Just peachy

Palisade’s Early Morning Orchard is expanding its profile—and that of regional growers—on the Western Slope, with the opening of Skip’s Farm to Market in downtown Basalt. Says owner/ farmer Skip Doty, who also operates the seasonal Buttermilk Fruit Stand in Aspen, “I did some soul-searching, and we felt we’d outgrown our mission with the orchard. We wanted to create a year-round market that supports local farms and ranches.” The store will sell Doty’s stonefruit, vegetables, herbs and cage-free eggs, as well as produce, meat and dairy from the Roaring Fork and North Fork Valleys. This fall, a second location of Skip’s Farm to Market will open in the former Silt Café; in addition to produce, meat and dairy, it will serve as a commercial kitchen for Doty and other farms to process their crops and sell them as jam, pickles and other preserved foods. “There’s no grocery store in Silt,” says Doty, “so we’re creating a food hub that will also serve as a CSA pickup and distribution point for local growers.” Email skipsfarmtomarket@gmail.com for more information.