Meet TJ McDaniel, CFTT Farm Manager & Director

by MP Mueller, CFTT Board Member

TJ McDaniel runs and manages the farm for Colorado Farm to Table. Originally

from Mulvane, Kansas, TJ grew up on a small farm raising livestock and later

worked in orchards and vegetable farms, where he developed a love for produce.

After earning a degree in English from the University of Kansas, he continued

farming near Lawrence.

In 2014, TJ saw an ad in a Midwest farming publication looking for a farmer at Colorado Farm to Table. While his parents had vacationed often in this area, TJ’s first trip here was his interview with CFTT founder, Tony Madone, Jr. He fell in love with the area and the nonprofit’s mission and moved here to manage the farm at age 25.

Our volunteers should hear how grateful the food banks are. They really don’t get fresh vegetables. The produce goes fast and is so appreciated.

In the past 11 years, TJ has built a life growing fresh food for local communities

and food banks. “What makes me most proud of the farm are the amount and

quality of the vegetables that come off it. Thanks to our volunteers, we do a lot

with a little,” TJ shared. “Our volunteers should hear how grateful the food banks

are. They really don’t get fresh vegetables; they have low food budgets and aren’t

able to purchase produce like our high-quality broccoli, cabbage and squash. It

goes fast and is so appreciated.”

During the week, you can find TJ on the farm or in the greenhouse in one of his

signature plaid shirts and his favorite Outback Trading hat. This English major who

loves the classics, enjoys listening to fantasy books and thrillers as he goes about

his daily work. “I have a lot of credits on Audible.” Outside of the farm, he enjoys

snowboarding at Monarch Mountain, hiking, fishing, and camping. He and his wife

Jamilia live in Sawatch County with his three stepchildren, 20 chickens, and three

dogs.

“Farming for Colorado Farm to Table is a way to connect with the land, support

the community, and envision new possibilities for what our nonprofit can

become."