Describing a generative place like Grow + Gather isn’t easy, even for founder, George Gastis. “I always had this idea of an urban farm, part restaurant, part coffee shop, part gathering space that hosts things that bring people together.” George shares where the seeds of this came from, “Food was the natural hook. My dad was a big gardener, and my mom was an amazing cook. They both grew up in farming families in Greece.” “The simple version is, Grow + Gather is an urban farm and food-centric marketplace.” The goals of Grow + Gather are in plain sight. It’s all in the name—a place to grow food and for people to gather.

When I think of someone who embodies this rhythm of tending, both to land and to life, I think of Helen Skiba, the renowned Colorado flower farmer behind Artemis Flower Farm. The flowers at Artemis Flower Farm are unparalleled…dainty, boasting, and colorful. Recently I took the drive to visit Helen at her farm outside Longmont. While I was technically there to pick up a dahlia tuber order (she has the best around), we both knew the real reason was to meet her almost eight-month-old baby girl. We wandered through the farm and into her cozy home tucked right on the property, where her daughter waited…another tender life being lovingly grown alongside the flowers.