Eden Vardy Built Heaven in the Roaring Fork Valley, and We Were There From the Beginning
We first covered Eden Vardy's story in 2018 when I visited him at the farm to learn about all that he had going on there.
A Valley Kid Who Found His Calling Here
Eden's story is, at its heart, a Roaring Fork Valley story.
The Israeli-born son of Rabbi Itzhak, Eden grew up here appreciating nature but, by his own description, was a "lost teenager" with a "destructive sense of rebellion." Then one day in an ecological literacy class at Aspen High School, science teacher Travis Moore brought in a guest: Jerome Osentowski, who runs the Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute on Basalt Mountain (click here to read our story on CRMPI).
"It was almost like a light switch," Eden recalls. He was blown away by the logic of permaculture as a solution to environmental degradation, and from that moment, everything changed. (Aspen Sojourner)
He went on to major in sustainable food systems at Evergreen State College in Washington, while studying traditional farming and permaculture systems in Thailand, Israel, and Uganda. But each time he came back, he says, "I noticed how deeply connected to and in love with this valley I am." For his master's thesis, he decided to start a local sustainable agriculture nonprofit. That nonprofit, Aspen TREE, Together Regenerating the Environment through Education, became what we now know as The Farm Collaborative.
fA Third Space That Means Something
The Farm Co Market isn't just a place to buy local goods, though you should absolutely go for that. It's a gathering place, the kind that this valley has always needed, where farmers, consumers, families, and community members can come together around the shared belief that what we eat matters and where it comes from matters even more. The new Regenerative Agriculture Learning Center takes that one step further, offering education and resources for our farming community and for all of us who want to understand more deeply how our food is grown.
This is what community infrastructure looks like when it's built by someone who actually lives here, cares deeply, and refuses to settle for less than what's possible.
A Father's Pride
While we were there, Rabbi Itzhak shared something that brought everything into perspective.
Eden, he told us, means the Garden of Eden in heaven. And Eden created heaven here at his farm.
Rabbi Itzhak described watching his son go from growing vegetables in the family home to building all of this as overwhelming, but said the only thing they can do now is keep growing and keep being there for the community.
Go Experience It for Yourself
If you haven't been out to The Farm Collaborative yet, this is your sign. Stop by the Farm Co Market for local goods, fresh produce, and yes, coffee. I'll be there regularly to visit with Rabbi Itzhak.
Eden, what you have built is an essential asset for our farming community and for every one of us who wants to live and eat well in this valley. Congratulations, and thank you for not stopping when it was hard.
The Garden of Eden is right here in the Roaring Fork Valley, and we're so glad we get to watch it grow.
Follow The Farm Collaborative on Instagram and visit the Farm Co Market for local goods, community events, and more.
