Activities

Greenhouse

Duration: 2-3 Hours

Summary

Follow Greenhouse Manager Serge Boon and his assistant Sara while they educate you on the basics of planting, germination, cultivation, and harvesting. Learn how they use these methods to care for and grow over 100,000 pounds of produce every year, not only for The Farm but for local businesses too.

*Elevated experiences available upon request

It’s our passion to educate our guests, enhance your experience, and see the enjoyment on your face as you sample produce straight from the vine in our Greenhouse. Let our Greenhouse Director, Serge Boon, take you on a tour, show you our growing process, field any questions you might have about our work, and taste some delicious produce straight off the vine. Originally from the Netherlands, Serge has worked in greenhouses since he was 12. He started as a grower, developed in to leading large greenhouse automation and implementation projects and has now returned to his roots in a hand-on role overseeing the operations here.

20,000 square feet of growing space

30 different types of vegetables

100 thousand pounds of food grown per year

Authentically grown. With modern help.

The length of our growing season, coupled with the quality of soil in the Rocky Mountains, makes accessing local produce difficult. This is why we established the Brush Creek Greenhouse. Our goal is to give our guests access to the freshest food and beverage program possible. Scaling in at 20,000 sq. ft, the benefits of an indoor growing venue are numerous. We’re able to plant and harvest with precision, calculating the time needed to achieve peak flavor and then quickly transfer them to the hands of our chefs for your delectable meals.

We cultivate upwards of 30 different kinds of Certified Organic produce with, on average, 10 varieties per fruit and vegetable— no matter the season. Our hydroponics system conserves water that is otherwise wasted in traditional farming methods, and using greenhouse controllers, we’re able to maintain the temperature needed for optimum growth. We could go on and on about our high-pressure misting system, supplemental lighting, and moisture sensors, but we’ll save that for our Greenhouse tours. Prepare yourself for the most exceptional farm-to-table experiences the West has to offer.

Sustainability

When you have a greenhouse, seasons don’t dictate the growth and harvest of a crop. You can grow whatever you want, whenever you want. This can come with its own set of issues, such as wasting water or raising an over-abundance of produce that spoil long before consumed. Systems like hydroponics reduce our usage of water by 80% (over traditional farming methods). In the event of a large surplus of fruits or vegetables, we offer them to local restaurants. In 2019, we’ll be brewing our own fertilizer and composting any plant waste from our Greenhouse. We’ll also be installing in-floor heat and shading/energy curtains to reduce the need for cooling and heating. This will lower gas consumption and cooling needs in high sun loads – all in an effort to be as sustainable as possible.

Growing philosophy

There are two things we keep in mind: taste over quantity, and utilizing technology when necessary. It would be disheartening to grow a variety of fruits or vegetables that go to waste solely because they’re not tasty. We take our time because taste matters, and wasting the valuable energy needed to raise crops isn’t consistent with our spirit of sustainability. Technology is equally important. Studying the data we collect, we’re able to make the necessary adjustments on the amount of water or fertilizer used in the growing process. This keeps our produce healthy and cuts down on operational costs.