Lifestyle

It's been a stormy several days in Telluride, but that hasn't stopped a contingent of wounded vets from enjoying a busy schedule of activities with TASP. Participants from all over the country did some rock climbing, biking, jeeping, horseback riding, rafting and generally digging...

In addition to the Friday farmers' market in Telluride, there is a Saturday market in Norwood from now until October 10. Local producers and artisans are featured from 9am until 1pm at the San Miguel County Fairgrounds in Norwood. For more information on the...


[Click the Play button to hear interview with Tony Daranyi]

IMG_2756 The annual Telluride Farmers' Market is part of the change we can stomach.

Now in its seventh year, the Telluride Farmers' Market  features over 60 vendors, coming from a 100-mile radius to bring fruits, vegetables, flowers, meats, fish, and crafts to town every Friday, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., June – October.

Over Memorial weekend, Telluride Mountainfilm hosted a symposium on food, and  screened the film "Food, Inc." The eat-your-brocolli message became clear: food does not come from shelves. Most of what Americans eat is supplied by agro-businesses that are no longer sustainable, but are government subsidized nevertheless. Small farms are not subsidized, but they are way more productive, netting, on average, $1,400 per acre versus $39 per acre for a farm of about 1,400 acres. Because they are so much less productive, larger farms need to pump their numbers through cost-cutting measures that translate into abuse for farm animals and mass distribution that abuses our environment.

My quick morning bike ride in Telluride is a grunt up Mill Creek Road then a fast downhill home, with a short stop at the creek at the bottom so Gina the dog can cool out. ...

[click "Play" button to hear Eileen Burns' conversation with Balloonmeister, Peter Procopio]

by Eileen Burns

photo credit: Steve Cieciuch

BalloonFest_0652 BalloonFest_0657 Up, up and away:  The 26th annual Telluride Balloon Festival flies this weekend, June 6th and 7th, with daily launches from Telluride's Town Park.  Balloonmeister Peter Procopio and 15 of his colleagues will begin inflating their multi-colored hot air balloons at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.  Weather permitting, balloon pilots will launch around 7 a.m. and fly towards the Valley Floor, or wherever the wind may take them. “We’ve all had dreams of drifting along with the breeze,” stated Procopio.  Although staying within the valley and keeping below 12,000 feet is challenging for the crew, Procopio admits that flying in Telluride is worth the effort.  “The people are so inviting and the town is so beautiful, we look forward to coming back each year,” he explained.
 
A highlight of the festival is the main street Telluride Balloon Glo.  To get a closer look at the beautiful designs of the participating balloons, you’ll want to gather with the locals on Colorado Avenue, Saturday evening, around 8:45 p.m.  When the burners are lit, not only do the balloons light up the street, they also light up the beautiful historic buildings.  It’s a sight to remember.

[click "Play" to hear Eileen Burns' conversation with William DeMille]

by Eileen Burns

All-mini-ag Monday, June 1, noon– 1p.m., Wilkinson Public Library, William and Vernie DeMille, founders of MiniAg and owners of Paradox Valley CSA, host the first of a four-part series of seminars, "MiniAg Garden". 

MiniAg is all about teaching people how to grow food in their own backyard.  Today's topic: "The 15 Minute Farmer." The talk centers around the power of drip irrigation, the benefits of intensive gardening, how to build healthy soil and time management. 

For 35 years the DeMilles have been raising organic fruit and vegetables, along with beef and dairy cattle, sheep, goats, hogs, and all kinds of poultry.  They moved to the region from Northern Missouri after discovering the nutrient rich Western  mountain soil of Paradox, Colorado. There they established their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm.  CSAs provide local shareholders with baskets of fresh seasonal food year round.

[click "Play" buttons to hear each conversation with Dr. Ptak] Dr. Jeff Ptak is the surgical dermatologist at the Telluride Medical Center. He is also aboard certified plastic surgeon (since 1989)...

On Monday, May 18, staff and volunteers from TASP met the crew from San Juan Outdoor School at the Bilk Creek Wall for some climbing instruction. TASP is adding climbing to its Summer schedule for people with disabilities. Monday's session included training in safe belaying...

Sus and I were away from Telluride for quite a while this Spring, and hit the ground running last week when we got home. Getting through accumulated mail, writing, editing and publishing our regular stories, along with the excitement of covering Mountainfilm for the...