Design Consultation
Just want some guidance so you can put it together yourself? We'll walk your landscape and your goals together, and I'll give you concrete ideas and clear direction on what you can do and how to make it happen.
Denver & the Front Range
Edible landscapes,
rooted in your backyard.
We design and install food forests and edible gardens that feed your family, restore your soil, and look beautiful every season — turning ordinary residential yards into living, productive ecosystems.
Denver-based & regenerative — serving homeowners across the Front Range
100%Word-of-mouth grown
Zone 5b–6aFront Range climate specialists
Edible + BeautifulProductive yards that still look stunning
RegenerativeSoil-first, water-wise methods
Front Range Food Forests is a Denver-based food forest and edible landscape design studio serving homeowners across the Colorado Front Range — including Denver, Boulder, Littleton, Arvada, Golden, and the surrounding metro. We transform ordinary, thirsty lawns into beautiful, low-water food forests and edible landscapes built for our high-desert, Zone 5b–6a climate: fruit and nut trees, berry shrubs, perennial vegetables, herbs, and pollinator plants layered into a resilient ecosystem that feeds your family and restores your soil. Using regenerative and permaculture principles, we design, install, and help you care for yards that get more abundant every year. We also offer agritourism consulting for small Colorado farms looking to diversify their income and strengthen our local food system.
Residential Food Forests & Edible Landscapes
From bare lawn to abundant harvest in Denver
Three ways to work together — from a little expert guidance to a fully installed, ready-to-harvest landscape. We meet you wherever you are.
Site Plan & Plant List
Want more help but still want to do the install yourself? I'll design a full site plan and a complete plant list with install and care instructions — plus ongoing support whenever you need it.
Full Installation
The full package: my team installs everything, so you don't have to lift a finger to get your edible landscape set up. Includes your plan and care instructions for using and maintaining it — with optional ongoing maintenance.
How It Works
A simple path to your food forest
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1
Discovery Call
We talk through your vision, your yard, and what you'd love to grow. No pressure, just possibilities.
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2
Site Visit & Design
I assess your soil, sun, and water, then craft a custom plan that fits your space and lifestyle.
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3
Planting Day
We bring the design to life — building soil and putting living roots in the ground.
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4
Grow Together
Ongoing care and coaching so your landscape gets more abundant every single year.
Our Work
Yards we've brought to life
A few recent projects from around the Colorado Front Range — productive, beautiful, and built to last.
More projects coming soon — this is a brand-new gallery. (Edit titles/locations in index.html; add more photos to assets/.)
Why I do this
Our food system has never felt more fragile — yet the most powerful fix can start right in your own backyard. I'm on a mission to help our community feed itself: empowering homeowners and small local farms to grow food, resilience, and income here on the Front Range.
- Empower people to grow their own food
- Strengthen small local farms
- Regenerate soil & community
New: For Small Farms
Agritourism Consulting
Your land can earn more than one harvest. I help small farms open their gates to visitors and build new, diversified income streams — strengthening our local food system without losing the soul of what makes your farm special.
- Experience design — farm tours, U-pick, workshops, dinners, seasonal events, and stays that visitors will travel for.
- Revenue diversification — practical models to turn underused acreage, barns, and seasons into reliable income.
- Guest-ready planning — flow, safety, signage, and infrastructure so welcoming the public feels effortless.
- Operations & staffing — day-to-day systems, seasonal hiring, and training a team so your guest experiences run smoothly without burning you out.
- Grants & legal considerations — navigating permits, zoning, liability, insurance, and agritourism grant funding so you can open with confidence.
- Story & marketing — positioning your farm so the right guests find you and keep coming back.
6 years
turning lawns into food forests
About
From the vineyard to your backyard
I started my career as a winemaker — learning, season after season, how soil, climate, and a little patience turn into something that nourishes people. Six years ago I began turning my own turf lawn into a food forest. What started as a hobby quickly became a calling.
The more I grew, the more concerned I became about how fragile our food systems have become — how far our food travels, and how little of it we truly control. I've come to believe the antidote starts close to home: in backyards, on small farms, in neighborhoods that can help feed themselves.
Today I help homeowners and small local farms grow real food and lasting resilience — sharing what I know about regenerative gardening and agritourism so our community can support itself, one landscape at a time.
— Elly Kirkhoff, Founder of Front Range Food Forests
- Winemaker background
- 6 years growing food forests
- Regenerative & water-wise
FAQ
Food forest questions, answered
What is a food forest?
A food forest is an edible landscape designed to mimic a natural woodland — layering fruit and nut trees, berry shrubs, perennial vegetables, herbs, and pollinator plants so they support each other. The result is a beautiful, low-maintenance yard that produces food year after year while improving your soil and using less water than a lawn.
How much does a food forest or edible landscape cost in Denver?
Every project is different. A standalone design plan is the most affordable starting point, while full design-and-install projects scale with the size and complexity of your yard. We'll talk budget openly on your discovery call and can phase the work over seasons so it fits what you're comfortable spending.
Will a food forest actually thrive in Denver's dry climate?
Yes — when it's designed for the Front Range. We specialize in our Zone 5b–6a, high-desert conditions: choosing drought-tolerant and cold-hardy edible plants, building water-holding soil, and using water-wise techniques so your landscape thrives on far less irrigation than turf grass.
What areas do you serve?
We design and install edible landscapes throughout the Denver metro and Colorado Front Range — including Denver, Boulder, Littleton, Arvada, Golden, Wheat Ridge, Lakewood, and nearby communities. Agritourism consulting is available to small farms across Colorado and the Mountain West.
Can a food forest still look tidy and intentional?
Absolutely. We design edible landscapes that read as intentional and beautiful — defined borders, clean paths, and structured plantings — so your yard looks polished and welcoming while still being remarkably productive.
What is agritourism consulting, and is it right for my farm?
Agritourism consulting helps small farms open their gates to visitors and build new income streams — farm tours, U-pick, workshops, events, and farm stays. I also help you navigate the grants, permits, and legal considerations involved. If you have idle land or buildings, or a slow off-season, and want income that isn't tied to commodity prices, it's likely a strong fit.
Get in Touch
Let's grow something
Tell me a bit about your yard or farm and what you're dreaming up. I'll get back to you within a couple of business days — or skip the back-and-forth and book a call right now.
Book a Free Consultationor reach me directly
- hello@frontrangefoodforests.com
- Denver, Colorado