First inaugural Farm Fest kicks off this weekend

The Foothills Farm Collective is celebrating regenerative agriculture and sustainable business with the first ever Foothills Farm Fest.

Hosted at Yellow Barn Farm, located at the corner of US 36 and Nelson Road, the inaugural Foothills Farm Fest kicks off on Saturday. Yellow Barn is joined by MetaCarbon Organic Farm, Elk Run Farm, Drylands Agroecology Research and other members of the farm collective for an afternoon farmers market with live music and local artists.

“Farm Fest has been our real effort to bring together local farms, businesses and artists that live in the area,” said Azuraye Wycoff, operator and land steward at Yellow Barn Farm.

The day’s festivities kick off with the Regenerative Farm Hop tour, a partnership between the Foothills Farm Collective and Longmont’s WonderTours. The fully booked tour will start at Yellow Barn Farm and rotate between Elk Run and MetaCarbon to explore local agriculture, regenerative farming and restorative land practices in a unique and hands-on approach. 

For WonderTours owner Jennifer Ferguson, the Farm Hop tour was an easy decision. 

“Since I started WonderTours I’ve wanted to do a farm tour,” Ferguson said. “I’m all about connecting local people to local places, and it doesn’t get much better than learning about local farms and where our food comes from.”

Partnering with the Foothills Farm Collective opened up the doors she’d been looking for and collaborating with Wycoff made the whole project run smoothly.

Yellow Barn Farm sits on 100 acres of the Allen’s Farm property, formerly an international equestrian center owned and operated by the Wycoff family for several decades. The property is now being revitalized by Azuraye Wycoff and a group of land stewards, who will use the property for research into regenerative farming, animal management and soil remediation, along with community farming and education.

Elk Run Farm is also home to Drylands Agroecology Research, which delves into trials for staple grain crops, the use of animals in soil regeneration and forestry. The homestead and community center also provides locally grown, sustainable produce and education opportunities through the collective.

MetaCarbon is a communal farm operated by a group of friends using regenerative practices to grow vegetables, hemp and other agricultural products as a means to change the approach to modern agriculture. 

The Farm Hop had a few trial runs, with Ferguson working closely with the three farms to make sure the tours ran well and served the community needs. The culmination is Saturday’s Farm Fest.

Wycoff was happy to use Yellow Barn Farm as the venue for the Farm Fest, to showcase all the talents, skills and offerings that the collective has to offer. 

“We’ve put together this Foothills Farm Collective, and it's really open to anyone. It’s been a lot of people that have the same values, that are trying to do things differently,” Wycoff said. “We know we’re stronger together, and we can diversify with this massive pool of people and skills, then we’re all better off for it.”

Wycoff said the Farm Fest and Farm Hop tours will be a monthly event, weather permitting. The Farm Fest party runs from 1-5 p.m. The farmers market and music are free but RSVPs are requested to help prepare for the event.