Jake Brownell / 91.5 KRCC
A water tank and tractor at Venetucci farm, April 2018. Water contamination in the Widefield aquifer prompted the farm to suspend a water lease with the Security and Widefield water districts in 2017, leading to the suspension of operations at the farm.
The iconic Venetucci Farm in Colorado Springs will soon reopen as an urban flower farm and event venue.
Long known for its pumpkin patch and sustainably grown vegetables, Venetucci Farm closed several years ago after potentially toxic chemicals were discovered in the Widefield aquifer.
The Pikes Peak Community Foundation, which manages the farm, has inked a five-year deal with Gather Mountain Blooms for the urban flower farm. According to the foundation, the company will continue the Venetucci legacy of sustainable practices in growing a range of flowers as well as herbs and grasses.
Flowers in its future; Venetucci Farm reopening
Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Bill Folsom
and last updated 2021-03-01 23:59:22-05
FOUNTAIN â The future of the beloved Venetucci Farm in Fountain has been reimagined. Forward is as a flower farm. For now, growing pumpkins and other produce has to be in the past.
âGrowing flowers is a fantastic alternative,â said Flower Farmer Nikki McComsey. Transitioning the farm to growing flowers allows McComsey to expand her young business, while also reviving the farm that has been shutdown since 2016 when contaminated water was discovered across much of the Fountain Valley. âWe were left sort of asking this question of, okay, if we canât grow produce what do we do,â said Sam Clark with the Pikes Peak Real Estate Foundation. Clark is part of the team working with the Pikes Peak Foundation to oversee the property.