department of Agriculture to find Colorado Farmers Markets on your travels or Valley Organic Growers Association for Markets on the Western Slope. Check out the Delta Farmers Market

Value Added Products

Many Delta County farms have value added products: Fire Mountain Fruit makes jellies, jams and syrups; Green Valley Herbal produces herbal teas and lotions. Other specialties include Leroux Creek Applesauce, Big B's Fresh Apple Cider, and Highwire Ranch Elk Antler Velvet. Let's not forget the cheeses from Avalanche Dairy, these award winning cheeses come from really happy goats!

Ranches

National awards have been won by cattlemen for their conservation efforts in the North Fork Valley. Several marketing co-ops have been formed by ranchers to sell branded beef. Much of the beef is grassfed and produced organically.

Bison, pork, poultry and elk are also raised in Delta County.

Homestead Beef located in Paonia carries products from many of these ranches – elk, lamb, beef and salsas made from local fruit orchards. Hardin's outside of Hotchkiss also carry local elk and bison meat plus other products from the county.