Many locals know well the history of the silver rush that originally brought the first real towns to the Wet Mountain Valley region. They also know well the culture and history of cattle ranching and the cowboy, which is celebrated every July during the Stampede Rodeo. But there is a history that is often overlooked because it lacked the flashy excitement of silver rushes or big cattle drives.
It is the history of leafy greens, highlighted by the favorite ālettuce,ā that dominated the Wet Mountain Valley region from 1900 until 1970. As railroads spread across the West in the late 1800s, it soon became apparent that if ice was harvested in winter, stored in sawdust, and used throughout the summer to cool train cars of leafy greens, a lot of money could be made by selling lettuce to big cities like Denver.
Lettuce grows amazingly well throughout the summer in the region, as the days never get too hot and the nights are cool. Leafy greens thrive, and there was a demand for them in urban areas like Denver because greens at that lower elevation would get too hot and quickly go to seed. So for 70 years, farmers in the Colorado mountains grew and sold lettuce by the trainload to urban areas. Many old lettuce sheds still dot the landscape, now used to store forgotten items. It was the advent of the interstate highway system and refrigerated semi-trucks capable of transporting greens from California to New York City that ended the lettuce industry in the region in the 1970s.
However, a local couple has not only revived growing greens but is now growing a huge assortment of vegetables and has opened a farm store on Main Street to make buying this amazing produce easy.
Amber and John Loughrey started the beloved Jamber Acres in 2023, experimenting with greenhouses, high tunnels, and open gardens to grow an astounding collection of vegetables each summer. As their experience levels grew, they have steadily expanded sales, including sales to local restaurants, Sunflower Natural Foods, and now a stand-alone Farm Store open every Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in downtown Westcliffe.
And if that was not enough, Amber and John took the extra step to make their little farm Certified Naturally Grown. For those who are not familiar with this term, it means that their produce is far beyond organic. The farm was inspected, uses no synthetic chemicals, is sold locally, is non-GMO, and supports the local economy.
It is impossible to explain to many people how rare it is to have such a bounty of the highest-quality produce available week after week in this region. As John has stated, despite the region’s history of vegetable production, the Wet Mountain Valley was a produce ādesert.ā Everything is sold fresh in stores, with goods brought in from California or Mexico. Jamber Acres decided to fix that glaring hole in the local economy.
Now, as the full summer and fall produce season gets underway, Jamber Acre Farm store is located at 410 Main Street. This is the front space at the Stellar Inn (the former Court Yard Inn for the old-timers). They will be open Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
If you cannot make it at those times, donāt fear. The produce is also available for sale seven days a week at the Sunflower Natural Foods right across the street.
To learn more, stop into the farm store and say hi. Or visit www.jamberacres.com.
ā Jordan Hedberg
