Photo Gallery: A day in the life of Black Cat Organic Farm

Elisa Bosley, Delicious Living

Nov. 19, 2012

Farmhouse road

Vestiges of an early season snowfall greeted us as we drove towards the Skokan's refurbished farmhouse, where they base their farming operations (along with raising four kids).
Eric and Jill Skokan

After gigs at high-end eateries in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, Skokan felt "a little jaded" by the food scene. Farming with his wife, Jill, "has made food totally new again."
Farmhouse kitchen with Sunny

On the day of our visit, this little lamb, Sunny, was just a day old. After being rejected by her mother, Sunny was being hand-raised and fed inside.
Sunny the lamb

If you're thinking you've never seen anything as cute as this ... you're right.
Eric in the kitchen

Skokan enjoys growing and harvesting organic, seasonal vegetables to use in his award-winning farm-to-table restaurants, providing diners with the freshest possible ingredients.
Heritage pigs

The Skokans decided to raise Mulefoots, a rare breed of heritage pig that's well suited to the Colorado climate. This breed's black skins soak up the sun even during winter.
Life goes on

During our visit, we came upon this baby lamb horribly tangled in a fence, nearly strangled to death. There were some tense moments while Eric and Jill worked to free the little lamb; at one point we thought it was lost. But after a few minutes, a small miracle: The lamb made a feeble "baa," toddled to its legs, and found its mother. Happy endings don't always happen on a farm -- but this day we got one.
Birds of a feather

The Skokans also raise heritage turkeys and "Freedom Ranger" chickens, which they believe taste superior to conventional poultry.
Black Cat gate

The Skokans purchased a larger acreage a few miles north of their house to have more room to grow crops and to build a root cellar. They now farm a total of about 130 pastures and fields.
The root cellar

Eric says its amazing how well some foods keep in a properly constructed root cellar. We saw crates full of root vegetables efficiently stored for the season.
Hoop house

Skokan and his team also built a hoop house to grow more delicate greens nearly year-round.
A fruitful harvest

By growing their own vegetables and humanely raised meats, Eric and Jill participate in and contribute to a slower, more ethical food system.

Black Cat Farm, Lafayette, Colorado

Eric Skokan, chef at Black Cat Farm-Table Bistro and Bramble & Hare in Boulder, Colorado, gets back to the roots of food (literally) as a farmer at organic Black Cat Farm, owned and operated with his wife, Jill. Get a sneak peak at a day in the life of a chef who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty; and try Skokan's fantastic Thanksgiving recipes, featuring unexpected spices and global tastes.

Photos: Erin Manning