Backyard Market at Black Forest, the latest farmers market in the Pikes Peak region, boasts successful first season
The Backyard Market at Black Forest ran for 19 weeks this summer and was a hit with those attending.
It all started earlier this year when the Black Forest Community Club asked what the residents would like to see in their region. A call went out for a farmers market. The club hosted the event in their “backyard” an undeveloped field on the northwest side of the community building at 12530 Black Forest Road.
That’s when Elba Barr and Theda Stone stepped in as market manager volunteers. The women created a business plan. One of their goals was to “bring together families, neighbors, visitors and local food producers to create a sense of community and social gathering.”
Both Stone and Barr grew up in New England with farmers markets and cooperatives. “It’s like our backbone of what we had and what we wanted to share.”
Barr spent 10 years active duty as senior intelligence and served in 13 combat tours. Stone was a manager at USAA.
Marketing was handled by Riley Appleyard, a Black Forest resident who just graduated from Oklahoma State University with degrees in International Business and Marketing. Appleyard created the market’s logo, developed the design concept and managed the media. Barr says she was instrumental in online marketing, creating flyers and posters. “She gets it and she genuinely cares,” said Barr.
Both Barr and Stone had intended to take on the project for a year with the intent to pass it along to someone else. So many people compliment the market especially how well it is run and the support the managers provide to the vendors.
At the Backyard Market at Black Forest, shoppers are meeting the farmers and understanding where their food comes from and who produces it. Take for example, Emerge Aquaponics, (4135 Shoup Road), which grow lettuces in a 22,000-square-foot greenhouse on a 42-acre property. The husband-and-wife team gives tours at their business so that people can see how lettuces can grow solely in water without soil.
Twisted Pines Farms (6105 Burgess Road) provides the market with eggs, chickens and sell turkeys for Thanksgiving. At their farm, they teach classes on raising chickens.
Opportunities for kids
Parents were able to shop while children met at the Kid’s Corner, a place where they could learn and understand how their food is grown. The market partnered with Sustainability Educational Experience, a group that taught kids about anything from bees and pollination, to sunshine and plant growth.
Market producers also educated parents. “We get asked at least once a day why we don’t carry avocados and I have to explain that they don’t grow here,” said Barr.
Another feature of the market is the Young Entrepreneurs Booth, a way for children and teens to participate in entrepreneurship. Barr said the program grows future business owners. She sits with young people to review their own business models. If approved, they are able to sell their products at the market.
Cards by Molly (facebook.com/cardsbymolly), is run by the 11-year-old Molly, with Mom sitting nearby. She sells cards to pay for college and intends to become a neurosurgeon. Another Young Entrepreneurs success story is Sister’s Sewing and Sundries. They sell scrunchies, slime, goat milk soaps and headbands.
Any student is allowed to participate and students keep their profits. YEB provides the booth and advertising and promotion costs.
Pandemic precautions
When asked if COVID-19 stopped them from moving forward in any way, Barr says for their business model, their success came because of the pandemic. “Fundamentally we wanted to make sure it was a concept of connecting patrons to farmers.” Because a farmer’s market is considered an essential business, they were allowed to move forward.
Many provisions were included in the plan to ensure folks stayed safe while shopping. Shoppers could only walk one way into and out of the market and had to keep masks on at all times.
There were at least 1,000 people shopping there every week this summer and parking was consistently at a premium.
60% of the market’s vendors are producers and the rest are artisans. Most are Colorado-based and produce their wares here. “God bless Google,” said Barr noting that’s how she and Stone found most of the vendors at the market this year.
Barr and Stone run their households similarly, shopping weekly for groceries and providing healthy meals for their families. Barr loves fresh flowers in her home, while Stone is gluten free. “What would we want to do,” we compared lists for what they do every week and then said, “let’s go find them.”
They got started making phone calls. For example, Bloom Bar and Co. (205 W. Rockrimmon Boulevard, Suite A) runs a brick-and-mortar store and grows all their plants here in Colorado.
Market season is over, but the internet is open
Although the market has closed for the season, many farmers and producers have year-round subscription boxes or will take single orders. The market has an online shop available through Oct. 24. Several producers have gotten together to provide a winter box. Go to tinyurl.com/yy4yjo9e to sign up as a member or purchase items.
The standard box feeds one to three people and will include 8-10 pounds of produce. The membership prices per box is $33 with a $50 deposit. The large box feeds four to six people with 16-20 pounds of produce. A large box is priced for each member at $60 and also requires a deposit.
Plus, there are many add-ons to your orders.
Eggs and milk are only the beginning of all the extra products available for purchase. Sunshine Microgreens is a local grower and will deliver to your area. Megan’s Mushrooms and the Colorado Honey Lady also partnered to provide additions to the boxes. Artisan cheeses, flowers, sauces and butters are available, plus meats and cheeses. Breads and sweets are there too.
For a list of vendors, visit bfbackyardfarmersmarket.com or find the market on Facebook: facebook.com/BackyardMarketinBF.
Many vendors have e-commerce sites and social media sites to follow that can direct shoppers to buy items throughout the year.
Photos by Allison Robenstein/The Tribune
On a sunny October day, masked customers shop at the Backyard Market in Black Forest.
The Backyard Market in Black Forest offers shoppers a wide variety of products from which to choose.
The Backyard Market in Black Forest has closed the in-person market, but are offering an online shop and winter market boxes for purchase. For more info, visit tinyurl.com/yy4yjo9e.
Cards by Molly is one of the successful student-run businesses at the Backyard Market at Black Forest. 11-year-old Molly sells handmade cards from her booth that is sponsored by Young Entrepreneurs.
Megan’s Mushrooms, one of the many booths at Backyard Market at Black Forest, sells homegrown mushrooms all year long.
Photos by Allison Robenstein/Woodmen Edition
Austin Family Farms of Paeonia sold fresh apples and apple cider this day at the Backyard Market at Black Forest.
Good Steward Farms in Peyton ran a booth at the Backyard Market at Black Forest for the summer. The farm will be selling their produce in the market boxes later in the season.
Sign up for the Backyard Market at Black Forest Winter Box at https://bffm.square.site. Choose which box membership you would like and make a deposit.