Northern Colorado Growth

Small communities lead state in growth-
NoCo towns at the top
Two of Northern Colorado’s small towns garnered the top slots for the fastest-growing communities in thestate from July 1, 2005, to July 1, 2006, according to the latest figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Severance in Weld County topped the list, growing from an estimated 1,978 people in 2005 to 2,590 in 2006,or nearly 31 percent. Wellington, north of Fort Collins in Larimer County, grew by an estimated 661 residents, or 19 percent. Its population reached 4,128 last year and was the second fastest-growing Colorado community ranking. Other Northern Colorado communities experiencing double-digit growth included Johnstown, 13.3 percent; Frederick, 11.74 percent; and Firestone grew by nearly 10 percent in the same period.

In Boulder County, Erie grew from an estimated 12,307 to 14,125, or nearly 15 percent, while Lyons experienced the second-highest growth in the county from 2005 to 2006 with 8.5 percent.
At the county level, Boulder grew from 279,508 residents to 282,304 in the same period, an increase of 1percent. Larimer County increased 1.6 percent, growing to 276,253 residents, while Weld County swelled 3.8 percent, topping 236,857 residents.

Boulder and Northern Colorado Population Growth

Boulder's Farmers Market

Farmers Market A Vibrant Community Affair
While many Colorado communities are home to farmers’ markets, few if any have sprouted into the twice-weekly event that the Boulder Farmers’ Market has become. The market near Central Park has, in fact, grown into a local institution, if you will, that is considerably more than a farmer’s market. It’s a place folks go for quality family time on a Saturday, or where adults take their friends or partners for a relaxing and unique evening out on Wednesday. Years before it moved to its existing location on 13th Street in 1986, the market was made up of four farmers who sold produce on the lawn of the county courthouse, said Mark Menagh, executive director of the Boulder County Farmers’ Markets. A grassroots movement to turn the small operation into a vibrant, community-oriented affair resulted in the move and, ultimately, the market’s expansion. Today, the market has 72 farmer members and 56 food contractors (local vendors who may not grow the base ingredient of their product, but make the product themselves). And all participants must sell their own products.

“We are a farmer-owned market,” he said. “If someone is growing something in Boulder County, we want them to be a member,” but only one food contractor offering any particular product is allowed to sell it at the market.
The growth of the market is also reflected in its revenue projections: Menagh expects the Boulder market to do more than $3 million in sales this year.
And in 2006, between 10,000 and 12,000 customers visited the Boulder market between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. on one Saturday in July, he said.
The market has also changed in the kind of produce it offers, Menagh said. For instance, more farmers are growing organic produce on smaller acreages, resulting in a higher-quality product.
“Being able to look the farmer in the eye and say ‘how did you grow this’ is a huge benefit” for market shoppers, he said.

The cost of organic goods sold at the market may be higher than that found at a grocery store, “but you’re paying for quality,” Menagh said. And products grown the conventional way are also available at prices comparable or even less than supermarkets’.

The market attracts a “tremendous number” of chefs from the region who come to buy the best and freshest ingredients for dishes served at their restaurants, but also prevalent are the early morning regulars, tourists and late-comers hoping to snag whatever they can before the market closes.

Add 14 prepared-food vendors, serving up everything from sushi to pizza, pot-stickers to tamales, as well as children’s activities, musical entertainment, an occasional fine arts and crafts fair and charitable booths and you’ve got more than a farmer’s market – you’ve got a community festival that happens to run every Saturday morning and Wednesday evening from April through early November.

That makes the Boulder County Farmer's Market the first to open in the state and the last to close every year, Menagh said. In the early and late season, most of the produce is provided by greenhouse growers.
The market also has a Chef's Event, featuring Boulder’s world-famous chefs, which runs in conjunction with the fine arts and crafts show Aug. 18, Sept. 15 and Oct. 13 this year. Some of the other, regular offerings include fresh-baked goods from local bakers, fresh flowers, crafts created from things grown or gathered by the seller, T-shirts, canvas shopping bags and more.

Though Saturday’s market may be the busiest, the Wednesday market has grown 50 percent in the last two years, Menagh said. It offers the same produce as Saturday’s, but Wednesday’s produce was picked fresh that morning.

The food plaza does as much business on Wednesday as it does on Saturday, and Wednesday customers are treated to a beer and wine garden at which they can sit down and chat with the farmers.

The Boulder Farmer's Market is open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays through Nov. 3 and 4-8 p.m. Wednesdays through Oct. 3 at 13th Street between Arapahoe Avenue and Canyon Boulevard next to Central Park in downtown Boulder. For more information, visit http://www.boulderfarmers.org or call (303) 910-2236.

By RE/MAX of Boulder, Inc.