What started out as an experiment to increase agricultural production density at a local church for its benevolence ministry has become a high standard for local food production.

GroFresh co-directory Rick Kenagy established Canyon View Gardens in 2011 in an effort to multiply the church's budget earmarked for those who have fallen on hard times. The church provided approximately one-third of an acre for a garden, from which 10,000 pounds were grown and given away in the first year's harvest. The second year, 15,000 pounds of food were harvested and given away, from an approximate half-acre area.

Not satisfied with only a modest increase in production, Rick began to explore alternative growing methods that increase harvest yield in a given area. After attending an aquaponics course in 2013, Rick constructed the garden's first aquaponics system using food-grade totes and off-the-shelf parts. Due to this first system's overwhelming success, Rick pioneered the construction of a 1,200 square-foot greenhouse housing a larger aquaponics system. Today, the garden and aquaponics system produce approximately 25,000 pounds of fresh, local, healthy, and delicious vegetables...year-round!

Rick's developing expertise in high-yield food production systems led to the design and construction of several commercial and church aquaponics systems in the Grand Valley area, and one demonstration system for the Telluride area. Thus GroFresh Farms 365 was born.

GroFresh Farms currently grows in over 18,000 square feet of conditioned greenhouse space in multiple locations throughout the Grand Valley.

Rick Kenagy

Rick was raised on a small-town farm near Eureka, Illinois and has been in agriculture all his life. He has lived in Colorado since 1976 and in Grand Junction since 1990 running his own small businesses as well as working in a variety of agricultural roles. Rick’s entrepreneurial spirit and passion for teaching others has resulted in renowned expertise in a variety of sustainable agricultural systems, including traditional planting, hydroponics, and aquaponics.

Rick began a small backyard growing system seven years ago to reach out to the community surrounding the church. Under Rick’s leadership, the three-quarter-acre Canyon View Gardens has become a sought-out model for designing and implementing sustainable growing systems, providing educational training in quality agriculture, and promoting community cooperation among otherwise disparate people groups. At the Garden, Rick consistently hosts guests both locally and globally who are interested in replicating the ideas, methods and techniques that has led this small backyard farm to be successful. Rick’s vision lies in empowering individuals and communities to establish their own growing systems for year-round production of nutrient-rich agriculture.

Scott Holtzshuh

Scott’s early years were spent in upstate New York where rich soils allowed for a large vegetable garden and small apple orchard on his family's two-acre farm. His love for the land started there. After graduating from college with a B.S. in Management Science he traveled west to Denver in 1977 working in banking and then higher education. He relocated his family to Grand Junction in 1992 where he owned and operated several businesses as well as continued in the banking industry. After raising three children, Scott and his wife moved to their five-acre farm in Palisade. They currently grow Kieffer Pears, Damson Plums, table grapes, and hay/alfalfa. Scott was awarded the 2016 Friend of The Industry award by the Western Colorado Horticultural Association for his work in the Palisade area with growers and farmers. The original planning meeting for the Canyon View Garden was hosted at his home in Grand Junction and he’s had an interest in assisting the development of aquaponic systems in the area for a long time. Scott has retired from banking and is a co-owner with Rick and invested full-time in seeing the GroFresh 365 model succeed.