Rattlesnake Gulch, five miles southwest of Hesperus, might sound like an intimidating place, but it’s actually the site of Jessica and Rich Steuck’s family farm.
The Steucks started Rattlesnake Gulch Family Farm and Fertilizer after relocating from the Front Range almost four years ago, and it has been growing ever since.
“We grow all kinds of different produce,” Jessica said. “We work together with our kids to grow all the food together.”
She said the farm grows a variety of root vegetables – including garlic, onion, beets and carrots – tomatoes, peppers, squash, and melons. The farm also notably grows celery, which isn’t the easiest thing to grow in the high desert.
The family is also planning to get more into fruits and potentially even livestock as the farm expands in the coming years, Rich said.
“Next year we’re going to be starting a big strawberry house,” Jessica said. “Every year, we’re just trying to add more and more.”
She said that she and RIch have been farming together for about 10 years.
“It’s all organic practices, all regenerative practices,” she said. “We also have free range chickens and sell the eggs.”
“Our farm is also a closed-loop farm,” Rich added, “where we make all of our own compost and all of our own nutrients for our plants.”
In fact, Rich is also sells those nutrients to people who want to grow their own produce.
“I make dry blend organic fertilizers and hand-craft them,” he said. “I’m probably the only person in the area that’s doing that, and I’ll be growing our business hopefully in the area more through our farm.”
ngonzales@durangoherald.com
