“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 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 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.
Further Up Farms is committed to being pesticide- and herbicide-free and they even try to abstain from using neem oil, a natural insecticide, on plants in an effort to protect the honeybees that live on their property. They focus on improving and enriching the soil, which results in flavorful, nutrient-dense produce that tastes delicious straight out of the ground.
“An apple is not just an apple, broccoli is not just broccoli. It’s not all the same,” Grace explained. “What’s in the food is what’s in the soil; nutrient-dense food comes from nutrient-dense soil.”
One of Further Up’s most popular products are rainbow carrots, among other things. “We sell a lot of tomatoes in the summer, lots of summer squash and cucumbers too,” said Grace. “Obviously the lettuce is a staple, as well as the microgreens. We have a lot of everything really, except potatoes and corn.”
Further Up Farms provides several opportunities and avenues for the community to enjoy their vegetables. They offer Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares, which Further Up calls “a cost-effective and easy way to get a weekly supply of veggies from a local, sustainable grower.” For details on CSA sessions, cost, and what’s included, visit furtherupfarms.com/products/2025-csa.
As an option to offset the cost of a share, Further Up has a Working Share Program, which requires working a set number of hours at the farm in exchange for 50% off a share. “So many of our workshare members have become like family to us, even in just one season,” Grace said. The program application is available at tinyurl.com/2jex95um.
Further Up Farms offers wholesale opportunities and currently supplies greens for Sammie D’s Fine Smoked Meats in Elizabeth. “We supply them with their lettuce for their salads and microgreens that they use on various dishes. They put our spicy microgreens on their potato salad, which is super yummy,” Grace said. “My dad just walked in there with samples one day, I think after they moved from a food truck to a brick-and-mortar model, and they loved it and love sourcing local, so they’ve been a regular customer ever since.”
The farm has also been able to start giving back to the community around them by donating to local food banks. “Right now it’s just lettuce, but I’m sure we’ll be donating a wide variety of produce this season,” Grace shared.
Further Up Farms sells in-person at the Black Forest Backyard Market and plans on visiting local communities in their new mobile farm stand. Their priority is to offer pop-up markets in places with limited proximity to local grocery produce.
The tentative summer schedule is as follows:
● Mondays 4-6 at Further Up Farms, 3623 Judge Adams Road
● Wednesdays 3-6 in Elizabeth (location TBD)
● Fridays 3-6 in Elbert/Kiowa (location TBD)
● Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Black Forest Backyard Market, 6845 Shoup Road
Customers can also order for pickup by visiting furtherupfarms.com/collections/local-pickup.
Further Up Farms accepts SNAP/EBT and, because they were involved in the pilot for the Colorado Produce Bonus program, they are able to reimburse customers immediately, up to $20 per week or $60 per month. This is a “dollar-for-dollar match” automatically added onto an EBT card to use at any SNAP location.
For updates and schedule changes, visit the Further Up Farms Facebook page at facebook.com/FurtherUpFarms or their website at furtherupfarms.com.
More information about the Black Forest Backyard Market, at 6845 Shoup Road, is available at thebackyardmarkets.com/black-forest-market.
To read more about Grace E. Kelley’s love story with dirt and gardening, visit her Substack at tinyurl.com/y7fnkrps.