Location: L’Apogee & Harwigs (911 Lincoln Ave)
April 26, 2011 5:00 – 5:30pm Networking
5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Presentation
Topic: Backyard Farming
Come learn how to raise farm animals & grow vegetables.
Everything you need to know from animals, greenhouses, city rules &
regulations. .
Panelists & Backgrounds:
Merry Lester (Greenhouses)
Growing up on a small sustainable farm in the 60’s and 70’s out of need, taught Merry from a young age how
to build your own cold frame & get fresh greens year round on a small budget! Farming on different scales
since she was a child, finds her living in this 58 day frost free climate in harmony, while extending the season.
Her suggestion will be to start small and grow from there... so many easy (aka cheap) ways to do it. Perhaps
you’ll be eating tomatoes 12 months a year too… one day.
Herb Roehrs (Urban Chickens)
Herb Roehrs has lived in Steamboat Springs for 41 years. He has had a local contracting/building business
for many of those years. Herb is committed to lowering his carbon footprint on the planet and assisting others
in doing the same. Herb and Betsy got into the idea of raising chickens as the next step
towards "Downtown Urban Farming".
Erica Olson (Turkeys, Rabbits, Goats)
First, there was grass, which brought the mosquitoes, which caused the goats. There was a garden, and
grasshoppers, and then there were turkeys. There was a man who liked to go to farm auctions and brought
home two rabbits. Then there were four. Then twelve. Now Erica and her sweetheart call themselves
accidental farmers and are perfectly happy doing so. For more info visit: goatsintheboat.weebly.com
Barb Wheeler (Zoning & City Ordinances, What’s Allowed in City Limits?)
Barb Wheeler has been working for the City of Steamboat Springs for the last ten years. Although she started
in the water department, Barb moved into the Planning Department to take a position as the Code
Enforcement Officer. In her job, she deals with complaints regarding the Community Development Code
(CDC), outside of motor vehicle situations or those involving law enforcement. After receiving a complaint
about a local goat owner in town who was in violation of the CDC, Barb began researching goats and is now
the point of contact for people interested in changing the current laws regarding goats within city limits.
Eventually, she and her husband would like to have goats of their own--as soon as they can find a place to
have them!
OUTLINE:
Greenhouses – how to build your own cold frame and get fresh greens year round. What’s best to grow
in our climate? How large of a space do I need?
Urban Chickens- How do you raise chickens in the city limits? How much space do you need? What
do you feed them?
Turkeys-Are turkeys similar to raising chickens? Are they allowed in city limits?
Rabbits-How fast do rabbits produce? Can they live outdoors? What do you feed them?
Goats-Am I allowed to raise goats in city limits? Pro’s & Con’s of goats in & out of city limits.
Zoning Issues with animals, greenhouses & mapping of city – What’s allowed in the city limits?
Where can I build a greenhouse? Where can I raise each type of animal?
Resources:
Yampa Valley Sustainability Council (www.yvsc.org)
Backyard Chickens: backyardchickens.com
Routt County Extension Office: http://rcextension.colostate.edu/Hort/hort.html
Deep Roots: deeprootsco.org
Master gardeners: http://rcextension.colostate.edu/Hort/mg.html
Joel Salatin's books: Pastured Poultry Profit$
Book: You Can Farm: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Start & Succeed in a Farming Enterprise
Book: Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal: War Stories From the Local Food Front
Backyard goats: http://www.organic-gardening-and-homesteading.com/caring-for-goats.html
Book: Story’s Guide to Raising Dairy Goats (good for goats in general, not just dairy)
Notes:
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