Fresh Connections: 12 Ways to Enjoy Colorado Farm Living

PICK

At Sage Creations Organic Farm, rows of sweet-smelling lavender cradle views of the Palisade's eponymous multi-hued sandstone palisades, which rise above the town of Palisade. From mid-June to mid-July, you may pick your own lavender, and the family farm also offers summer seminars on themes including cultivating and making with the versatile herb. From May to September, visit the farm stand for delicious organic cherries, peaches, and heirloom tomatoes, as well as a range of lavender-infused goods.

You won't want to leave Hotchkiss' Delicious Orchards since there's so much to see and taste. You don't have to, thankfully: On-site camping with Rocky Mountain views is provided. In the summer and fall, choose your own apples, peaches, pears, cherries, and more from their orchard (call ahead to see what's available), pick up some of their own Big B's Hard Cider at the farm market, or visit during the Hard Cider Fest in October. Delicious Orchards Café's assortment of handcrafted pies and baked goods is definitely worth drooling over.

PET

You can combine your downward-facing dog with some baby-goat pleasure at Rocky Mountain Goat Yoga. What is the mechanism behind it? While the lovely creatures roam, graze, and cuddle around them, the students strike poses. Purified Colorado Farm in Colorado Springs, which offers goat-tastic group and private courses, is one of the farms hosting the classes.

Patrons can meet and handle turkeys, chickens, geese, ducks, goats, and sheep on a self-guided "parade route" tour of The Living Farm in Paonia, as well as learn about their organic practices (early May through mid-October). Admire the farm's integrated system of plants and animals, which is an important component of their sustainability techniques; and learn how to grow a permanent greens crop, often known as a "eternal salad bar," and increase the nutritional density of your own garden soil.

PLAY

Tall Grass Farms Alpacas in Bennett, on the eastern plains, is always glad to convey their enthusiasm for alpacas, long-necked cuties with incredibly soft fur. Call to schedule a farm tour to meet the alpacas and their companions, which include dogs, cats, horses, chickens, and llamas. Request a fiber-arts lesson or go through their handcrafted fiber products for sale. Gathering fresh eggs from chickens is a simple pleasure that is ideal for exposing young children to the wonders of farming. Cottonwood Creek Farms' joyful chickens walk freely on the broad pastures of the family-owned property near Merino, Colorado, in southeast Colorado. Visit the farm to have a tour, meet the Berkshire pigs and chickens, and assist in the collection of eggs, which you can buy straight from the farm.

STAY

Friendly people at Chico Basin Ranch near Colorado Springs will introduce you to ranch life through tasks such as cattle transportation, sorting, and branding, fencing work, and animal care. Hearty meals and opportunities to hike, fish, swim, and see wildlife are rewarded for the hard (and enjoyable) work; lodging is given in a rebuilt early 1900s facility. Visit during one of their themed weeks, such as branding camps, equestrian clinics, prairie campouts, and cowboy schools. At Canyon of the Ancients Guest Ranch near Cortez, the majesty of southwest Colorado shines brightly, making it an ideal base camp for exploring ancient riches like Canyon of the Ancients National Monument and Mesa Verde National Park. Choose from a variety of rustically stunning cabins and dwellings, including an ancient Pueblo-inspired construction; purchase fresh food and meats grown on site to create your own meals; and assist with activities such as grazing the local sheep.

DINE

From July to September, chefs from renowned Boulder restaurants and beyond prepare farm suppers beneath the stars at Lyons Farmette. Ingredients for dinners, local restaurants, and on-property weddings are grown on the small organic farm. A tour of their fields will be offered, as well as the opportunity to interact with their alpacas, a goat named Waylon, and a llama named Cuzco. Workshops on poultry keeping, beekeeping, and other topics are also available at the farm. Friday Nights at Fox Fire Farms in Ignacio are a wonderful warm-weather event to add to your calendar, with live music, wine, and fresh meals. From June to September, sample wine from the farm's own vineyard, dine on a menu of meat-and-cheese platters and barbecue specialties, and relax on the expansive lawn with a blanket. A horse-drawn carriage tour of the farm, vineyard, and surrounding area is an added bonus.

CELEBRATE

The Random Ranch in Sedalia's friendly Southdown Babydoll sheep, miniature Jersey cattle, goats, and gang of guardian canines like meeting new people, and the location's "FUN-Raising" play dates throughout the year are a great way to do so. Groom-a-goat, donkey selfie time, and horse decorating are all conceivable animal activities that help charitable causes such as livestock rescues and relief organizations (read: designing a real-life My Little Pony). Corn pits, hay rides, duck races, a pedal-cart track, and a petting zoo make the Fall Fest at Wishing Star Farm in Calhan enjoyable for kids and adults from late September through October. To extend your visit, book a campfire site and bring a dinner, or have Wishing Star Farm cater your celebration. They'll light your fire and set up picnic tables and straw bales for you to sit on, so all you have to do is gaze up at the stars.