My Summer at Eagle Springs Farms

Eagle Springs Farms

We spent five and a half months at Eagle Springs Farms, just south of Durango, Colorado this year. We connected with them on the Worldwide Opportunities in Organic Farming website (wwoofusa.org). The farm is operated by a nice young couple - Stefano and Tessa. They were terrific hosts and very accommodating of our needs. There was another “wwoofer” on the farm as well. Her name is Jen and she’s from Switzerland. She’s traveled the US for five years, farming and meeting new people. She was very pleasant and a joy to work with. We had a few potluck dinners and got to know each other a bit. It was nice to be all of their neighbors for a summer and we hope to be friends for a lifetime.

The farm occupies 180 acres of land on the east mesa of the Animas River. It’s surrounded on all sides by spectacular views of mountain ranges including the southern tip of the San Juan National Forest. The Animas River feeds water into the northern end of the property and there’s a natural spring there too. There are also four manmade lakes. It’s a beautiful place to work, hang out, and explore. Eagle Springs Farms is named for the two American Bald Eagle nests on the property. I saw them at least three times soaring from their nests to the open valley of the Animas river. We saw other wildlife on the property, like prairie dogs, badgers, Canadian geese, mule deer, elk, jack rabbits, and foxes. There seemed to be a predator of some sort in the forest that lines the eastern edge of the property; while we were there the entire flock of eight sheep disappeared or were found mutilated. Whatever it was we never saw it and it never seemed to come close to the farm.

This farm is multifaceted and has a lot going on. It has a green house, two vegetable gardens, two large fields, and a lot of pasture land.

About three quarters of it is used for cattle grazing. There was a herd of about fifty cattle there the entire summer. I got to herd them from one location to the other a few times. Herding cattle was pretty easy. Every so often one will turn and stare you down and you just have to pretend you’re not aware that they weigh six times as much as you do and stare right back… but overall they’re pretty easy to work with.

There was also a herd of pigs that continued to grow over the summer. When we arrived there were eleven pigs but two of them were pregnant and delivered litters within a month or so, then another litter from another pig came a few weeks later. At one point there were twenty-four pigs and piglets to feed; which is something I did twice a week - on Mondays and Fridays. There was only one water spigot to use on the farm so it took about 45 minutes to feed and water all of them each time. I found that pigs are friendly creatures for the most part, but they can be cantankerous when it comes to food. Some of them are fearful and shy away from human contact but some are more approachable and actually enjoy being petted. The largest boar was one of the more affable - I think I enjoyed petting him as much as he enjoyed being petted. Pigs can be very smart and this herd showed its adeptness at escaping their pens on several occasions. On an average evening we’d look out the windows of the bus to see pigs wandering by and heading for the gardens. It would initiate a mad scramble and recruitment of everyone available and we’d spend the next half hour or so herding them back into their pens and making repairs. Jen and I made it a point to build a few sturdy pig pens by the end of the summer.

This year was one of the hottest and driest in recorded history for southern Colorado, so watering the fields, gardens, and green house were a big part of the work load. The farm still utilizes the old method of irrigation in the fields known as “flood irrigation”, which is basically directing the water from the river through, and into the property via trenches, damming and overflowing where needed. It took about two hours a day to walk the property and move dams from one location to the next. It was a great workout - I lost two pant sizes in the first couple of months. Keeping the green house and gardens watered was difficult, given there was only one water spigot available, but Leigh and Jen helped out and we did manage to harvest several vegetables to add to all of our tables. Leigh and I had never been fans of squash until we helped grow some - now we kind of like it. We discovered all sorts of ways to add veggies to our diet this year.

I’ve always enjoyed operating tractors. They’re slow, but steady and strong. They can be used in a variety of ways to do a variety of tasks. They’re made for hard work and they get the job done. Eagle Springs Farms has two tractors. One is a newer Kubota model LA1055 - it’s used for everything on the farm from hauling rock to bush hogging. I enjoyed operating the Kubota - it’s reliable and easy to maneuver. I got to drive another farmer’s Kubota across town to another farm in Durango. It was a bit larger, but still slow. It had a top speed of 19 miles per hour. It took a while. The other tractor at Eagle Springs is a vintage Farmall tractor that came with the farm but most likely hasn’t been a primary piece of equipment for many years. It had been sitting in the barn for a long time and wouldn’t start. Stefano asked me to look at it and to try to get it running. I emptied the gas tank and refilled it, replaced a frayed wire on the ignition coil, and installed the battery from the Kubota. When I pressed the foot operated starter switch it turned over about ten times and roared to life. It skipped a bit and black smoke poured out of the exhaust for a few seconds then it smoothed right out. I fumbled with the controls until I figured out how to operate it then I took it for a spin around the farm. I’m a sucker for vintage automobiles and machines so needless to say I had a good time. Once Stefano found out I was so mechanically inclined he had me service all of the equipment on the farm. I changed the oil and fluids in the Kubota tractor and the Bobcat UTV, tightened the hydraulic pump belt on the skid steer, replaced the fuel pickup line in the UTV, and replaced the battery terminals in his Dodge pickup. I enjoyed being able to help out in so many ways.

We did a bit of winterizing before the summer’s end. Stefano rented an excavator and we dug a trench from the house to the pig pen and the green house to bury water line to the pig pen and green house, and a gas line and an electrical line to the green house. Then my electrical experience came in handy and I installed a 50 amp panel, two lighting circuits on timers, and a heater circuit in the green house. The coming winter promises to be a cold one but I think they’re set.

We really enjoyed the company and the serenity of the farm. Stefano, Tessa, and Jen made us feel welcome and appreciated and, though warmer than expected, we’ll remember this as a nice summer in Durango.