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Since it was homesteaded Sunnyside Farm has provided a wholesome
lifestyle for the Mason, Short and Zink families.
In 1901 John and Annie Mason (Great-grand-parents of Karen
Short Zink) came to the Sunnyside Mesa from Rico with the vision of
creating an agricultural lifestyle for their family. They claimed 160 acres
on Sunnyside Mesa, shortly before John died. Annie and the eight children
cleared the sage brush flats of the mesa with a grub hoe and hand dug
irrigation ditches with the rest of the community to bring water to their
crops. They produced hay, wheat, beans, and cream. The D&RGW
railroad took cream and vegetables to the markets in town, the profits used
to provide what food and clothing that the farm could not.
Through four generations the land
surrounding Sunnyside Meats has passed to a daughter and son- in law
ensuring that the families’ way of life has been preserved. In 1978
Karen and Jerry bought the homestead and began producing quality hay for
area consumers
The Nelsons moved to
Sunnyside Mesa in 1911, buying a
homestead claim. Raising chickens, cattle, hogs and vegetables, the
Nelsons were one of the first families to produce eggs year round. They
sprouted barley in the front room beside their wood-burning stove in the
winter so that the hens would have fresh greens. Before electricity, the
family hung lanterns in the barn to lengthen the day, this proved
successful; increasing egg production through the winter months. Jerry’s mother Ruby (Nelson) Zink
was born in the home shown. It still stands ½ mile north of Sunnyside
Meats.
John J. Zink
arrived in the upper Animus Valley from Nebraska in 1905. He and his sons
Leonard, Burt and John W. established production of nursery stock, flowers,
dairy, vegetables, cattle, potatoes and sheep.
In the 1950’s
John W. Zink (shown here with son Ed) brought some of the first registered
angus beef cattle to LaPlata County.
Jerry and Karen
Zink believe that sustaining local agriculture is the best way to preserve
the diverse working landscapes of southwestern Colorado.It was through
this commitment to open space and local agriculture that the Zinks first
began considering opening a processing plant.
 In 1994 the Zink's placed
Sunnyside Farms in an open space easement ensuring that the land
surrounding Sunnyside Meats can never be developed
Sunnyside Meats
Inc. provides a local economically viable location to area producers,
giving them the opportunity to market their product to consumers looking
for healthy alternatives. Through USDA or custom harvest and processing
home consumers and retail vendors are given options to have a healthy clean
product processed to best fit their needs.
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