Kiowa Valley Organics: Eastern Plains Asparagus Farming Through Three Years of Investment

> Operating on 160 acres near Roggen on Colorado's eastern plains, Kiowa Valley Organics was certified organic in 1990 by co-owner David Rippe, who grew up on a nearby dairy farm. When the previous major organic asparagus producer retired, Rippe and co-owner Sara Bevan recognized an opportunity, with Rippe explaining: 'We started it because there was no competition.' Bevan brought asparagus expertise from prior work with Golden West Farms, though Rippe candidly describes the challenges: 'Asparagus is so labor-intensive. And before you even get a product, you throw money out hand over fist for about three years.' The four-year timeline includes greenhouse seeding, field planting of crowns, maintenance, and finally hand-harvesting. Their organic asparagus reaches Denver restaurants including Potager, Beast + Bottle, and Fruition, alongside farmers' markets and wholesale orders, while also producing diverse vegetables and grass-fed beef.