An invitation to Ski Country to stay with relatives visiting from out of state + a slow internet connection = a week off for The Weekly Veggie last week.  The snow was soft, the sun was out, and my nephew, who I taught to snowboard on Monday, was better than me by Friday.

Local vegetables were hard to come by.  But after visiting Native Greens in Kittredge, CO a couple of weeks ago, I now know there is hope for local vegetables to be grown in greenhouses all over Colorado.  Even in mountain towns with a shorter growing season.

Here is the Native Greens Greenhouse located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains just outside Denver.

Bert Waisanen, founder of  Native Greens, noticed that these greenhouses were vacant after the Evergreen Nursery closed about 18 months ago. 

After contacting the owner, he began leasing space and executing his vision of growing vegetables sustainably, using practices that “can be  transferred to any location anywhere, from brownfields to balconies, or barges to deserts.”

One  of his goals is to use as little water as possible.  See the plastic container at the end of the row?  It catches the irrigation run-off, which can be recycled.

Native Greens grows heirloom vegetables from seeds that are not genetically altered.  Here are some of the veggies:

Bert is all about efficiency, and is experimenting with using vertical space for growing veggies like Swiss chard and beans.

Bert is also growing vegetables using hydroponics.  An interesting consequence of the medical marijuana craze here in Colorado, is that the cost of hydroponic equipment has skyrocketed.  As a result, Bert has searched for common construction materials to build his hydroponic system.

These lettuces are floating on top of a basin filled with water.

Ladybugs are used for natural  pest control.

Look at this beautiful hydroponically-grown chard!

Here’s what it looks like under the styrofoam.

Thank you to Bert at Native Greens for giving me a tour!  Native Greens produce is currently available at In Season Local Market, and the  Indoor Farmers’  Market at Denver Urban Homesteading.

Have a great week!

Want more veggies?  Check out last week’s veggie story: Sprouts. Fast Food Vegetables. New veggie stories every Thursday.

Did you see last week’s market photos?  Click here for Monday Dose of Market: Backyard Greenhouse Bounty. New photos every Monday.

New to The Weekly Veggie? Read how it all began with My Childhood Vegetable Nemesis.