On this episode of Common Air, host Louise Snodgrass is joined by Emily Bell, Farmer Training Program Coordinator at Old Fort Lewis in Hesperus, Colorado. Nestled 16 miles southwest of Durango, the Old Fort at Hesperus is steeped in the history of the Southwest. Now, the Old Fort hosts Farmer Training Programs, a market garden feeding Fort Lewis Campus and the Community, and more.

Emily dives into the evolving history of the Old Fort, once a military base and Federal Indian Boarding school now a functioning farm that is focused on reconcilitation for the property's past and supporting farming education for the community. Together, Louise and Emily talk about the farming training programs, the interesting growing conditions of our region, and their upcoming 5th Annual Convergence event.

Tune in to learn about the impact of the Old Fort at Hesperus and some tips for growing at high altitude.

On August 4th, Angela Reynolds, Fairgrounds Manager with La Plata County, Angela Fountain, 4-H Youth Development Specialist with CSU Extension joined the show to talk all things La Plata County Fair. For over 70 years, the La Plata County Fair has stood as a valued institution, inspiring pride in all who take part. 4-H has been a vital part of the La Plata County Fair with the earliest record of their work in La Plata County dating back to 1918.

Angela and Angela begin by talking about the history and the legacy of La Plata County 4-H and the La Plata County before diving right into this year's events and activities. Tune in to learn all about the hype surrounding our local County Fair and County Fairs across the country!

Happy semiquincentennial! On this episode of Common Air, Susan Jones, collections manager at the Animas Museum joins us to dive more into the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of the Independence and the major moments happening in our region.

150 years ago Colorado become the 38th state, and right here in La Plata County, Animas City (now a part Durango, Colorado) become an incorporated town. Susan discusses the history of our region and how it ties to our state history and our nation's history. She also highlights the exhibits at the museum, including "Moments That Made US", "Animas City, Looking Down on Durango since 1876", as well as "Crossroads: 1776–2026".

Tune in to hear some fun history, what the Animas City Museum is up to, and how you can celebrate our nation's semiquincentennial.