The idea of self-sustainably grown foods is really catching on in Denver and there are some great stories that are emerging from this movement. “The sustainable agricultural community is so small that they work together,” says food pioneer and ex-chef Doug Stuart. “A majority of people have gone to manufacturing marijuana. But ultimately it’s about moving forward for the greater good of everybody. But, it’s not easy.”
Teamwork is Making it Happen in Denver
Doug traveled Europe to learn to cook and he even cooked in Antarctica for a season. He’s been in the restaurant business since he was 14 years old working at the Sushi Den for 8 years and opening Sushi Hapa in Cherry Creek.
“The best foods come from the best ingredients using the right ingredients to make phenomenal food in little time.” That’s why his company Freshtable Gardens started by catering to restaurants such as The Source, Table Six, and Beast and Bottle, to name a few. He’s giving local chefs a resource to eat locally grown food ten minutes from the metro area.
Courtney Pierce’s background is in business. His asset to the Freshtable Gardens is his marketing and business. Along with Kara Dishman, who studied botany and environmental biology, the trio saw a huge need for fresh food in the city and education of the youth on where their food comes from.
With Courtney’s business sense, Doug’s chef background and Kara’s education, their combined desire for fresh food formed the idea to do something different, to create an impact doing something they loved while doing something of quality for the planet with the potential to make money. “There’s not a lot of money in agriculture,” says Kara. “It’s about finding the balance in a niche market and getting away from GMOs and Monsanto by bringing back the original seed stocks.”
For Courtney, the challenge was less ideological and more practical; it was about how to make money while still doing something for the community, for Colorado and for the land. A start was the idea of cleaning up industrial spaces by recycling and turning industrial land back into something good for the next generation.
Bring Freshtable Gardens to Your Kitchen
The first year was spent learning, figuring out seed densities of micro-greens as well as all sorts of temperature issues. “We opted for micro-greens because of the low electrical cost and the fast, ten days to three week turnover,” Doug says. Tropical fruits, root vegetables and avocados are too challenging.
Working toward full self-sustainability, they soon bought solar panels from the out-of-business solar company, Solyndra. The tubular panels melt snow adding to a 400 gallon reservoir. Besides the water collection, they found a deep rock well that they plan to tap soon. By adding an aquaponic system they become closer to their end goal of 5 years, 100 percent off the grid.
“We can grow all year round,” explains Dough. “In the summer we move some of the planting outdoors. We are in the process of building a greenhouse for the winter. The balance is tough. You get freezes in May and September causing short seasons in Colorado, but the wonderful thing about Denver is they highly encourage people to grow food.”
“You cannot get zoned for agriculture in the city and county of Denver,” Courtney says. “They don’t offer it. But the legislative branch and councilman are looking for the loop holes to keep them going and are promoting fresh gardens.” And tapping into that energy is the biggest resource they have right now.
You can bring Freshtable Gardens to your kitchen. Their farmer’s market opens from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm at 4800 Washington St., Unit X. Call: 720.479.8758. “If there’s a lot of interest, we will go until dark.”
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