Mark Stevens

4 weeks ago | coloradosun.com | Mark Stevens |Dana Coffield

Inside the seedling house is a study in green. Buttercrunch lettuce, beet greens, baby chard, mini broccoli, sweet peas and the tops of heirloom carrots thrive in their warm quarters, protected from the cold outside. At 10 a.m. on a Friday in early January, Grow Manager Chris Rasmussen watched for aphids — sap-sucking insects. Touching soil and feeling various leaves as she assessed the crops, Rasmussen talked about the persistent mice that want to snack on what she’s grown.