We had the good fortune of connecting with Misti Cureton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Misti, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk taking is a loaded term. What is a huge risk to some, might be a simple day for another. That being said, we feel like we have made our life together what it is from taking the risk! There is a lot to our story that has led us to where we are today. The one thing we know for sure, we would not have survived the risks we took without the love and respect we have for each other. Through starting our businesses, raising our two wonderful outgoing daughters and battling and beating breast cancer, we know the rewards of risk. We no longer fear it, we welcome it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

We have a close friend, Jackie, she is always telling us how diversified we are. JR is a mechanic by trade, in 2018 we went out on our own and started Balltown Mini Motors right here on the property. I have been with NAPA Auto Parts in Frisco,CO for 25 years.  Now I work as an independent contractor for NAPA Frisco, under my business @your Service, managing their Freeport accounts with Climax and The Henderson Mine. We have a small farm we call the Tenderfoot Farm.
Our risk with the Farm was financial. How do you run a farm with chickens and fainting goats and be successful? Well, you add a website, a farm store, ducks, and pigs… Not just any pigs, Pasture Raised Pork. You can purchase Pork, Highland Beef, Chicken right from the farm. You can also purchase a whole pig to be butchered the way you want it. We raise the pigs right here at the farm, they are born in Meker, CO. We take them to processing, at Mountain Meats in Grand Junction, and you pick up the finished product here at the Farm. Our Highland Beef is a little newer so it is just offered by the cut, right now.  But hold on, we could not stop there.  This year’s project is meal kits.  Only available from Leadville, Twin Lakes and Buena Vista.  Of course any local can order our meal kits but we have them set up for VRBO guests.  They purchase meal kits, tell us the VRBO address and dates and we deliver the food to their doorstep.  Of course any item from our website is available for this service.  We have a full line of the tastiest Teas. We offer Coffee from City on a Hill Coffee in Leadville, CO.  Oh, and the meat in the meal kits comes from Scanga Meats in Salida, CO. Visit our link and see what you think!! https://www.tenderfootfarm.com/shop-our-store#!/Meal-Kits-and-Extras-for-VRBO-Camping-etc/c/128576014
I really need to tell you how we got here.  It completes the story.  My Great-Great Grandmother Lucil Cureton lived right here in Balltown.  She raised my Grandfather, Warren Cureton, right here as well.  My grandfather met my Grandmother Ruby Giebfried in the big town of Granite, CO.  Grandma’s family homesteaded the Clear Creek Ranch.  So fortunately for me Balltown met Granite and the story began.  The property where all of our magic happens is the same property my Grandparents experienced the same kind of magic we have.  Entrepreneurs themselves, my Grandparents had Cureton Lumber, The Win-Mar Cabins (Still in Business) and the Balltown Bar.  Papa and Gram built all of the Log Style homes in Balltown.  One of these homes was built with Papas shop next door.  That is us!!  We bought it from the family after my Papa passed.  Who knew as a child, the area us kids were not allowed to play around would be my home.  I am truly blessed that I get to live my dream where my best childhood memories were already made. 

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Honestly we are the hot spot. Okay not all the time it does snow here and it gets cold. However, I would take my friend to dinner in Twin Lakes at the Twin Lakes Inn. Do some shopping at the Shooting Star Gallery and pick up souvenirs at the Twin Lakes General Store and maybe do some paddle boarding with Sup and Cycle.  If we were still hungry we would stop by Punky’s for ribbon fries. and a coffee treat at PerkoLated Peaks.  After all that we would come back to the farm, relax, enjoy the view and play with a lot of baby goats! Oh, then we could walk over to the pigs and feed all 30 of them treats. We could also go see how many eggs our 80 chickens laid or maybe see if the 8 ducks have any eggs. We might also have guests already at the Farm, as we are part of the Harvest Hosts community. We also have the Tenderfoot Farm Store where there are great shopping treats to be had! We make candles, soap, lotion and offer fun items and food options you will not get just anywhere.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Our story would not be what it is without each other, our children and our families. We could not have written our story with any other person. That being said, our story would not be what it is without all the wonderful fellow Colorado Business that help us make it happen.  We tried to list them all!!  Stop by the Farm if you are in the Twin Lakes/Balltown area and we will keep you up to date on our story!

Website: tenderfootfarm.com

Instagram: tenderfoot_farm_balltown

Facebook: Tenderfoot Farm

Image Credits
Tenderfoot Farm

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.