C Lazy U has always been known for whipping up delicious meals focused on sourcing and serving local food. Now, our luxury dude ranch is broadening our focus on farm-to-table options for guests by investing in a high-tech container farm.
Year-Round Culinary Excellence
Located in the mountains of Colorado, C Lazy U Ranch is an award-winning all-inclusive resort, known for hosting a multitude of adventurous activities. The ranch’s culinary program is also well-known for its ability to craft the perfect meal, and some of the fresh leafy greens that come with those meals will soon be grown on-site in an automated Vertical Hydroponic Farm built by Colorado-based FarmBox Foods.
“We saw an opportunity with FarmBox Foods to essentially have a year-round farm-to-table option,” said Paul Klees, assistant general manager of C Lazy U Ranch.
Guests and members will have the opportunity to tour the futuristic, climate-controlled farm — based inside a repurposed shipping container — and see where the food they’re eating is grown. The 320-square-foot farm will host the entire growing process, from seed to harvest. The sensor-based technology and insulation in the container farm are superior to greenhouses, which are susceptible to the bitter cold of the Colorado Rockies. Our culinary team plans to grow lettuce and culinary herbs.
As Fresh As It Gets
C Lazy U’s culinary team has always been committed to shopping locally and using the freshest ingredients possible.
Purchasing a Vertical Hydroponic Farm is “just another step in the ranch’s continuing effort to create authentic farm-to-table dining,” Klees said.
“There are economic aspects to it because we’re shipping in all of the food, including produce,” he said. “When guests eat at our restaurants, we want the meals to resonate with them, and what people are looking for is healthy, organic, fresh produce.”
The 200 horses on the property already benefit from C Lazy U’s sustainable approach to food sourcing; most of the hay they eat is grown on the ranch. C Lazy U is also supplied with water by its own spring and operates its own wastewater facilities.
The Organic Experience
The exterior of the container farm will be finished with a rustic scheme so it will easily blend in with its natural surroundings, which include a creek and historic structures.
C Lazy U began tending beehives last year, and Klees described the move as a “huge win” because both tours and ranch honey have become popular among visitors. The container farm is slated to be the next hands-on attraction at the ranch, where guests and members could have the opportunity to harvest their own veggies and prepare meals with a chef.
“It’s interactive, it’s educational, and it builds into our vision and mission statement of having a sustainable model,” Klees said.
Interested in seeing the container farm first-hand and taking part in our journey towards sustainable living? Start planning your dude ranch vacation today!
