Isabelle Farm

Locally Owned, Organically Grown Lafayette, Colorado

OUR ROOTS

Isabelle Farm is owned and operated by Jason and Natalie Condon. We both come from farming backgrounds and always dreamed of owning our own piece of land where we could grow produce and raise animals sustainably. Our dream became reality in 2004, and we have been growing produce and flowers organically on our land in East Boulder County since 2005. We’re located between Louisville and Longmont, about 5 miles from each, and 8 miles east of the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder.

Jason’s family has been farming in Boulder County since 1859. He grew up on the family farm, and during and after high school, he worked on a large conventional hay/wheat/corn and cattle farm in Boulder County for six years. After high school, Jason was a full-time, year-round farm employee who dealt with all aspects of the farm (planting, cultivating, irrigating, cutting, baling).

From the time Natalie was 5 years old, she spent summers in Switzerland, working with her cousins on their dairy farm. While Natalie and her sister played as much as they worked, those summers on the farm are Natalie’s fondest childhood memories, and she still goes back to visit family as often as possible.

Why organic and sustainable? If you grow-be it flowers or produce or just a patch of grass in your front lawn-then you know that growing without herbicides or pesticides makes for a lot more hand labor. So why do we put the extra work into growing sustainably? Obviously, we don’t want to live around, work around or eat chemicals, so we don’t put them on the food we grow. But in addition, we love the land we live on and view it as our opportunity to leave a little corner of the world as healthy and biodiverse as possible.

RIGHT-HAND MAN

In 2008, we expanded operations enough that we needed experienced help with harvesting and working markets. We found the solution in Ben Bowditch (above, far left). Ben hails from southern Wisconsin and, like us, has farming in his blood. He grew up on a small hobby farm, where he and his family raised pigs, chickens, rabbits and goats, and helped in his mom’s garden from the time he was a toddler. Since 2008, Ben has been integrally involved in every aspect of our farm and helped shape who we are today.  Even now, as he leaves Colorado to join his girlfriend in Western Massachusetts and work at the distribution end of the food-growing system (as a produce buyer for C&S), he remains and always will be part of our team and a member of our Board of Directors. Good luck, Bennie!

From here on out, Tyler Baer will be our wholesale pointperson. We chose Tyler as our new Wholesale Lead for a whole bunch of reasons, not the least of which include his culinary and farming knowledge. But most of all, we chose him b/c, like Ben, he’s a wonderful, easygoing guy. You can reach Tyler at orders@isabellefarm.com.

RIGHT-HAND WOMAN

Tiffany Cooper Carpenter (pictured at left, standing) is our CSA and Business Manager. She joined the farm in 2010, bringing with her more than a decade of related experience working on organic farms and running CSAs throughout the country.

In addition to her extensive growing, harvesting, and CSA experience, Tiffany brings a passion for the local and Slow Food movements and all things culinary. She can be reached at tiffany@isabellefarm.com.

THE ISABELLE TEAM

When it comes to staffing, it seems the universe is looking out for us. Every time one of our long-term employees departs to start his/her own farm or manage another operation, another incredible person finds her/his way to our fields. Such is the case this season: We’ll be a mix of old and new, and feel incredibly lucky to have team members whose commitment, knowledge and work ethic make Isabelle Farm what it is: CSA & Business Manager Tiffany Cooper  (2nd from right in bonfire shot) keeps the ship humming along smoothly on so many fronts, Bob Condon (Jason’s dad, Farm Mentor and Equipment Manager) brings a lifetime of farming and mechanical know-how to our team,  and Steve Foreman (far right in bonfire shot), Leah Beiber (Post-Harvest/Food Safety Lead) and Jesse Burdge (Irrigation Lead) have all been around the farm long enough now to help our newest team members quickly learn the ropes. Thanks, y’all … as well as to all those who’ve come before and moved on!