The home of preschool programs, an evening concert series and a now-thriving production farm, Sunflower Farm has joined the Longmont Farmers Market for their second season. Bringing regeneratively and organically grown produce and flowers to the market is a small part of the organization’s broader goal: to cultivate an appreciation for farming, nature and a sustainable future by providing a place of mindful education.

Sunflower Farm began as a preschool in 2005, with the aim of fostering curiosity, exploration and play through childcare programming. Children in Sunflower Farm’s programs interact with a variety of animals — like goats, sheep and horses — play outdoors, and experience a deep sense of connection with nature through garden education.

Beyond the farm, community members are invited to enjoy live music on the property on Wednesday evenings from May through August, and Friday evenings in September. Local musicians provide the soundtrack to evenings filled with food trucks, animals, and community connection.

While this vibrant community has evolved over the past 20 years, the production arm of Sunflower Farm, known as Sunflower Farm Acres, is only in its second year of cultivation. This expanded use of the land furthers the organization’s original mission: to be an example of how to live, work, and play in harmony with nature.

The farmers at Sunflower Farm Acres embrace experimentation, continually learning what works on their land and what doesn’t. They grow food not only for their school programs but also for a CSA, on-site farm store, the Longmont Farmers Market, and wholesale partners including the Boulder County Farmers Markets Food Hub. The team at Sunflower Farm Acres incorporates practices such as cover cropping and crop rotation to ensure the health of soil that has not been historically farmed.

Sunflower Farm Acres benefits from a key asset in soil health: animals. Peacocks roam the grounds, farm cats seek out belly scratches, but more importantly for the land, sheep are rotationally grazed. Moved to a new area every few days, sheep consume vegetation without destroying crop diversity. Their manure is naturally distributed, acting as labor-free compost. This approach leads to thriving biological activity in the soil, better water retention and very happy animals.

The care these farmers show for their animals is reflected in all aspects of their work. The school is a certified demonstration farm, and they hope to achieve the same certification for their larger-scale production land in the future.

Their goal is to use the property as a tool to shift perspectives on land use — showing that farming can restore, not just extract from, the land.

To experience their work firsthand, visit the Longmont Farmers Market every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. to shop Sunflower Farm’s produce and flowers. Just four miles from the market lies their farm, where you can see it all in action — and take part in farm dinners, flower workshops, and more.