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The environment desk at Aspen Public Radio covers issues in the Roaring Fork Valley and throughout the state of Colorado including water use and quality, impact of recreation, population growth and oil and gas development. APR’s Environment Reporter is Elizabeth Stewart-Severy.

Local food production budding on open space properties

Courtesy of Pitkin County Open Space and Trails

Pitkin County’s open spaces are increasingly being used for more than recreation, as agriculture is taking root on public lands.

Later this month, the Board of County Commissioners will consider four agricultural leases on Pitkin County Open Space properties. The latest proposal is an organic farming operation run by the local Two Roots Farm, which is hoping to set up shop at Emma Open Space.

Last year, open space lands supported the production of nearly 400,000 pounds of food, including meat, vegetables and potatoes used for local vodka. Farmers leasing public lands sell their products to local restaurants, at valley farmer’s markets and through community-supported agriculture shares.

 

Aspen native Elizabeth Stewart-Severy is excited to be making a return to both the Red Brick, where she attended kindergarten, and the field of journalism. She has spent her entire life playing in the mountains and rivers around Aspen, and is thrilled to be reporting about all things environmental in this special place. She attended the University of Colorado with a Boettcher Scholarship, and graduated as the top student from the School of Journalism in 2006. Her lifelong love of hockey lead to a stint working for the Colorado Avalanche, and she still plays in local leagues and coaches the Aspen Junior Hockey U-19 girls.
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