COLORADO SPRINGS — A popular local farm has to replant thousands of flowers and make repairs after Monday's severe weather in Southern Colorado.
At Venetucci Farm just south of Colorado Springs, many of the flowers and plants that were just starting grow were damaged with the recent heavy rains, the flooding and the hail. However, a group of local volunteers and the owners are helping to bring the farm back to life.
Abby Remacle oversees operations at the farm and said more than a dozen people showed up to the farm on Wednesday to help out with cutting back flowers, replanting seeds, fertilizing, and laying new gravel on washed-out walkways. She said during the storms, the farm flooded and was covered with storm water, also washing away part of the farm’s driveway.
“We have never seen this much rain, it was literally a river flowing through this whole farm,” said Remacle. “We have ducks, and the ducks were able to actually swim on top of the land.”
Remacle and her sisters began leasing the farm in 2021. She said, this is the first major disaster they’ve experienced.
“We're such believers in, this farm will always provide for us, and I truly believe that the season is just going to extend later on,” said Remacle. “So we might lose a few weeks here, and a few things, but we're confident that we'll get it back in the long run.”
Remacle said she’s hopeful for more sun and higher temperatures to dry out the land and soil in the upcoming days and weeks ahead. She added, that a big push of rain in the beginning of the season is never a bad thing, but when it damages the plants, it could cause some delays.
Michelle White was one of the volunteers to help out on Wednesday. She was replanting marigolds that were damaged by the hail.
“The farm has its withstood a lot, last year wind was the issue, and this year it's rain,” said White. “When I heard yesterday about the flooding, it was almost immediate to like, ‘what can i do to help?’”
White said she visited the farm last week, and described it as “heartbreaking” to see the impacts from the storm. But she added, “there’s a community to come together to help restore the farm and get it back on its feet.”
Remacle said while it is a bump in the road during a short growing season, they’re still optimistic about the summer and fall.
“From a business side, we see what we need to do to get back on track,” said Remacle. “We're still really hopeful as of right now, we're just pushed back a few weeks.”
One of the popular events where you can go to the farm and pick your own flowers was supposed to begin at the end of June. Because of the storm’s impact, that event has been pushed back by several weeks.
This Saturday, the community is also welcome to help out with replanting seeds and flowers at the farm. It’s happening from 9 a.m. to noon.
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