The first Sun Country Farmer’s Market was held on April 20 at the Son Country Community Church in northern Elbert County. Despite cold temperatures and lingering snow, 18 out of 21 scheduled vendors showed up and the church parking lot was full of visitors.
Gwendolyn Arguello-Ross, the organizer of the market, said people came to sell everything from cottage bakery items to plant starters, from chicks, seeds and produce to beef shares. Artists sold glasswork, metalcraft, knit crafts and crochet. People also came to sell handmade beauty products and even candy.
Arguello-Ross and her family have lived in Sun Country Meadows since 2021. Arguello-Ross was born and raised in Puerto Rico and moved to Colorado in 2013. Her family created The Ross Family Farmstead to share their farm and garden surplus with the community. Bringing a farmer’s market to Sun Country Meadows grew out of this idea.
Sun Country Meadows is about 20 minutes from Elizabeth and Parker, stretching east from the intersection of Elbert County Road 29 and Sun Country Drive. “We only have a gas station, church and a fire station nearby,” Arguello-Ross said. Because of this relative isolation, she saw an opportunity for an event like the farmer’s market to be successful in the church lot at 7114 Sun Country Drive.
“We wanted to create an event that would bring our community together around what we can raise (livestock), grow (produce) and create (crafts, etc.),” she explained. The Sun Country Meadows HOA, the Son Country Community Church and the area fire station have all been involved and helped make the market a reality.
Not only did residents of Sun Country Meadows participate as vendors, but other businesses from Aurora, Parker, Kiowa and other communities in Elbert County joined as well.
“There’s a need for events like this,” Arguello-Ross said. “People want to shop local and support small farmers and vendors. We are just making it easier for everyone to gather, meet and exchange goods.”
Arguello-Ross is hopeful the event will encourage people to become more involved in their own communities, inspire others to grow their own food and encourage them to become more self-sufficient.
The Ross family is also part of the Elbert County Self Reliance Network and part of the committee that organized the Self Reliance Market Expo that took place earlier in April. “We see how the world is changing, how there are so many uncertainties and believe a strong community is essential during these times,” she said.
As part of the self-reliance network, the Ross family is collaborating with other farms to offer farm tours, community supported agriculture programs and possibly a food co-op. They hope that initiatives like this will help make supporting local businesses easier for Elbert County residents.
“We have to go back to helping one another, back to our connection with nature and appreciation for life,” Arguello-Ross said.
The market is completely free for vendors and the public and runs through the summer. Future dates will be:
● May 18
● June 15
● July 27
● Aug. 24
● Sept. 21
Find the Sun Country Farmer’s Market on Facebook by searching “SCM Farmer’s Market”.
The Ross Family Farmstead offers tours to neighbors interested in starting their own homesteads and might not know where to start. Visit rossfamilyfarmstead.com for more information.
For more information about the Elbert County Self Reliance Network, visit elbertcountyselfreliance.com/expo.
