Blog | Jakob Berr Photography

David Dechant, a Fort Lupton, Colo., farmer, takes samples from his new Alfalfa hay harvest for analysis Thursday, June 16, 2011.

Len Pettinger takes a break from the heat of the day in the kitchen of his farm house in Brighton, Colo., Thursday, June 30, 2011.

An abandoned center pivot stands in a dried-up field on David Dechant's Ford Lupton, Colo., farm Thursday, June 16, 2011. Dechant abandoned the pivot after thieves stole the copper wiring connecting the towers because the costs for the repair were too high and he needed the water elsewhere. "Rather than having two sprinklers with insufficient water, I figured it was better to turn this field into dryland and transfer my quota to the other field," Dechant said.

Len Pettinger and his farmhand Salvadore Simatal set up a dam in a gravity irrigation ditch to divert water onto one of the Alfalfa hay fields on Pettinger's farm in Brighton, Colo., Thursday, June 30, 2011. "We knew it wasn't gonna be good," Pettinger said. "Not only did we not get free water this year, but they also got double stingy about our charge water."

David Dechant turns on a center pivot sprinkler to irrigate an Alfalfa hay field on his Fort Lupton, Colo., farm, Thursday, June 16, 2011. Water has been a scarce commodity for generations of Colorado farmers. "If we had the water we would irrigate everything," Dechant says. "But water is not available. And it's been that way for a hundred years."

A water canon at the end of a center pivot sprinkler irrigates an Alfalfa field on David Dechant's farm in Fort Lupton, Colo., Thursday, June 16, 2011.

Larry Williams, left, owner of J&L Life Stock in Colorado Springs, and David Dechant adjust a load of Alfalfa hay bales on William's truck Thursday, June 16, 2011. Williams bought the hay from Dechant's Fort Lupton farm as forage for his dairy cows.

Larry Williams, left, a dairy farmer of Colorado Springs, pays David Dechant for a truck load of Alfalfa hay he picked up for his farm Thursday, June 16, 2011. Alfalfa hay yields high prices this year due to the draught in southern Colorado and New Mexico.

David Dechant picks apart an Alfalfa bud on his farm in Fort Lupton, Colo., Thursday, June 16, 2011.

Fort Lupton, Colo., based farmer David Dechant, right, picks up a part for one of his tractors from Glen Cantrell at B&G Equipment in Greeley, Colo., Thursday, June 16, 2011.

Dryland wheat grows on David Dechant's farm in Fort Lupton, Colo., Thursday, June 16, 2011. Dryland wheat yields only a fraction of irrigated wheat and is dependent on rain. "If it weren't for that rain we got in May, [this wheat] would have looked pretty bleak," Dechant said. "The rain really saved it."

Len Pettinger opens holes on the sides of a gravity irrigation ditch to divert water onto one of the Alfalfa hay fields on his farm in Brighton, Colo., Thursday, June 30, 2011. "It's a very sad, sad, sad, sad commentary," Pettinger said about the recent State Supreme Court ruling affecting the amount of water farmers in the area can use. "All I wanted to do is hang on to pass it on to the family. But what's there going to be to pass on now?"

Surrounded by the mountains, the Food and Wine Classic takes place in downtown Aspen.

Susan Feniger, co-owner of the Border Grill restaurants, prepares Peruvian Ceviche with Pickled Red Onions during her "Global Street Food" cooking demo Friday, June 17, 2011.

During a press lunch titled "Celebrating Singaporean Street Food" at the Baldwin Gallery on Saturday, the Singaporean Tourism Board served Carrot Sesame Pineapple ice cream among many other exotic dishes. Very delicious...

Howard Greenstone, right, the CEO of New York City-based Rosa Mexicano, relaxes with his employees Jason Berry and Grace Hu in the courtyard of the Grand Tasting Pavilion Saturday morning. "This is hangover position," he said. "I'm sweating out some of last night's champagne."

José Andrés and daughter Lucia prepare ingredients for one of Andrés's recipes during his "Sexy Vegetable Dishes" demo cooking Saturday.

From left, Alexandra Steel, Elise McLean and Charlotte Steel, all of New York City, participate in a stretching exercise immediately before the "Sauce on the Side: Wine, Wieners and the Works" wine and hot dog tasting conducted by Danny Meyer Saturday.

Various wines and condiments along with a hotdog and a tasting matrix are laid out for participants of Danny Meyer's wine and hot dog tasting.

Members of the media line up in front of Aspen Meadows Resort for the press preview of the 2011 Food & Wine Best New Chefs Dinner Saturday.

Bowman Brown, center left, and Viet Pham, the owners of the Forage restaurant in Salt Lake City, Utah, serve their Heritage Valley Organic Terrine Scented with Spruce at the 2011 Food & Wine Best New Chefs Dinner at the Aspen Meadows Resort Saturday.

Guests of the 2011 Food & Wine Best New Chefs Dinner at the Aspen Meadows Resort chat in one of the lounge rooms Saturday.

St. Anthony Hospital Interim CEO Dr. Ray Mencini stands in his empty office in Lakewood, Monday, June 13, 2011. St. Anthony is moving to a new campus and puts its existing campus up for sale.

A Flight for Life helicopter takes off from the roof of St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, Monday, June 13, 2011.