Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Zeidner.
Alex, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have farmed in Colorado’s Front Range off and on since 2008 and professionally since 2014. I worked on farms ranging from a 3/4 acre flower farm, 5 acre biodynamic farm, and a 2000 acre organic farm in Colorado. At some point, I realized that I could never earn enough money working on farms to start my own. I moved onto a 14,000 acre wild horse sanctuary as a regenerative agricultural consultant where I was able to get $10,000 together to start a farm here in Fort Collins.
In the winter of 2019, I started Folks Farm & Seed on the small acreage I grew up on. We named it Folks Farm not only because my parents live on the land but also because we focus on growing truly local, seed to seed, food. The food of our Folks! We started production with 1 acre and now farm 3 acres.
Has it been a smooth road?
Honestly, I can’t imagine starting a business as going any better! Having been from Fort Collins helped tremendously to get our first restaurant accounts. The Larimer County Farmers Alliance was just beginning and this community was a great resource and support system for young farmers. I continue to be involved and have taken a leadership role as head of the Cooperative Development and Foodshed Committee.
Covid-19 brought a whole new paradigm into our business model. We had been crop planning to ramp up wholesale production geared to restaurants. As spring approached and COVID became more an issue, we realized we had to creatively problem solve. We shifted our business model and reopened our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program to accept a rush of members. In our 2nd season, we have increased our CSA by 400%, growing from 17 members to 69. Just like the seeds we grow, we have to stay flexible and adapt in an ever more volatile world.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Folks Farm & Seed – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Folks Farm & Seed specializes in producing regionally adapted produce and seeds. We save and select our varieties of vegetables that have been bred here by us or fellow farmers or in the arid Southwest. In doing so we are able to breed resilient crops able to thrive with less water and inputs in our harsh climate. We believe in food sovereignty through access to healthy seeds and produce. Our seeds are available for sale, but also for free through both the Fort Collins Library and Denver Public Library. The more resources we do not have to buy every year or get shipped in from all over the country the more free we can act as a region. By supporting other farmers and passing along these amazing bioregionally-adapted seeds, we hope to change our food culture from extractive to regenerative here in Colorado.
We are proud to be an example of creative business solutions and putting into action regenerative practices to curb climate change and build community resiliency.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Fort Collins is a great town with so many positives. Access to the outdoors, good food and drinks, and supportive communities. I struggle with the fact that over 80% of the population is white and an even smaller proportion of that population shops at the farmers market. We have been working with the Larimer County Food Bank and Vindeket Foods to increase the accessibility to our produce for people of many backgrounds and income levels.
A recent struggle has been living in a city that favors housing developments over semi-urban agriculture. We have been working closely with the Larimer County Farmers Alliance and a new Land Use code that currently favors developers to make sure farming stays in our community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.folksfarmandseed.com/
- Email: info@folksfarmandseed.com
- Instagram: folksfarm
- Facebook: Folks Farm & Seed
Image Credit:
Mary Mouser
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