Vendor Profile: Mountain's Edge Coffee

By: Susan Perry, Master Gardener

“This is our dream,” say Keith and Annette Howard. Like most dreams, it started as an idea, almost 20 years ago. Living in Bozeman, Montana in the early 1990s and working as an engineer and pediatric nurse, Keith and Annette met the owners of Rocky Mountain Roasting Company just as it first opened. As lifelong coffee aficionados, this up-close look didn’t deter them. Rather, it inspired them. But they had to let the idea perk …..

In 2005, Mountain’s Edge Coffee opened and by 2006, it was up and running with a roaster, commercial kitchen, and catalytic converter to insure that the roasting process was environmentally friendly. Located in downtown Berthoud, with a great view of Long’s Peak, Mountain’s Edge Coffee provides custom-roasted beans to grocery stores, restaurants, coffee houses, for home delivery, and to several local farmers’ markets. “We love the Larimer County Farmers’ Market. It unique in so many ways and we feel like we have already made new friends, “says Keith. “We enjoy going to Old Town Fort Collins every week with our coffee. We hope people stop by for a sample of hot, brewed coffee.”

“People try Mountain’s Edge Coffee and like it,” said Annette. It’s no wonder when you understand that they spent an entire year developing their unique custom-roasting recipes. “We spent a year asking everyone we knew to taste our roasts as we developed them.” “The flavor of each type of bean can be uniquely experienced and appreciated by getting the right combination of temperature, airflow and time during roasting,” explains Keith.

Keith and Annette import the finest green, unroasted beans from India, Sumatra, Columbia, Ethiopia, and Guatemala. Because the beans come from the Third World, part of the roasting process involves removing small stones and pebbles that accidentally mix with the beans as the farmers shovel the beans into bags. In addition to single origin and decaffeinated beans, Mountain’s Edge Coffee sells custom blends. Some beans taste better when blended before roasting, while others are better when blended after roasting. Mountain’s Edge Coffee offers 12 oz., 24 oz., and 3 pound bags of beans but will grind beans upon request.

“We roast our beans no more than three to four days in advance of delivery and bring about 80 pounds of beans to the farmers’ market, “chimes Annette. “We can roast 15 pounds of green beans at a time but it takes time because one of us is always watching it, adjusting air and temperature. But it’s a labor of love. We drink our own coffee and love what we’re doing.”

By slow-roasting small batches by hand and taking advantage of Colorado’s high altitude and low humidity, Keith and Annette can produce a more consistent flavored bean. “Our roaster is an old-fashioned Diedrich drum-style roaster, like those used in the Old West. We want to create coffee that embodies quality and craftsmanship.”

Find Mountain’s Edge Coffee on the Internet or better yet, stop by and say “Hi” at the Larimer County Farmers’ Market. Mountain’s Edge Coffee is located on the east side of the market, on the north edge.

Vendor Profile: Ela Family Farms

By: Garth Bontrager, Master Gardener

Note: Ela Family Farms will be starting sales at the LCFM in mid-July.

Apples. That alone is enough to start a conversation with just about anyone. There are books dedicated to the subject. Bananas, umm, just don’t have the same connotation. Apples grow all over the United States, and many of us remember apple trees from our childhood. Descriptions of apple varieties read like the J. Peterman catalog. Now what about peaches, plums and cherries? I’m sure you’ve conjured up some memories of contented eating.

Ela Family Farms owned and operated by several generations of the Ela family will indulge your apple interest and your peach, plum and cherry interest too. They offer fruits and fruit products from their orchards in Hotchkiss, Colorado each Saturday, starting July 16, at the Larimer County Farmer’s Market. “We only sell what we grow,” says Steve Ela because that way they control the whole show. And what a show it is: fruit jams, butters, sauces, nectars and ciders. The fresh fruit is the highlight, however. All fruit is picked at the peak of ripeness, which is why you won’t see peaches in early July. Flavor gives Ela the competitive advantage over internationally distributed fruits.

Steve personally walks the field sampling fruit to tell when it’s ready to harvest. Ela grows over 50 varieties of fruit, and each year they introduce another variety to their markets. This year Steve suggests you try the Swiss Gourmet apple. Some folks think its tart, others sweet, but all agree that you can’t beat a fresh picked apple ripened on the tree. Ela has been servicing markets for 11 years, and the LCFM for at least eight years. They selectively continue to hold booth at the LCFM because it’s such a great market.

Steve really appreciates how people have educated themselves on their food supply. And Ela’s customers can really appreciate that the Ela product is certified organic, family owned and operated, and of high quality. That, says Steve, really sets Ela Family Farms apart. They feel a responsibility to their customer to put quality first; quality means staying local, staying organic and keeping with the family tradition of growing and selling what they consider to be the best fruit and fruit products available. The LCFM is very proud to be one of six markets in the state to host Ela Family Farms.

Opening Day June 25!

The Larimer County Farmers' Market opens Saturday, June 25 and has vendors that will help you get fresh on Saturdays!

If you're new to the area, or a long-time patron, we welcome you! Grab your reuseable grocery bags and get ready to shop. The produce gets better throughout the season, but this Saturday you're sure to see lettuce, kale and other cool-season crops, along with meats, cheese, milk and eggs.

The LCFM was awarded a "Discover You Can" grant from the Ball Corporation. Throughout the season the Master Food Safety Advisors will have several give-aways. In addition, Marc Vargas, Larimer County Master Gardener, has donated two sets of his Buzz Bee notecards to give-away each market day--just stop at the Master Gardener booth. Visit his shop at Esty: http://www.etsy.com/people/EBHGreetings

Stop by and say "hello" and bring your best gardening questions! We look forward to seeing you. And if you run short on cash, don't forget to bring your credit, debit or Colorado Quest card, where you can purchase Market Bucks or SNAP benefit coupons.

Vendors Selected!

The 2011 vendors for the LCFM have been selected. Many of your old favorites are back, with a number of new additions. All in all, there will be 75 vendors selling with us throughout the season. Be sure to mark your calendars for Opening Day, June 25, to say "hello" and shop the freshest market in town.

We will once again be blogging about our market vendors...if there is someone you'd like to see featured, just let us know!

Applications Now Available!

The Larimer County Farmers' Market is currently accepting applications from interested vendors. Applications are available from our website: www.larimercountyfarmersmarket.org. Click on "Vendor Applications." Make sure to read the 2011 Rules and Regulations carefully.

Vendors will need to fill out the application and sign the EBT, Credit and Debit form; if you are selling any processed foods or potentially hazardous foods, you'll need to also fill out the Health Department application. For a complete list of what forms we need from vendors, please see "Vendor Check-off List."

Vendors can mail their applications, check for $35 and copies of all necessary licenses and/or forms to: Alison O'Connor, Larimer County Farmers' Market, 1525 Blue Spruce Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80524.

All applications are due April 20, 2011. Late applications will not be accepted.

If you have questions regarding the LCFM, please call 970-498-6000.