Postcards From Palisade

Augusto Latorre, Mesa County gleaning and food systems coordinator for UpRoot Colorado, joins Lisa to talk about the important role that gleaning plays in our food systems. UpRoot’s mission is to increase the nutrition security of Coloradans by harvesting and redistributing surplus, nutrient-dense foods while supporting the resilience of farmers. Learn all about it and what drew Augusto to this organization on today’s Postcard From Palisade.

The 15th annual Colorado Lavender Festival is fast approaching! This year’s treat for the senses will be held from June 26th to June 28th. Friday, June 26th is the VIP farm tours, Saturday, June 27th is the main festival in Riverbend Park, and Sunday, June 28th is the day for self-guided farm tours.

Today, Olivia Coe and Lee Ann Nielsen join me to preview what’s planned for the festival this year. We also chat about why Colorado has the perfect climate to grow lavender and how you could even become a lavender grower yourself!

You can find the full festival schedule and get your discounted tickets in advance at https://coloradolavender.org/annual-lavender-festival/, or just head down to the park and get your tickets at the door on Saturday the 27th.

A group of Palisade locals is heading up a brand new festival that is set to take over downtown Palisade and Veterans Park on May 2nd, 2026: Palisade Farm Fest. Find out about all the fun opportunities to celebrate Palisade’s agricultural heritage at the upcoming Palisade Farm Fest at Veterans Memorial Park and Farm Fest Market!

And...we’ll also get a sneak peek on what Cygnus Crossing and the Milky Way are planning for the property by the high school!

In part two of the Palisade town grouch series, hear all about the history of Palisade’s town grouch contest and its tragic, funny, and silly stories, get the dirt from previous grouches, and find out who our sister city grouches are!

Post-release note: this episode has been updated to remove the reference to 1991’s grouch. It turns out he was convicted of committing a terrible crime in 2002. And while I don’t completely agree with erasing history, I do agree with not honoring a convicted murderer.

Welcome to Palisade, Colorado: 2,692 friendly people and 1 grouch. What’s the story behind Palisade’s grouch contest, and who would want to be one? I talk with the current town grouch and a town grouch hopeful to find out.

A couple special guests join me for my favorite family Christmas tree stories.

The music in this episode is O Christmas Tree by Julius H. from Pixabay.  

Priscilla Walker, current Vice Chairman and Founding Chairman of the Palisade Historical Society (historicpalisade.org), tells the fascinating story of how she and a dedicated team of volunteers pulled off an enormous effort to quite literally save history in 2014 when they kept 111 years of issues of the Palisade Tribune from destruction.

Dan Bean and Nina Louden from the Palisade Insectary join me to talk about insects, weeds, what makes their jobs in biological control so fun and interesting, and why everyone in Palisade should care that the Insectary makes its home here.

Learn more about the Insectary at: https://ag.colorado.gov/conservation/palisade-insectary

Cody Butters Lewis and her husband Mike are the new operators and co-owners of Peach Street Distillers, along with new co-owners Jesse and Desa Loughman.

Cody shares their plans for the distillery and how they will strike a balance between thoughtfully honoring its legacy as the first distillery in Colorado while moving into the future.

As Cody says: “We all remember and love what the distillery was...we’re striving to be that place for Palisade again.”

Find more at peachstreetdistillers.com and visit them at 144 South Kluge Avenue in Palisade.

Today, we're taking a deep dive into the farewell dinner that La Plaza hosts each year to honor and celebrate the efforts of that year’s migrant farm workers.

Join me as I find out what it takes to prepare and serve dinner and a party to more than 100 migrant farm workers and their families, to say thanks (and see you next year)!