Nutrition Made Easy is not your typical name for a farm; however, as soon as you see the environment, you understand the name. Rachelle and Bob Lind and their children own and manage several businesses on the outskirts of Colorado Springs. Their primary business is landscaping, tree work and firewood. A few years ago, when they settled on their twenty acre piece of land at an elevation of 7,600 feet, their goal was sustainability on a small family farm.

Around the farm, there are goats, chickens, turkeys, ducks, horses and other types of livestock that the family manages. Building a Rimol Greenhouse high tunnel this spring was the perfect way to complement their goal of permaculture, which is respecting the environment by giving back what you take from it. Rachelle Lind received an NRCS grant this spring and constructed a 30 x 72 Nor’ Easter high tunnel. Rachelle said that although the NRCS grant process was a bit overbearing and time consuming, it has been very rewarding to have the Rimol high tunnel on their farm.

Beginning in April, the Lind family began constructing the greenhouse. Rachelle and four of her children built the high tunnel, and learned a great deal about greenhouse construction. During the construction process, they amended the soil with all composted animal manure that they had on their farm. Then, they planted over forty varieties of vegetables in their high tunnel including sweet potatoes, basil, lettuce, beets, lemon grass, cabbage, celery and squash, to name a few.

Although they got a late start on the growing this spring, their crops are now thriving. Rachelle divided up the high tunnel into four quadrants in order to manage the soil with crop rotation. Unfortunately, in June they had a minor setback when a hail storm dumped about a foot of hail on their farm. The hail storm ruined the outer layer of the poly on the high tunnel, which they plan on replacing later this year. Thankfully, their high tunnel was in place to protect their crops!

Their organic produce and well managed livestock attracts customers from all over the area to not only purchase, but to learn about their farming methods. The Lind family is always generous in reaching out to others to help with teaching, which is done by some of the children. In addition to the teaching, the Lind family also donates some of the harvest to local churches. Unpredictable weather, livestock and animals everywhere, many varieties of fruits and vegetables and enthusiastic children have developed a true family farm where there is never a dull moment.