Project Overview

Since 2019, PVCF has been growing an incredible partnership with the City of Fort Collins, particularly the Natural Areas Department. Since purchasing farmland is cost prohibitive in the current real estate market, this partnership is of the utmost importance to our mission to expand local food production and has already resulted in leases to six local farmers!

History

In late 2019, the City of Fort Collins released a request for proposals for 250 acres of city-owned land in south Fort Collins called Flores del Sol. The city sought interesting ideas for agricultural development on the land and in response to this exciting opportunity, PVCF put together a comprehensive proposal for the land, including a farm commons for established producers, a farm incubator, farm stand, educational programming, and more. In 2020 after gaining approval from the city, PVCF became the lessor for the property. Soon after, we entered into an agreement with the city to manage agriculture at a property called Kestrel Fields, and in 2022 signed a service contract with the city for grazing at Pryor Natural Area.

City Properties Managed by PVCF

Flores Del Sol Natural Area (Leased from City of Fort Collins)
Kestrel Fields Natural Area (Leased from City of Fort Collins)
Pryor Natural Area (Service contract from City of Fort Collins)

Producers

Colorado Fresh Farms
Owner: Haydn Christensen
Products: Vegetables, Summer CSA
Property: Flores Del Sol

NoCo Cattle Company
Owner: Val Sumner
Products: Cattle (summer grazing only)
Property: Flores del Sol

St. Michael’s Farm
Owners: Christine Nazar & Michael Meyer
Products: Fruit and berry farm
Property: Flores del Sol

Belafonte Farm
Owner: Dennis Lacerte
Products: Vegetables, CSA
Producer from the Foodshed Project Accelerator

Native Hill Farm
Owners: Nic Koontz and Katie Slota
Products: Vegetables, summer and winter CSA
Property: Kestrel Fields

Foothills Graziers
Owner: Kevin Jablonski, Kristin Maxwell
Products: Small stock grazing (llamas, goats, sheep)
Property: Kestrel Fields, Pryor Farm