RBR News | June 20, 2014

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Around the Ranch
As agriculture assistant at Rock Bottom Ranch, I am constantly thinking about what it takes to grow healthy, delicious veggies, and care for our many animals. One crucial aspect is the support from our sustainability conscious and generous community!

The first week of the Basalt Sunday Market was a wonderful success and a refreshing reminder of the vibrant and growing local food and artisan community that surrounds us.

This was immediately followed by ACES Annual Membership Picnic on the Preserve Monday night. This was a special opportunity for me to put a face to many of the terrific people that support and contribute to the important work ACES does. Rock Bottom Ranch was able to provide salad greens, sausage, and chicken for the delicious meal.

Tuesday and Wednesday we welcomed over 75 volunteers from Whole Foods Market Roaring Fork to help us harvest and turn over the beds in our CORE-funded, climate battery hoophouse. After about a two-mile walk from their store to the ranch, the employees went on a farm tour, participated in a volunteer project, and had a team-building lunch.

The climate battery hoophouse on the Ranch is undergoing a transition as we clear out our spring salad greens in advance of transplanting tomatoes into our raised beds.  The volunteers harvested our spinach and arugula, pulled out the plants, and topped off the beds with a thick layer of our finished compost. What would have likely taken us an entire afternoon of huffin’ and puffin’ our volunteer crew whipped out in two short sessions!

A huge thank you goes out to our Whole Food volunteers, ACES members, everyone who supports Rock Bottom Ranch by purchasing our meat and produce, and the countless others that have helped us along the way.

Available Products
We will be back at the Basalt Sunday Market from 10am-2pm in downtown Basalt on Sunday. Rock Bottom Ranch has a full inventory of chicken, pork, lamb and Crystal River Meats beef. Lots of fresh salad mix will be available as well. 
 
The first batch of pasture-raised whole chickens is now available, as well as our delicious non-GMO, Animal Welfare Approved chicken and duck eggs.   

A full pork inventory is now available including chops, shoulder roasts, ribs, bacon, smoked hams, fresh ham roasts, and several flavors of sausage. 

Lamb cuts include frenched racks, chops, shoulder roasts, ground lamb and bratwurst.

Purchase at the Ranch Monday – Friday 9AM-5PM, and Saturday from 9AM-1PM.
Visit us at the Basalt Farmers’ Market on Sundays from 10AM-2PM.

~ Harper Kaufman, Agriculture Assistant

Join us for Farm Tours Monday – Saturday at 11AM. For questions about Rock Bottom Ranch please email Jason at jsmith@aspennature.org.