The heart of Wright’s Mesa shines through its farming and ranching heritage and the generations of farmers and ranchers who have carried its tradition. Throughout its history, Norwood’s producers have prided themselves on providing fresh produce and livestock to residents of Wright’s Mesa as well as to those living in surrounding communities.
There are countless health benefits to eating locally grown and locally sourced food. Buying locally grown food offers improved nutrition and encourages eating a more balanced diet by incorporating healthy proteins, fruits, vegetables and whole grains into your meals. Locally grown food is often organic and pesticide-free which helps those with food related sensitivities and allergies that come with preservatives, hormones or other food chemicals.
Supporting local farmers and ranchers has great economic benefits as well. Buying locally sourced food allows for more money to stay within your community, benefiting schools, emergency services, libraries and other publicly funded organizations. Buying from local farmers and ranchers also helps create jobs and allows producers to supply meat and produce to other local businesses and restaurants. Buying locally also brings the community together to support families and create cultural diversity.
Ready to buy local? Here are a few of Norwood’s top producers!
Blue Grouse Bread
Blue Grouse Bread is a locally-owned, organic bread bakery that prides itself on supplying hearth baked breads to Colorado’s Western Slope. Located in the heart of Norwood, Blue Grouse makes all of its breads using organic, whole wheat flour grown right here in Colorado. Blue Grouse Bread mills its grain at its bakery, utilizes long fermentation times to achieve a complex flavor and bakes its bread on a stone hearth to allow its breads to achieve a distinct, boldly baked crust featuring an airy interior.
Blue Grouse Bread offers a variety of bread styles, including a traditional baguette featuring a thin crust with an open, melt-in-your mouth interior. A country-style bread featuring white and wheat flours with a balanced sourdough flavor, perfect for any sandwich or table bread. A traditional wheat loaf made from 100% Colorado grown wheat that is flavorful, filling, and nutritious. A hearty seeded bread featuring a high percentage of water and whole grains. Lastly, its Anadoma, which features non-GMO, organic Painted Mountain Corn that is rich in flavor with a slight sweetness.
Where can you find Blue Grouse Bread?
Norwood
Clark’s Market
Telluride
The Village Market
Ridgway
The Mountain Market
Montrose
Indian Ridge Farm
Sitting on 120 acres on the edge of Norwood, Indian Ridge Farm aims to provide residents of Wright’s Mesa and its surrounding communities with the highest quality, locally sourced, organically grown food available. Indian Ridge Farm is a diversified farm operation that prides itself on raising the finest, healthiest, grass-fed, pastured poultry, layer hens, hogs, turkeys, beef cattle and dairy goats, as well as a vegetable garden, greenhouse, a bakery, and hay pasture.
Indian Ridge Farm also offers CSA shares and features one of Colorado’s only state-certified poultry processing plants. Indian Ridge Farm encourages its customers to seek out and buy locally produced food to help support a healthier ecosystem, create sustainable food systems, strengthen agrarian communities and preserve open spaces.
Where can you pick up Indian Ridge Farm produce?
Norwood
Telluride
Ridgway
Snyder Ranches
The Snyder family has deep roots with four generations of raising sheep and cattle on Wright’s Mesa. Snyder Ranches prides itself on raising premium grass-fed, hormone-free lamb. In the winter and spring, lamb can be seen scattered across the ranching fields of Wright’s Mesa, dotting the hillsides like fluffy white cotton balls. In the summer, Snyder Ranches sends its lamb up to the high country to graze the hillsides around Lone Cone Mountain. Favored by chefs across the United States, this high mountain grazing is what gives Colorado lamb its world renowned flavor.
Where is Snyder Ranches lamb featured?
Norwood
Snyder Ranches (Contact Terri Snyder 970-327-0271 for pricing)
Ready to support your community and take the leap toward a healthier lifestyle? Join Norwood’s local fresh food movement and purchase a CSA from the FRESH Food Hub today!