Anyone who reads this blog knows that I don't post often. Big things come and go and I never write about it. Oh, I do, actually. But I tend to write on post-it notes and the backs of bill envelopes. That's not conducive to imparting information!
So here I am, being a blog posting person and letting everyone know what's in the works.
First, smittyslittlefarm is having a good Winter break. There have been lots of projects and activities at our little farm all season.
Our house is currently in the middle of a siding/roof project and is at a standstill now that my original contractor has been fired. It was unfortunate, but apparently necessary. I will meet with contractors this week and at least two of them assure me they can complete the job relatively soon.
Getting the exterior of the house finished is vital to my garden plans this year.
Four years ago I had a beautiful garden! It was lush and productive and well on its way to being the garden I envisioned.
Then a tree fell on my roof and the mess involved destroyed my garden just as I was finishing the harvest. That doesn't sound too bad, except...
Three years ago we had a major wind storm that ripped off a good portion of my shingles and destroyed the vines, trees and shrubs I had planted.
Two years ago we had a massive flood from the irrigation ditch due to the powers that be releasing too much water and destroying several gates, including ours. The adobe clay here does strange things when it floods. At one point I sunk a good two and a half feet into the mud when I had been walking around that same area for several minutes.
Last year I didn't even plant much of a garden, just a few tomatoes and peppers and some squash showed up. It was so depressing.
I've been waiting for 3-4 years for this mess to get rebuilt (financing, compliance, etc) and done and I FINALLY had the contractor working on it in October 2024.
And then... He drug it out and drug it out (roof is mostly OFF, siding is half done, windows and doors still need finishing) and the frustration got so much worse.
Finally, enough is enough and he's out.
So we start again.
I've already told the interested contractors that if they can't finish the job in very short order tell me now. I am replanting my garden this year, come hell or high water as they say. I have seeds sprouting and in several weeks they will be going into the garden along with all of the new shrubs, trees and perennials. Or I will SCREAM. I swear.
Other BIG changes are coming!
The Delta Farmers Market, which I run with a few of my colleagues is moving out of the little city owned parking lot where we've been for many years. The local drive in theater has a new owner who is remodeling it and we will be using the lot. After all, you can't show drive in movies in the daytime and the lot just sits there. With the move we gain the use of modern bathrooms, electricity, wifi and concessions. We lose our neighborhood walkup traffic and we'll lose any real shade from trees, but the trade off is worth it I believe.
Alongside the new Farmers Market we will also be hosting an antiques and collectibles bazaar. The bazaar will be a new venture for us and it's exciting to see where we can go with that.
Delta is not a wealthy county but we are surrounded by MANY wealthy counties. Aspen and Telluride are both about two hours away and their reach and wealth are much greater. Delta sits between Grand Junction and Montrose, both of which are experiencing overwhelming growth right now.
The Western Slope of Colorado is BEAUTIFUL! It has everything a person could hope for (except an ocean, I suppose). There are mesas and mountains, amazing canyons, fields, lakes and world-class rivers. We have the best hunting, fishing, skiing, paddleboarding, rock climbing, hiking and more. We have shopping, parks and museums (we could use a few more, really) and some of the best growing conditions in the state. With all of the population shift occurring in Colorado, I believe this is the next big growth area. This makes me believe that we can make this a good, busy, growing market, while keeping our small town appeal.
Of course smittyslittlefarm is staying busy. We've been vending at craft fairs and until the Market is open for the season we will still be selling at some other good venues. I do try to keep our appearance list up to date as I know that many people don't like shopping online and want to buy our products in person.
I hope this catches us up and that you'll find us at one of the craft fairs or the NEW Delta Farmers Market location this season.
As always, if you need any help or have any questions about us, the Delta Farmers Market or our products don't hesitate to ask.
Happy Herbing!