Animal Husbandry — Member and Allies Directory — Larimer County Farmers Alliance

Beau Baker

208-596-9614

A recent transplant to Fort Collins, Beau began his farming trajectory through WWOOF in Quebec back in 2010. He moved to Montana shortly thereafter to take a farm apprenticeship in the Bitterroot Valley. The following season, Beau served as the PEAS (Program in Ecological Agriculture and Society) Farm Caretaker for the Missoula-based non-profit Garden City Harvest. During a two-year stint in Maine, he worked for a number of farms in various capacities and trained as a MOFGA (Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association) Journeyperson. He also briefly worked for Johnny's Selected Seeds. Beau returned to Montana in 2015 and started a neighborhood-based micro-farm on less than an acre, experimenting with companion planting, pollinator "engines" and yield potential. Grad School and work in public radio sidelined Beau from farming for the last few years (except for some farmer's market moonlighting and the occasional gig as a contract weeder), but his ultimate goals and principles remain based in small-scale, diversified vegetable production and food security. He is eager to get involved with LCFA.

Behind farming, there's a few other things in life that bring me absolute joy: cooking, riding a bicycle (yay Fort Collins!) and digging through used records.

Tanja Andreas

tanjabluesky@gmail.com

970-221-2213

Bonnie Farm

I should have been born on a farm, but I got there as quick as I could! Ever since graduating high school rather many decades ago, I have been working/volunteering on small family and sustainable farms and volunteering with veterinarians. My primary focus, and greatest interest, has always been on the animal husbandry side of things. I have milked cows and goats, raised hogs and cattle, worked with llamas and sheep, and have been around poultry of all sorts. Professionally, I am a retired RN and Family Nurse Practitioner, and I have a degree in Biology, focusing on Animal Behavior.

I have a 3.3 acre homestead farm in NE Fort Collins, and I have been here for 8 years now. I live in a small 1885 farmhouse, on the remnants of an 160-acre farm, granted under the Homestead Act in 1874. I have various heirloom breeds of chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks and sheep. I also have 4 llamas for fiber, packing and guarding. I have carefully chosen animal varieties that work well on a homestead farm like this. I have a partnership with a market gadener who grows produce in my large garden, and we have a Friday Farmstand here during the growing season.

Larimer County Farmers AllianceAugust 24, 2020Veg Crops, Animal Husbandry, Chickens, Homesteading, Butchery

Lasha Guillen

lashaguillen@gmail.com

Hello! I am excited to connect, learn and grow with all of you. I have a big love for this planet that we live on and look forward to growing in this community!

A little about me // I grew up working on cattle, horse and hay farms in the Midwest. My interest in land management and preservation began in college when I did research under an entomologist who studied Midwest crop pests. I continued work after college in marine life conservation- studying humpback whales with the The Whale Center of New England and then interning with the National Park Service at Cape Lookout Seashore where I got a taste of politics and land management issues- specifically with the free ranging horses on North Carolina's Shackleford Banks. I switched gears after that and began my studies in yoga, cooking and healthy living where I spent three months on a bio-dynamic farm in Ecuador. While my experience in organic vegetable production is small, my passion for well-being and contributing to the health of our planet has led me to care deeply about healing/regenerating our land, bodies and food system. I am committed to learning and would love to share in any way I can. I have experience in the kitchen brewing kombucha, quick pickling, dehydrating fruit and international cuisine. I am always looking for new ways to cook or eat a vegetable. Food is the sustenance of life and cooking is both an art and daily ritual for me! This is a very exciting year for me as I join the team at Native Hill Farm. I look forward to a future in local, organic food production!

Currently, I am a backyard gardener and this will be my first year working in production on a bigger scale.

Animal Husbandry, Compost/ Soil Health, Food Preservation

Andrew 'Drew' McMahan

mcmahanaj@yahoo.com

970-482-4540

Historic Cherry Mill Farm

My partner BT Huntley and I became the latest stewards of the historic Cherry Mill property 6 years ago. We currently operate a medium-sized garden plot (~40x60 feet), with the aim to grow and preserve (we can, freeze, dry) a large proportion of our yearly vegetable needs....lots of tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, onions, brassicas, green beans, etc. We have room to expand and plan to expand as we get our water situation figured out. Although we grow produce essentially just for us, we do sell vegetable seedlings ("starts") in the spring, and have been doing so for longer than we've been here. We have approx. 5 acres of good arable ground, much of it currently in decent smooth brome pasture, on which we raised a couple of beef steers 3 years ago. We raise 4 dozen "head" of poultry and sell eggs. In the late 1980s to 1991, I co-owned one of the first certified organic farms in fort Collins: Inch By Inch Vegetables and Bellwether Farms. We had 5 acres of production in annual veggies, and 1/4 acre "under glass" for year-round production of culinary herbs. I have a BS degree in soil science and an MS in ecology, both from CSU. We have a small home-made hoop-house, and have tentative plans to construct a small "production-level" greenhouse. I am a former beekeeper, currently have no working hives, but have equipment for at least 8 hives. We are open to discussing learning and possible "cooperative employment" opportunities with anyone who might want to help us here develop various aspects of our farm, particularly with respect to : improving our well and irrigation systems; developing bee hives, establishing a hop-growing operation, establishing larger-scales (e.g. 1/2 - 1 acre) vegetable production.

Currently at Historic Cherry Mill Farm, 200 Gregory Rd, Fort Collins, CO 80524. Northeast corner of HWY 1 (Terry Lake Rd.) and Gregory Rd. 6.25 acres including buildings.

Veg Crops, Animal Husbandry, Chickens, Compost/ Soil Health, CSA, Food Preservation, Greenhouse Management

Kristin Ramey

kristin@longshadowfarm.com

970-232-6667

Long Shadow Farm, www.longshadowfarm.com

I run a small livestock farm in Berthoud, Colorado. I love to learn from others how to better manage my farm and my livestock. I am also passionate about making land and water available for agriculture, especially encouraging new farmers and small farmers. I am also passionate about our local governments supporting agriculture by supporting Right to Farm language, and standing behind it. 6 acre farm, primarly sheep, as well as pork, eggs, and would really like to get back to poultry.

Animal Husbandry, Chickens, Food Preservation, Butchery

Larimer County Farmers AllianceApril 13, 2020Animal Husbandry, Chickens, Food Preservation, Butchery

TeDi Jansen

tedi@smallacrefarm.com

970-305-1049

Small Acre Farm https://www.smallacrefarm.com

I've been farming here in Fort Collins for 10 years. About 5 years ago I lost a longtime job and decided to make a go of the farm full time. We raise dairy goats and fiber sheep and I create value added products like goat milk soap and hand spun yarn with their materials. In addition to making products to sell we offer heritage skills classes like soap and lotion making, spinning and fiber arts, botanical dyeing and goat keeping. It is such a pleasure to share our farming experience with others! Ours is a teaching farm so our focus is to share the experience and skills we have with others. We raise small herds of goats and sheep for the purpose of their milk and fiber. Sometimes we have young animals available in the spring but our focus is really on value added products and teaching skills to other small farmers.

Animal Husbandry, Homesteading

Larimer County Farmers AllianceApril 13, 2020Animal Husbandry, Homesteading

Andy Breiter

andybreiter@gmail.com

847-778-2956

Grama Grass and Livestock LLC

I am the President of the Flatirons chapter in Boulder. I have been farming full-time mainly in animal agriculture for the past 6 years. I am working to create my own farm.

Animal Husbandry, Homesteading, Tractoring, Food Preservation, Butchery