Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — The movement toward growing more food right here at home has gradually been taking hold in Routt County this summer, thanks in part to a mild growing season.

Locovores have a chance to share the bounty Sept. 10 when Deep Roots, Yampatika and Tran­sition Steam­boat host a potluck dinner during the Har­vest Social at Li­brary Hall.

The dinner is intended to be an opportunity for gardeners to gather and share their successes and challenges in growing their own food in Routt County’s climate and soils, Deep Roots Executive Di­­­rector Lisa Sabler said.

“Everybody is invited to bring a dish, hopefully locally grown or from one of the local growers,” Sabler said. “It’s also a chance to introduce a series of workshops we’re hosting this fall, winter and spring with Yampatika and Transition Steamboat.”

People who attend the Har­vest Social might be surprised to learn about two new commercial food-producing operations in the valley — Cack­­lin’ Hen Farms in Straw­berry Park and Moon­hill Dairy where Jersey and brown Swiss cows are being milked.

The series of workshops will tackle a variety of subjects from how to grow varieties of produce, to composting, vermiculture and growing indoors through hydroponics.

So how did Sabler’s garden grow?

“We ripped out our front yard this year and planted five beds,” she said. “We got a prolific amount of vegetables. We got a ton of tomatoes (still green), yellow squash, tons of string beans, kale, chard, turnips and beets.”

Yampatika hosts hike

In addition to the Harvest Social, Yampatika will host a fall foliage and edibles hike with Karen Vail from 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 18. The cost is $40 for members and $45 for nonmembers.

Yampatika leads a group to the Flat Tops on Sept. 25, when participants will learn about the town site of Pyramid and the history of the U.S. Forest Service’s Pyramid Guard Station. The cost is $45 for members and $55 for nonmembers.

Call 871-9151 for information and registration.