GroFresh Farms

Grand Junction, Colorado

What started out as an experiment to increase agricultural production density at a local church has become a high standard for local food production.

GroFresh co-director Rick Kenagy established Canyon View Gardens in 2011 in an effort to multiply the church’s budget earmarked for those who have fallen on hard times. The church provided approximately one-third of an acre for a garden, from which 10,000 pounds were grown and given away in the first year’s harvest. The second year, 15,000 pounds of food were harvested and given away, from an approximate half-acre area.

Not satisfied with only a modest increase in production, Rick began to explore alternative growing methods that increase harvest yield in a given area. After attending our aquaponics course in 2013, Rick designed his first aquaponics system using food-grade totes and off-the-shelf parts. Due to this first system’s overwhelming success, we partnered with Rick to pioneer the construction of a 1,200 square-foot greenhouse housing a larger aquaponics system. Today, the garden and aquaponics system produce approximately 25,000 pounds of fresh, local, healthy, and delicious vegetables…year-round!

Rick’s developing expertise in high-yield food production systems led to the design and construction of several commercial and church aquaponics systems in the Grand Valley area, and one demonstration system for the Telluride area. Thus GroFresh Farms 365 was born.

GroFresh Farms currently grows in over 18,000 square feet of conditioned greenhouse space in multiple locations throughout the Grand Valley.