Voices Of Western Colorado: Embrace

We Asked These Western Slope Locals to Weigh in on This Topic.

Kamie Long

Grand Junction Field Office manager, Colorado State Forest Service

“I decided to look up the definition of embrace. It has a bigger meaning than I originally considered. To welcome, to accept, to hold. This is an important concept these days. We are all so different and so alike. We each have our own story. Our stories, passions, dislikes — these make us who we are. We need to embrace others; we need to embrace ourselves. The ability to embrace helps create a strong community. A community that builds, with open arms and accepts all of our stories. I am grateful to live in this community.”

James Melling

Co-owner and farmer at Carboy Winery

“Embrace is the term that perfectly describes the collaborative atmosphere among the wine growers in Western Colorado. Relocating back to Colorado and opening a new concept winery in an emerging, tightly knit community comes with a lot of challenges. Being accepted and supported enthusiastically by our new patrons, neighbors and, frankly, competitors wasn’t one of those challenges. From collaborating on growing tips, providing vendor references and repairing farm equipment to lending a helping hand when we’re shorthanded, Carboy has experienced a very warm welcome from the winemaking and farming community here in the Grand Valley and all of the Western Slope. Cultivating world class wine in an established yet still emerging region is quite an undertaking, but sharing in the successes and challenges with our humble tribe has enriched every step.”

Robin Hall

Co-founder and CEO of Town Hall Outdoor Co.

“Embracing something means to be open to it, to welcome it, accept it, bring it into your arms and feel it against your skin and in your soul. From the free-range spaces near Clark to the ripping trails in Crested Butte to the sweet flavors of Palisade, Western Colorado is easy to embrace. But, the magic isn’t in the outdoors and its vibrant life; it is the people that make it unique. Ranchers, conservationists, outdoorspeople, business owners, tourists and many more make this a community whose pride and passion shine in loving embrace with the land that we call home.”

Compiled by Lexi Reich

Originally published in the Winter 2022-23 issue of Spoke+Blossom.