WEEK OF MAY 1, 2025
VOLUME 23 | ISSUE 21
FREE
County commissioners violated law, suit claims Complaint says Teal, Van Winkle, Laydon gathered in private BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITY
make a good team, with everyone utilizing their own unique skill set and contributing in complementary ways. Their passion for farming has probably always been in their blood. “... the love of the dirt, the love of good food, and the desire to share both those things with others has always been central to our lives both together and apart. But for the longest time, we had no idea where those desires would lead,” wrote Grace on the Further Up Farms website.
Highlands Ranch state Rep. Bob Marshall, former Douglas County Commissioner Lora Thomas and Lone Tree resident Julie Gooden have come together as “concerned citizens of Douglas County” to file a lawsuit against the Douglas County commissioners following a series of alleged nonpublic meetings that violated Colorado Open Meetings Law. “I have always worked for good government,” said Thomas, who served as a commissioner for eight years. “I’ve always believed that government is supposed to add value to lives, value to our community, and I just don’t see that anymore.” Although Thomas and Marshall have disagreed about political issues in the past, they agree that public policy is basic business and should not be conducted in secret. The lawsuit claims that the Douglas County commissioners have, since mid-December 2024, engaged in “routine practice of convening all three of its members” to discuss public matters, such as home rule, behind closed doors and notice of such gatherings was not provided to the public . The lawsuit further claims that, behind closed doors, the county commissioners discussed and decided to adopt two resolutions concerning a home rule charter and its commission. These resolutions were then “rubber stamped” during a 10-minute meeting that was not recorded. A written statement provided by the Board of Douglas County Commissioners states that the legal action taken against the board is an attempt at keeping voters from voting. It reads, in part: “Commissioners are confident that the people of
SEE FURTHER UP, P8
SEE LAWSUIT, P10
Inside Further Up Farms’ hoop house, neat rows of arugula, kale, spinach, beets and carrots thrive. Tomatoes and peppers will be coming soon.
PHOTO BY NICKY QUINBY
Good food, with emphasis on good Further Up Farms is family operation offering healthy products, Community Supported Agriculture shares BY NICKY QUINBY SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
“This soil, these seeds, and the fruits they now bear — are all a result of the creative work that God has done in us over all these years: a work that he invites us to actively participate in.” — Grace E. Kelley’s Substack It’s not hard to get to Further Up Farms, a family-owned and operated farm south of Elizabeth. Despite the easy access, Further Up seems sheltered and secluded, nestled to itself among the rolling hills of Allan and Joy
Morton’s 32-acre property. The quote, “Come further up! Come further in!” from C.S. Lewis’ “The Last Battle” was the inspiration for the name. The first thing visible coming up the driveway is a barn housing an indoor aquaponic garden, a merge of aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (growing plants in a water medium). The outdoor seasonal garden, hoop house and strawberry patch don’t come into view until after a short hike down a winding path. Right now, they farm one acre but are planning on
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adding five more acres this year. Running Creek, which flooded in 2023 after continual heavy rain, twists through the land. The Mortons moved to Elbert County from Franktown in the fall of 2020. Allan grew up on a farm in North Carolina but moved away long ago. Two of their children, Grace E. Kelley and Noah Morton, live nearby and help run Further Up Farms with their families. Grace and her husband, Willy, moved to the Elizabeth area with the idea of starting a “market garden farm” on her parents’ property. They
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