We did it!  We finally got our conditional use permit.  It passed with a unanimous vote at our public hearing on Wednesday night.  We want to thank all of our supporters who wrote letters to county officials and for those who showed up to speak up about how their involvement with the Flagstaff EcoRanch has impacted their lives.  We also want to thank county staff members for their patience and assistance while we sorted through the necessary steps to obtain the CUP over the past year.

In other EcoRanch related events, 6 of our 13 raised beds are planted and Kat, our intern from NAU is tending to their well being.  We have started harvesting spinach, chard, and radishes and successfully dodged the hail multiple times.  It seems as thought the summer monsoons are here, hopefully bringing an abundance of rain (hear that clouds, rain, not hail).

Our biggest highlight for the summer is that Hermosa Vida provided us with an additional $3000 to deepen and assist our programming.  With that money, we have already purchased row cover (which will protect our plants from the sun, hail, and cold temps while increasing productivity and be longer lasting and more sustainable than clear plastic which only last about 1.5 seasons).  We improved our barn to increase its usability to and offer better protection for our supplies.  Later in the season, we will add another rain barrel and more efficient irrigation.

Best of luck to everyone growing!  If you’re looking to come visit, take a tour, buy eggs, or even come and get your hands dirty, please get in touch with us.