51: August 5 2026 – We All Have a Pumpkin Patch Inside

Venetucci Farm is a community treasure celebrating its 90th anniversary. Get the scoop on annual pumpkin giveaways, a flower farm, and much more making community happen in the aftermath of the PFAS water contamination disaster. Sam Clark, Executive Director of the Pikes Peak Real Estate Foundation, and Nikki McComsey, owner of Gather Mountain Blooms share the history and legacy, current happenings, and an upgrade in the works for 2027.Also: Pikes Peak Bulletin Managing Editor Heila Ershadi updates us on PFAS groundwater contamination in the area (see link to her story below).LINKS:Venetucci FarmGather Mountain BloomsRocky Mountain Flower FestContaminants on the Way Out of Rural Residents' Tap Water, Says Water Provider and State Health Department (Pikes Peak Bulletin story)MENTIONED:United States Air ForcePFAS contaminationWidefield AquiferNick VenetucciBambi VenetucciPikes Peak Community FoundationGordon PriceGrass It UpMike and Amanda BristolVenetucci Pumpkin AleBristol Brewing “Give Back Mix Pack”SmokebrushFriends of Cheyenne CanyonSchool District 11Colorado Parks and WildlifeColorado Youth OutdoorsEl Pomar FoundationEl Paso CountyLiz RosenbaumWigwam Mutual Water CompanyColorado Department of Public Health & EnvironmentLoving the Springs celebrates the best of Colorado Springs and elevates the rest.Plug into what’s happening in the Pikes Peak region, learn about awesome people, places and happenings, and explore opportunities to make life here even better. Longtime Springs booster Carrie Simison co-hosts with local gadflies Al Brody and Dave Gardner. All three love our two springs – Colorado and Manitou, so they give them the mic in this twice-monthly podcast. Nothing’s off the table – recreation, the arts, government, business, politics – if it touches your life, they’ll talk about it. We’ll invite the movers and shakers, conspiracy theorists, NIMBYs, YIMBYs, yaysayers and naysayers to join them.Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and give us feedback and suggestions via comments at studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs or lovingthespringspodcast at gmail.com