Fall is quickly approaching and although my tomatoes are still green, the final days of summer are upon us. The Community Agriculture Alliance (CAA) has had a busy summer with many events including the Moots Ranch Rally in June and keeping up with the Marketplace and Farmer’s Market booth. 

This summer, both the Marketplace and the Farmer’s Market booth have been booming with local meats and produce. As the summer winds down, continuing to shop at the Marketplace and picking up your order on Friday is a great way to extend the season and continue to support local ag, even after the Farmer’s Market is over.

Root vegetables, eggs and meat will still be in supply, as will local honey, and so much more. Shop the Marketplace at http://www.localfoodmarketplace.com/communityagalliance/. 

There are several events to look forward to this fall.

The CAA’s second round of land stewardship classes begins on Sept. 8 and will meet weekly through Oct. 13. This program is run in conjunction with the CSU Routt County Extension Office and offers on-ranch, in-field and classroom discussions led by local authorities.

Topics are: integration of soil, water, animals, plants, air and weather; grazing management, livestock health and wildlife impacts; water improvement projects and irrigation practices; water and fencing laws; land use opportunities; and grasses, plants and weeds identification. Realtors can earn up to 12 CECs by participating.

The deadline to register is Sept. 4. This series of classes will leave you with a bushel of information that is useful for any kind of property you may have or seek. Please call the CAA at 970-879-4370 to register.

Also in the fall, the popular equestrian event, The Cayuse Classic, will be held Sept. 12 at Saddle Mountain Ranch in Steamboat Springs. There are six divisions and 27 classes, which include juniors and adults. This is a great opportunity for riders to showcase their expertise and compete with local talent.

Looking forward to the month of October, the CAA is hosting our second annual Plate & Pint farm-to-table dinner at Butcherknife Brewery on Oct. 3. Farm-to-Table dinners are a chance for local chefs, farmers, gardeners and other members of the community to come together and share a delicious meal. Chef JJ from Harwig’s will be at our service, as he will craft meals to be paired with select beers from Butcherknife Brewery. One-hundred percent of the proceeds go to the CAA and seats sell out fast, so please contact us if you are interested in joining. 

To keep in touch with us and to hear more about these events and others, follow us on Facebook and become a member to receive our monthly Ag Journal, where we publish information about ag-related events around Routt County and Colorado. 

Meredith Rose is the administrative assistant for Community Agriculture Alliance.