Good morning and welcome to Food for Thought with Pixie Burmister. And now here's Pixie. Here we are August 1st and boy things are really gearing up. Happy birthday once again to our state.
Well actually probably to us as well because we're Colorado citizens. But 150 years with 143 of those years having the presence of the Palisade Peach. That's quite a record and I checked with the historian over at Palisade. I want to make sure I had this correctly.
But also have fun. It's National Brownies at brunch. Oh, these girls are going like, what? I'm going to go catfish month.
I don't see many catfish around here. National goat cheese, panini. And it is National Peach Month as well as Sandwich and Wellness Month Peaches and Wellness. So very well together.
Super healthy, super sweet and so low in calories. I don't know how that happened because how can anything that good. In fact, Eva, one of our ambassadors who goes to Fruit of Monument High School. And going to be a senior.
Wow. Do you have plans for when you graduate or are you going to go to school? I am. I'm planning on going to CMU.
Very good. Very good. You got that all planned already. How does it feel to be an ambassador?
What I always tell you all is that little kids will be looking at you and minding about going, someday I want to do that. I want to be an ambassador. So do you feel some responsibility there? Yeah, I do.
It's super cool. Again, I didn't know this was a thing until I signed up for it. But just thinking about it, I'm like, that is so cool that you can just be a word it. An opportunity, even though you don't live in Palisade.
And I think the growers and the people in Palisade, why don't we encompass everyone? Because they know how much we all love the peaches and the growers and the workers and all the hard work that goes into that. So why not celebrate with having ambassadors throughout the Valley? And probably from now on, since you've become an ambassador, you will always speak highly and talk about and share knowledge about the Palisade peach.
Exactly. Back in Iowa, they called them the Colorado peach. Just because they came from Colorado and around. Palisade.
A lot of things going on. We talked about peach days. What would you say, girls, is one of the things that goes on at the peach festival that you particularly find interesting or fun to do? I personally love the vendors.
One, I just love it. It's so cool. And I just can't think of a cooler way to support our community and smaller businesses than that. It's awesome.
Well, you absolutely do. How about you, Maddie? Have you girls look over everything that's going to be on? Yes.
I'm really excited for the live music that's going to happen as well as the inflatable play places for kids. Make sure to bring your kids, your little cousins, your little siblings. And that's all on the actual peach festival, which days are? The August 21st on Friday and August 22nd on a Saturday.
And where is that located? And that will be at Riverbend Parkway. It's a venue and it will be down to on Palisade. Yes.
The peach days. And throughout, you're right, the big festivals at Riverbend, but all of the restaurants and all of the businesses down in Palisade are ready. And they're not in Palisade and beyond you will add eating establishments. You will find peach dishes.
So I've never made it a goal, but I should. To taste everybody's peach dish that celebrates the peach festival. I would definitely count on it. If you want to try the variety, of course, they will all be made with love and support, especially with Palisade Peaches.
Exactly. And what activity does this really look appealing to you? I personally like all of them, but I'm very excited for the peach eating contest. Oh, I should expect you would be growing up on peaches, probably some of the first food, solid foods you had was probably peach.
Of course it was. I grew up around peaches. I grew up eating my family grown peaches and local grown peaches. I'm very excited though because our ambassadors will be helping with the peach eating contest, if not participating ourselves.
Perfect. What else will you be doing at the peach festival? What are some of your responsibilities? Tell me, what were the steps to becoming an ambassador?
The steps that we had was to apply. We had a few questions on a survey and we were going to answer those mostly about why we love the festival, why we love our community and stuff. We applied for that. Did you have an interview?
Not like a, no, we didn't have an interview. It was all written. Right. You had to put a lot of time in that application.
Yes. Absolutely. When you found out? I was super excited.
I was very excited. Good. How about you, Maddie? When you found out?
I was very thrilled. I wasn't expecting to be chosen. I know my graduating class of 2029 has about over 500 people at Grand Junction High School. Wow.
Okay. I had a few, so I was very surprised that I was picked out of the selection not only being a current freshman when I applied but just the fact that I know so many of my friends and people I know from all over the valley got the availability to apply. Now, do you have peach growers in your family? Yes.
My grandparents, the Leslie Peoples and Rick Peoples, who were turned down in Palisade and they were part of the local markets that were happening during the Sundays. Oh my goodness. That is so popular. And it extends well beyond Palisade and popularity of the valley.
I think that market has been designated as one of the top most favorite markets, produce markets. And I can see why. I can see why. There's some good eating there, isn't there?
Of course, I grew up personally with a peach cobbler that my grandma used to make for me as well. My family was also a really big pie family. I know everything's giving or Christmas we would have around like very pie. So does that mean peaches go in to canning or do they go in the freezer ready to bring out to make that Thanksgiving pie?
We, I believe, can and can and can as well as have them fresh. Okay. So I know we usually picked them off the tree and got to make them with, you know, from our home and got to have them together. It was a really fun thing to be growing up with.
So did I ask you, are you a peach cobbler? I, a pie or cobbler? Uh huh. Yes, I actually like both.
I grew up with both. But me personally, I am more of a pie person. I know we had a variation of pies, of course, including peach pie. Sure.
Sure. Absolutely. How about you? I have a pie or cobbler.
I'm probably a pie person. I've also seen some really cool, like creative ways of making pie, which is so cool. Oh, well, yes, those handheld pies that you can get at the peach festival with palisade peaches. Those, they're kind of like a turnover, you know, and filled with peaches.
You'll have to try that if you have it. That's so cool. Because that's a unique way. Hey, guy across there, Mr.
Rio, are you a cobbler or a pie? Cobbler. Yeah. See, I maintain that guys.
And we had some dads in here delivering these ambassadors and I asked them and you know what? Cobbler. There's enough pie with other stuff. I see what you're saying.
I don't know really any other cobbler. Oh, you don't. Oh, there's cobblers with biscuit topping. Yeah, well, like what other ingredients?
I know peach peaches and shumakers. That's about it. Oh. That's my Rio.
And I've grown to love him all these years. I expect him. But that is really, and I asked a couple of mothers and they were pies. And my husband would go with cobbler.
He'd eat the pie though. He'd be more than happy to eat the pie as well. That's not what you asked. But no, exactly.
And so I guess if you ask me that question, I'd probably say pie. And of course I always thought my mother made the best ever. And so we have to take a break. So quickly, because I might run you back in after we talk with these girls, because I want you to look over the list of activities and pick up.
There's a couple of things on there that I think that would appeal to you. You did say bands, the cons of bands. So we will say a temporary goodbye to you two girls and we'll have our other ambassadors come in and find out what's going on with them and peaches. So don't go away.