Posted by Sam Kigar on Fri, Aug 13, 2010
Our web developer Adam Silverstein grows things. He recently grew our web page, matured its navigation and improved it's search-ability. But websites are far from the only thing Adam grows. In addition to Earthbound Website Development and Hosting, Adam owns and operates the Round Earth Farm here in southwest Colorado.
Round Earth is a sustainable and organic farm, located on a fertile mesa above Hotchkiss, Colorado; and Adam's work on the farm is a community service. He sets to work each day with enthusiasm for working the land and the desire to get good local food to the inhabitants of his valley. Part of this service is passing his knowledge about farming onto eager young people. For this reason Adam brings on several interns (in addition to five employees) each growing season. He houses his interns in an Earthworks tipi and a Colorado Yurt.
Together Adam and his crew work the 25 acres. "We grow vegetables from a to z. That's artichokes to zuchinni. Plus," Adam says, "we just put in a 1/2 acre of mixed fruit and a 1/2 acre of raspberries and blackberries." In exchange for room, board and a modest stipend, the interns get to see the farm through an entire growing cycle. They are involved in all aspects of the farm--from planting to sale. The produce is sold to retail and wholesale outlets as well as through Adam's CSA (Communitee Supported Agriculture), called Turkey Hill.
The interns say good things about staying in the tipi and the yurt. While farming restores a connection with food, living in these structures allows interns to nuture their relationship with the land.
Round Earth is part of a growing trend among farms that find yurts and tipis present a viable solution to a variety of needs. Turns out that these structures are both philosophically and practically suited to these types of farms.
- They’re low-impact: Like sustainable farming methods, they leave a small footprint on the land.
- They’re (semi-)portable: As the demands of space change on this relatively small parcel of land, the structures can be moved to accommodate.
- They're round: The shape of these structures resonates not only with the name of Adam's farm but also with the cycles that support and sustain his farm.
It has been wonderful working with Adam, getting to watch his farm develop, and, of course, eating his delicious produce. Thanks Adam!
Thinking of a farming (or any other) yurt?
Here are some good things to think about!
Posted by Sam Kigar on Mon, May 24, 2010
One stormy spring evening a few weeks ago, our display yurt played host to economic development officers from across Colorado. Sandy Head, of the Montrose Economic Development Corporation, worked to bring her colleagues from around the state to Montrose for an evening of mingling, food, and wine.
We were still glowing from being selected as one of the "50 Colorado Companies to Watch"; so, needless to say, we were pleased to have members of the selection committee with us in the yurt.
Economic Officers Drink Wine and Check out the CYC Brochure
As people ducked out of the harsh wind they smiled at the immediate calm of the yurt. I watched folks move around the space. They examined the lattice and rafters, and then moved toward the center where they began introducting themselves. The space was abuzz with conversation. People were asking each other questions about the yurt, "What do yurts cost?" "Where do they come from?"
The room was primed by the time I took the floor to give a bit of history about the company and our products. The boisterous group could barely hold back questions. "Why Yurts?" "Because we believe that their circular structure and inherent closeness to nature lends itself to powerful and positive human interaction." The party around us was proof enough and people nodded appreciatively; as they did when they found out how much a yurts costs.
I demonstrate the compression/tension system
After I finished speaking, local chef Anthony Damiano announced dinner and explained his upcoming restaurant and culinary school project. As the storm raged, the group tucked into a heartily sumptuous meal. They ate and drank well into the night.
With over thirty of our state's movers and shakers nestled into the yurt, the structure was serving one of its original, intended functions: a gathering place where community members come together, share ideas and have a good time. Plus, as guest after guest exclaimed that they or someone they know absolutely needs a yurt, I realized that the best testimonial for yurts is a yurt.
Find out where you can book a yurt for your next community function...
Posted by Jennie Redwine on Thu, Oct 22, 2009
YMCA of the Rockies’
Snow Mountain Ranch
is an incredible 5,000 acre conference and family center just outside of Winter Park, Colorado. It’s also the home of a new 20’
Colorado Yurt. We set the yurt up a few weeks ago just as the aspen were making their final statement of the fall with a fiery, orange blast of color amid billowing, low clouds that threatened to throw down the first big snow of the winter.
We stayed in Indian Peaks Lodge, one of the four lodges, numerous cabins and many campsites on the property. The rooms were very inviting and impeccably clean with a couple of beds, a mini-fridge, a sitting area and a back patio with a gorgeous mountain view. What’s that you say? No TV? Yes, no TV. Who needs television when you have 5,000 acres to explore? There is a WiFi connection, so don’t panic. An afternoon walk in the cool autumn air revealed an abundance of outdoor
activities. Hiking, biking and horse riding trails meander all over the property. One of the trails I walked skirted along the edge of
Sombrero Stables
where the horses munched happily on their dinner. Another trail revealed a soaring zip line. Not into those things? How about miniature golf, disc golf, fishing, canoeing, archery, ice skating, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, tubing or sledding? Don’t have the proper equipment? No excuse. Snow Mountain Ranch provides inexpensive rental options for just about anything you’ll require. Need something to do indoors on a rainy day? Try the rock climbing wall, swimming, basketball, volleyball, skating, ping pong, foosball or a variety of crafts.
photo courtesy of Snow Mountain Ranch
Unfortunately we didn’t have much spare time to play and explore. We had a yurt to set up before the snow flew. The talented ranch crew finished a handsome yurt platform the afternoon we arrived so we got an early start the next morning. The stairs leading up to the platform were finished off on either side with a rustic, hand-made banister. The tongue and groove wood floor inside added a rich and finished, yet rugged and outdoorsy touch.
The yurt went up pretty smoothly. Our shop manager, Clint Huddleston, came up with a great idea to combat a mild wind as we were getting the roof insulation and roof in place. We tied thin, slick ropes to the eyebolts in the circular
compression ring at the peak of the yurt frame and then ran the ropes across the
roof insulation tying the opposite end of the rope to the crisscrossing wooden slats of the
lattice wall. This enabled us to have all hands free for unrolling the
yurt roof and shifting it into place. Once the roof itself was settled, we simply untied the ropes and slipped them out from underneath the yurt roof. If you saw any clips of the
balloon boy saga
recently, that is pretty much what the roof insulation on a yurt will do if the wind catches it. So the ropes saved us a bit of chasing and avoided closure of nearby Denver International Airport.
This yurt included three of our new
operable wooden windows. There are two big benefits to the new windows. They are set in a sturdy wooden frame so it is possible to cut out the section of the lattice wall that typically covers the window in a yurt. The ends of the cut lattice get screwed into the window frame so the frame integrates into the lattice wall without affecting the functionality and strength of the yurt. The view is unobstructed by the crossing lattice wall pieces. The second benefit is that the window can be cranked open from inside the yurt. A standard yurt window has a zippered flap in the wall fabric of the yurt which must be opened by going outside the yurt. Many yurts, including the Snow Mountain Ranch yurt, are built on a
simple platform
that is only a footprint for the yurt without additional outside deck space. If the yurt is elevated, unzipping and rolling up the window flap must be done on a ladder. In this case, the ability to open the window from the inside is an obvious advantage.
We had a great time at
Snow Mountain Ranch and hope to make many trips back to play and to work. With adequate
funding, the ranch has a master plan to incorporate tipis, canvas platform tents and several more yurts over the next couple of decades. I’ll leave you with a quote from their website.