On May 6, Gov. John Hickenlooper signed into law a bill that limits the liability of farmers and ranchers engaged in agritourism. Agritourism is defined as agricultural recreation activities.
The bill was sponsored by Rep. Tim Dore (R-Elizabeth) and Sen. Gail Schwartz (D-Snowmass Village). There was bi-partisan support of the Senate and House versions of the bill. It passed the House on March 12, 64-0, and in the Senate on April 21, 35-0. The bill was supported by the 2013 Heritage and Agricultural Strategic Plan.
This is great news for Colorado’s farmers and ranchers who had sought and needed a new level of protection from the State for on-site tourism activities. The bill recognizes that agritourism activities are as important to Colorado’s economy as pure recreational activities like skiing.
“With the ongoing support of the legislature and our industry partners, tourism and agritourism in Colorado continues to reach the next level of success,” said Al White, executive director of the Colorado Tourism Office. “While visitors may first think of our world-class skiing or climbing our fourteeners when they think Colorado, we’re also becoming known for our craft beer, wine and spirits, farmers’ markets, farm and ranch stays, U-pick fruit and vegetables, homesteading workshops and more.”
This is especially good news for those who have established agritourism in the North Fork Valley. The state’s liability protection is hoped to lower the liability insurance costs for owners of orchards, ranches, farms, guest ranches, vineyards, bed and breakfasts and farmers’ markets as more and more tourists want to get away to the North Fork Valley for a weekend or longer vacation. Soon, those in the local agritourism industry will be posting signs about the new liability protection.
Three North Fork Valley businesses firmly rooted in agritourism are the Leroux Creek Inn and Vineyards, The Lamborn Mountain Farmstead and Delicious Orchards.
Leroux Creek Inn and Vineyards
Located west of Hotchkiss in a picturesque setting with panoramic views of the North Fork Valley, Leroux Creek Inn and Vineyards is owned by Yvon and Joanna Gros. It is billed as, “A Touch of Provence in Colorado.” The owners enjoy watching their guests who lead hectic stress-filled lives relax as they let the atmosphere of the bed and breakfast and the vineyards wipe away their cares. This is the “Western Colorado Wine Country Experience.”
Yvon is a member of the Delta County Tourism Cabinet. He believes the recently signed agritourism bill has significant benefits protecting his winery and bed and breakfast from some liabilities. Yvon said his liability insurance premiums should decrease. “It’s a good start,” Yvon said. “I’ll sleep better at night.”
Yvon and Joanna bought the inn in May 2000. “We planted 4,000 grape vines in 2002,” Joanna said. The couple sold their first wine in 2006. The bed and breakfast has five guest rooms, all with private baths.
The Leroux Creek Inn and Vineyards hosts special events. The sixth annual West Elks Wine Trail takes place Aug. 1-3 this year. Guests will tour 10 North Fork Valley wineries for wine tastings and winemakers’ dinners. Guests at Leroux Creek Inn will enjoy the wine and dinner under a large shaded tent which sits on a hill and takes full advantage of cool breezes even in the summer.
They also host events exclusive to the inn. On Saturday, July 26, they will offer for the second year a jazz festival with Mike Gwinn and the North Fork Flyers. This outdoor event has incredible music, food and wine. It is a unique experience in the North Fork Valley.
Another upcoming concert will be on Aug. 22 with The Scones.
The Lamborghini Club USA came to the inn in August 2012 for a luncheon stop. The exclusive club picks different scenic tours each year. In 2012, the North Fork Valley was treated to a caravan of brightly colored Lamborghinis coming down Highway 92 and then down 3100 Road to the Leroux Creek Inn. The club has members from across the U.S. and Canada.
Yvon said in 2000 there were only three or four wineries in the area. Agriculture back then mainly focused just on farmers’ markets, but not self-promotion. “Then we saw in 2004 and 2005, the inn got busy,” Yvon said. Joanna has noticed a younger crowd coming. “They are interested in going to all the wineries, going to the Black Canyon. We get a lot of cycling groups. They love agritourism. They cycle to the other farms, the wineries and all the art events,” Joanna said. “It’s amazing how many people are interested in what the valley has to offer.”
Yvon said their guests range from being affluent to professionals who know their wines and the younger crowd who come just for the love of the area. Joanna noted that people in the surrounding areas like Montrose and Grand Junction come for a day trip. Yvon said their European guests will book a five-day stay and then take a day trip to visit another location but always return to the inn at night.
“Diversity brings people,” Yvon said. “We don’t compete with the other winemakers. The more we are, the more we can bring people in, the more we can sustain our business. We all work together.”
Guests have told the couple that everywhere they go in the North Fork Valley, everyone is so nice. “People get a sense if a community works together or not,” Joanna said.
Lamborn Mountain Farmstead
James and Carol Schott own the Lamborn Mountain Farmstead which is another example of how diversity keeps a farmer viable throughout the year. The farm is located on Lamborn Mesa outside of Paonia. James and Carol live in the original farmhouse which was built in 1905. Their farm represents their varied interests. “We have chickens, goats, Highland cattle, lavender, vegetable and herb gardens and fields of irrigated grass/alfalfa hay.”
From those they sell lavender and lavender products, goat milk soap, goat milk shares, and halves and quarters of tender Highland cattle beef.
They are charter members of the Western Colorado Lavender Association. Last weekend’s lavender festival was in Palisade with a motor coach tour to the North Fork Valley. The tourists visited the Lamborn Mountain Farmstead, Revolution Brewing, had lunch at Delicious Orchards—all in Paonia and the surrounding areas—and had a final stop at Connor Orchards and Lavender Farm on Rogers Mesa outside of Hotchkiss.
The farmstead is an excellent example of how a farm can be a contributor to agritourism in the North Fork Valley. Carol told the visitors from the lavender festival last Friday that they farm organically and biodynamically. They use no chemicals. The tourists were split into three teams to see how the lavender is grown, how it is distilled and used in cooking, and then how it is used in a variety of products, for example skin care products.
On Saturday, Carol and James took their lavender products to Palisade setting up a booth, selling and promoting their products. “We use the oils in our products and sell it in small quantities for aroma therapeutic uses. Other products made from lavender include goat milk soap, lotions, dried and fresh bouquets, sachets, natural bath powder, culinary lavender buds, lavender Earl Grey tea mix, herbs de Provence and more,” Carol said.
They also help educate those who are interested in growing their own lavender for themselves or professionally.
Then on Sunday, more tourists arrived at their farmstead doing self-guided tours.
The Western Colorado Lavender Festival brings people to their farm so they can make people aware of the products they sell. “It’s definitely good exposure for what we are doing,” Carol said. Sixty people toured the farmstead on Friday and about the same number on Sunday.
Carol shared her experiences in growing different varieties of lavender which have to be hardy to grow on Lamborn Mesa at 6,200 feet. The first year she planted lavender was in 2010. Some of her lavender gives off a sweeter smell and produces a higher quality oil which is good for aroma therapy.
The lavender fields are an attraction for various interests. Artist Jill Knutson was at one end of the lavender field on Friday doing a pastel drawing of the scene.
James gave a live demonstration of distilling oil and hydrosol, which is water infused with the character of lavender. The lavender is steamed, but not boiled. He told his visitors that there is something of a controversy if it is best to distill dried or fresh lavender. “We choose to distill fresh,” James said. His larger distiller holds 30 to 50 pounds of lavender. The flowers are never in the water and are only touched by the steam. Cold water runs through coils to change the steam into the liquid.
Delicious Orchards
Jeff and Tracy Schwartz own Delicious Orchards which offers indoor and outdoor dining, a store with their Big B’s Juices, fresh fruits and vegetables, local wine, their own hard cider, and jams, jellies, sauces and other prepared food. They also host lovely outdoor concerts and barbecues about twice a year.
Tourists to the North Fork Valley can stay simply and inexpensively in their orchard campground.
Later in the growing season, guests can hand pick organic cherries, pears, peaches and apples.
Delicious Orchards is a member of the Valley Organic Growers Association. They believe in sustainable farm practices, and encourage their customers to eat and drink locally.
Delicious Orchards has been in operation for about eight years. Jeff and Tracy had an interesting concept to start a business. They asked themselves, “If we were travelling what would we love to run into, and what would be the most beneficial and helpful and fun experience on the road? That’s how we set up Delicious Orchards,” Jeff said. “We offer tourists an authentic experience—authentic food, authentic hard cider, authentic produce and camping, a place to take a solar shower. If you need a place to sleep you can pitch a tent or use our teepee. There’s a place to get a meal and a place to get Wi-Fi. A place to walk around and stretch your legs and throw horseshoes or walk through the orchards and U-pick. This is what we offer to the traveller or the local who just wants to get away from it.”
Jeff finds the new state law provides him with peace of mind. “If you are nimble enough to use a ladder, be smart, be wise and good luck, have someone hold the ladder. We really trusted people’s ability and it’s always worked out. But the new law and the new warning signs does give us a little peace mind. The onus and responsibility are on those who are going to experience an actual working farm or orchard.”
“We feel very thankful and blessed to be able to provide a comfortable, safe, authentic place for people to experience,” Jeff said. “We sell a lot of our products and we’re getting exposure to our hard cider and our juices, so when they go back home to Denver, Los Angeles or Chicago they can say, ‘Oh there’s that product.’ It’s definitely a two-way street. We are getting a lot of benefits from having a tourist-based business that promotes our own products.”
