About Us

 Ollin Farms is a family-run farm rooted in the belief that healthy soil grows healthy food, and that healthy food strengthens communities. Our work is guided by regenerative agriculture, long-term ecological stewardship, and the simple joy of sharing good food with good people.

Everything we grow is shaped by the health of the soil beneath it. We focus on building active, living soils with balanced nutrients and biological diversity, producing vegetables that are deeply flavorful and nutrient-dense. All of our produce is grown without the use of pesticides or herbicides—organic or otherwise—because we believe soil health ultimately determines the health of the entire ecosystem, from crops to people.

Community engagement and education are central to this work. From youth classes and field trips to farm dinners, school partnerships, and on-farm ecological monitoring, Ollin Farms is a place where people come together to learn, collaborate, and build a resilient local food system.

Our fields, farmstand, education programs, and gatherings all grow from one purpose: to cultivate a thriving ecosystem where soil, plants, wildlife, and people support one another.

 What began two decades ago as a small, intentional farming effort has grown into a place where food, learning, and stewardship come together—rooted in the belief that how we grow food matters as much as the food itself.

The farm is led by Kena and Mark Guttridge, alongside their four daughters. Together, they steward the property outside Longmont where Mark grew up, bringing multiple generations into the daily work of farming and care for the land.

Kena Guttridge brings a background in education and a deep passion for teaching and connection. She has helped shape Ollin Farms into a living classroom, creating hands-on learning experiences for youth and adults that center food systems, ecosystems, and place-based learning. Her work ensures the farm remains welcoming, inclusive, and grounded in shared knowledge.

Mark Guttridge brings a foundation in environmental science and water resource management, along with a lifelong relationship to this land. His approach to farming is rooted in observation, experimentation, and soil biology, guided by the belief that healthy, living soil is the foundation of resilient ecosystems and nutrient-dense food.

Today, their daughter Jimena serves as Farm Manager, overseeing day-to-day farm operations and carrying the work forward into the next generation. Her leadership reflects the farm’s long-standing commitment to learning, responsibility, and continuity—ensuring that Ollin Farms continues to evolve while staying rooted in its values.

 Ollin is an Aztec word meaning constant motion or transformation. We chose this name because we see the farm as a living system—always changing, always responding, and shaped by continual learning and care. No two days on the farm are the same, and our work is guided by observation, adaptation, and a commitment to improving how we care for the land and feed our community.

The Aztec civilization offers an enduring model of agricultural resilience, built on working with natural systems and maintaining close connections between farmers and the people they fed. That legacy informs our approach today—farming in ways that strengthen soil, respect ecosystems, and keep food closely connected to place and people.

 At Ollin Farms, our approach is rooted in regeneration, long-term stewardship, and working with natural systems rather than against them. Our practices continue to evolve through observation, experimentation, and learning from the land itself.

Our work in the field includes:

• Building active, living soils through diverse cover crops, compost, and organic amendments
• Farming without the use of pesticides or herbicides—synthetic or organic
• Prioritizing soil biology, nutrient balance, and microbial life as the foundation of plant health
• Using crop diversity and thoughtful rotations to support resilience and reduce pest and disease pressure
• Minimizing soil disturbance to protect soil structure and soil carbon
• Conserving water through healthy soils and efficient irrigation
• Protecting pollinators and beneficial insects by maintaining habitat and avoiding chemical inputs
• Restoring degraded land and reducing erosion through vegetation and careful management
• Adapting practices year to year in response to climate variability and on-farm observation
   

Beyond crop production, our approach also includes:

• Integrating education and hands-on learning into everyday farm operations
• Supporting food access through CSA shares, school partnerships, and community programs
• Hosting gatherings that strengthen relationships between people, food, and land