SW Fort Collins farm family teams with Little on Mountain owners for restaurant proposal

A second-generation farm family wants to open a small-scale restaurant on its 2917 S. Taft Hill Road farm with help from the owners of Little on Mountain restaurant.

Melyssa Mead, in conjunction with Dan Smallheiser and Brent Jackson, applied for what the city of Fort Collins calls an addition of permitted use to allow the eatery on the 5-acre parcel.

Mead's father, Jerrold, bought the property in 1979 along with the water rights from the Pleasant Valley and Lake Canal ditch that run along the back of the land, according to the conceptual review application, which was set to be reviewed by city planners Dec. 1.

A conceptual review is the first step in the city's development process. No formal plans have been filed as of Wednesday. Mead said she hoped to learn more during Thursday's meeting about whether the idea is viable.

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"My dad’s desire to raise our own food through low-impact sustainable agriculture led him to experiment with different livestock," Mead wrote. "Growing up, my four brothers and I helped raise and milk cows. They were the constant, while we rotated through periods of also raising and butchering sheep, chickens, and pigs." They maintained a small vegetable garden at the back of the property.

Throughout the years, Jerrold Mead, a trained mason, improved the property using the silo to provide cooling into a back room for hanging meat before butchering and bricking in the "milk parlor." He reinforced the barn with an I-beam to strengthen the hay loft, blocked the interior walls on the south side and raised the roof to accommodate a large roll-up door for his fabrication shop, while maintaining the authenticity of the barn, Mead said in the application.

The land's distinctive red barn and brick silo have become landmarks on South Taft Hill as the city has grown up around it, Mead said.

Annexed into Fort Collins in 2003, the farm went dormant for two years after her father's death in 2008.

They started leasing the land for free to young farmers in 2010 to help maintain the fertile ground and start a community shared agriculture program, or CSA.

The land is still farmed for a CSA and includes a seasonal farm stand and weekly market for members and neighbors.

"While we are nostalgic for the rural charm of farm life, we understand the inevitable growth of a rapidly expanding city," Mead wrote. "Our third generation is coming up fast and we would like to pass along the farm without subdividing so they can experience the small-scale agriculture established by our dad. Our goal is to simply retain the integrity and character of the farm while allowing for a small eating house in and around the barn.

"Our concept is a win for our family’s legacy, a win for farm preservation and open space, and a win for the community by the addition of a quaint, farm-to-fork restaurant in southwest Fort Collins," she wrote.

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She hopes it can become a community dining and gathering area like Jessup Farm and Stodgy Brewing did for their communities. And, like Little on Mountain did.

Combining Little on Mountain's ability to make the most of a small space, "our vision is to create a neighborhood-compatible gathering space where family and friends connect over food on the land where much of it comes from," Mead said in her conceptual review application.

Plans include keeping the existing farm and adding a "counter-service eating house" in the barn, providing tours of the working farm and dining at outdoor picnic tables.

While some indoor dining is planned, the majority of seating would be outside so diners could take in the views of Horsetooth Mountain, Spring Creek Trail and the rows of growing vegetables, she said. That means they would operate only during "daylight" hours.

Additionally, the group wants to give young farmers a way to make a living without having to sell their product at weekly farmers markets. "Instead, by working with the needs of the restaurant group, farmers have a guaranteed buyer with less hustle and headache," she said.

Referencing Fort Collins' agrarian roots, Mead said, "What better way to pay homage than to invite the public to experience a small slice that is still thriving and evolving in the heart of the community? With the same intention, dedication to quality, support of local producers, and care for people that Little has crafted in their short time on Mountain Avenue, we can bring to life a neighborhood supported and destination-worthy food and farm experience on South Taft Hill."

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: SW Fort Collins farm family pitches new restaurant proposal