Meet the Owners
Dave Asbury
Dave Asbury moved to Longmont, Colorado as a young child, and even though he grew up in the city, Dave found ways to be involved in farming. His neighbor had greenhouses, which Dave watched when the neighbor was away, and as a child, Dave always had a vegetable garden. As he grew older, Dave and his brother worked on the farms that his father had purchased around Longmont. Dave’s first business, Just Fresh Produce, was a wholesale produce company which sold to customers throughout the Front Range. After only two years of running that business, Dave realized that he didn’t want to just sell produce, he wanted to grow it.
Dave began his successful farming career nearly 20 years ago as one of the first farmers in Colorado to launch an agri-tainment business. Back then, people were looking for ways to reconnect with farms and farm life, but unlike now, there were not as many opportunities to visit farms or farm stands. Dave tapped this opportunity by starting Rocky Mountain Pumpkin Ranch (RMPR), the first pumpkin stand in Boulder County which provided a variety of fall entertainment opportunities for families with young children. With the success of RMPR, Dave was able to diversify and grow his operations to include Full Circle Farm, a certified organic vegetable farm.
Dave began leasing property from Boulder County ten years ago, when he won the bid on the Strawberry Property. Over the years, Dave has grown Full Circle Farms into a thriving business that leases 1100 acres of farm land, including 700 acres of BCPOS property, on which he grows 70 varieties of vegetables along with small grains, grass hay, alfalfa and a small herd of cattle. Full Circle Farms takes a diversified approach to marketing its vegetables as well – 1/3 of the produce is sold on the wholesale market, 1/3 is sold at local farmers’ markets and 1/3 is sold at its retail stand. RMPR continues to thrive as well, growing and selling over 400,000 pounds of pumpkins and entertaining thousands of visitors each fall.
Scott Earnest
I have always enjoyed entrepreneurship. The challenges that come with starting a new business are exciting and demanding. Having a vision that one day will materialize into a means of economic support is an exciting notion. Working to develop long-term goals has been the driving force.
In my twenties and thirties, I was engaged in high altitude mountaineering. It really molded me into the person I am. The expeditions I went on were so challenging, the goals always seemed so lofty, and the road I had to traverse to get there so daunting. Through that, I developed discipline. That discipline would be essential in starting and running my own business. There is a real element of creativity that comes with entrepreneurship, and it is that aspect of business ownership that truly excites me. Later, after mountaineering dissipated, I got involved in agriculture. Specifically, hemp cultivation. I was intrigued with the possibilities that hemp could offer to consumers. The hemp plant is a fascinating species, it has so many different potential uses. It was at this time that I collaborated with my now business partner, to form Junk Away Colorado, LLC.
I was excited to start a local business in Longmont with an associate I had known for some years. Providing a local service to the community, that was farmer powered, made great sense to me.
