07/06/2026
What an incredible return for Ecozoica’s second year at the Salida Farmers Market. It’s hard to fully express how much this market, this community, and this place mean to me.
Today felt genuinely magical — reconnecting with familiar faces, meeting new ones, seeing vendors I know from other corners of Colorado, and hugging customers who have become dear friends over the past year. And I think that’s the true essence of spaces like this: real connection. Shared values. A living, breathing exchange rooted in humanity instead of convenience alone.
Food grown from the earth by the hands that cultivated it. Art created directly by the artisans behind it. Herbal medicine and body care crafted intentionally, in small batches. These things matter deeply. They nourish something in us that modern life has slowly stripped away.
To some people, a farmers market may seem small. But to me, what’s happening in places like this feels much bigger — a movement back toward community, locality, creativity, stewardship, and reconnection. A reminder that we can still build economies rooted in care instead of extraction. That we can help mend some of the tears in the fabric of our world, our communities, and ourselves.
And honestly, without this market, I don’t think Ecozoica Apothecary would exist in the way it does today. There are retailers that carry my products and an amazing growing network of online customers, but this market has truly become the heart of the business. A foundation. A community. A web of human relationships that has changed my life in ways far beyond business alone.
So this post is an offering of gratitude — but also a message of hope.
Because the world needs more of THIS. 🌱🌀💫💗🙏
More local food. More handmade goods. More art. More music. More herbalism. More gathering spaces. More people creating with their hands and sharing their gifts with their communities.
So I encourage everyone to play a small part however you can.
Buy produce from a local farmer when possible. Purchase gifts from local artists and makers. Support your neighborhood herbalist, craftsperson, or small business owner. Visit your local farmers market. Volunteer at one. And if you’re a quiet hobbyist, backyard grower, or artist wondering whether your creations matter enough to share — maybe this is your sign to start.
You never know what kind of path it might open.
I’m writing this tonight from a beautiful free campsite on a kind stranger’s land after a long, full day in the Arkansas River Valley. After a belated birthday lunch with a dear friend I met through this very market last year. After finding the jawbone of a fox — my spirit animal — beside blooming claret cup cactus — my spirit plant. After sharing coffee and unexpectedly profound conversations about plants, humanity, and the planet with fellow travelers beneath the stars.
I used to think moments like these were just synchronicities.
Now I think they’re reminders.
Reminders that there is still magic in this world. That human connection still matters. That there are other ways to live. And that I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
So I’m going to keep going.
Keep creating.
Keep believing.
Keep spreading love.
Keep feeding inspiration.
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
