To end our time with the plant science class at Pagosa Springs High School, Healthy Archuleta ended its curriculum with a field trip on the local food system, “From Farm to Fork.”
The field trip was a visit through every part of the food system wheel with stops at popular local locations.
The morning started bright and early with a visit to hear from Brian Wattier, a local rancher, at his ranch. There, he talked to the students about the importance of soil health when trying to grow plants or raise animals. He discussed how regenerative agriculture helps his soil and animals as he doesn’t ruin the soil with tilling, but instead uses cover crops and nature to work in his favor. From there, students got a tour of the farm with a visit from his Colorado mountain dogs, goats, pigs and cattle.
The next stop was a local eatery to get an inside look at a food truck and to hear where and how they get their ingredients to address the “getting and preparing” part of the food system wheel. Students were able to hear owners Taylor’s and Liz’s story of how they started their restaurant in Pagosa Springs and why they left their brick-and-mortar restaurant for the food truck.
Next, the class visited a meat processing business to learn how animals go from the farm to the grocery store. With an inside look at the butcher shop, students were shown how meat is butchered, cut, discarded, and then wrapped and sealed for clients who brought in their own meat or prepped for their retail store when they buy USDA meat from ranchers. Getting some fresh air from the smell of the butcher shop, students visited the retail store that features locally raised products.
The afternoon session featured a visit to Healthy Archuleta’s Food Distribution Center (FDC) to see the hydroponic towers and how the lettuce is harvested, as it was harvesting day. The FDC coordinator also made an appearance to tell the students how items from local ranchers and growers and food drives end up at the facility to be distributed to the seven food pantries throughout Archuleta County.
Our last stop day with incoming stormy weather was the transfer station to hear from James about the impact of Archuleta County residents’ trash and where it ends up. He surprised us all by informing us that the transfer station is unique from other counties because they charge a cheap price for trash at $3 a bag, because the transfer station is self-sustaining, so they do not receive tax dollars to run the facility. He went on to show us how the cardboard is pressed into the blocks we see from the side of the road.
The Transfer Station was a two-for-one opportunity as we had Martin Taylor from a composting company stop by as well, since they have one of their collection bins outside the Transfer Station. He shared with students how something as simple as composting can help the environment and make a larger impact than they realize.
By the time we returned to school at 3 p.m., students were tired from a full day of speakers and site visits, but more knowledgeable in the local food system. Thank you to everyone who participated and hosted us on our local food system journey.
To learn more about the efforts of Healthy Archuleta, please visit our website at www.foodcoalition4archuleta.org or send us an email at fsfearchuleta@gmail.com.
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