The Rockwood Legacy…
Carpe Diem Foods is our family enterprise founded by Nathan "Chef Nate" Rockwood and Michelle Kardokus Rockwood. Passionate about agriculture, health, nutrition, and cooking, we believe in enriching lives through family values and farming.
Iron Lady Farms began in 2020 to support our agri-tourism resort, The Grey Wolf Resort, in Victor, Colorado. We relocated to Cortez, Colorado, in 2024 and welcomed our third child. Tragically, Nate passed away unexpectedly at the age of 37 while he was out for a jog, leaving behind Michelle, Marley, Jax, and Baby Valkyrie Raine. We miss him dearly and are so thankful for his example and his love.
Nate's philosophy of "Carpe Diem" encourages us to seize the day and be present in each moment, harvesting life’s fruits when they are ripe. Carpe Diem Foods honors Nate's legacy by supporting our family and maintaining our lifestyle and family values.
Both Nate and Michelle are graduates of the Colorado Agriculture Leadership Program, which has helped us build strong relationships with local farmers, ranchers, and culinary businesses. Our greatest assets are these connections, our family, and the opportunity to farm and ranch in this great country.
We aim to help families like ours learn basic culinary skills and appreciate the value of locally farmed products. We believe in quality over quantity and respecting the time, resources, and love that go into producing our food. Our curated meat boxes are designed to inspire quality time in the kitchen, around the dining table, and in nature. Our mission is to make healthy foods and family time accessible to everyone in our community, especially the underserved.
Thank You for being a part of our healing journey.
Colorado Agricultural Leadership Program (CALP) develops and enhances the leadership capabilities of diverse men and women committed to the future of Colorado’s agricultural and rural communities.
Coaxing a living from the land, providing rural community products and services, agricultural and rural people have significantly contributed to Colorado’s tapestry. CALP enriches this culture through a hands-on, interactive program dedicated to producing graduates with the vision and commitment to lead change and ensure the sustainability of Colorado’s agricultural economies and rural communities.
“FOOD IS A VALUABLE TOOL. IT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER, ENCOURAGES SHARING, KINDNESS, AND LOVE. IT REPRESENTS OPPORTUNITIES TO CONTINUALLY LEARN AND EDCATE OURSELVES AND EACH OTHER. I BELIEVE THAT NOW IS THE TIME FOR US AS A PEOPLE TO START MAKING SOME CHANGES. LET’S CHANGE THE WAY WE EAT, LET’S CHANGE THE WAY WE WLIVE, LET’S CHANGE THE WAY WE TREAT EACH OTHER. WE CAN ALL SEE THAT IT IS ON US TO DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO SURVIVE AND MAKE OUR WORLD A BETTER PLACE FOR OUR CHILDREN, AND OUR CHILDREN’S CHILDREN.”
-NATHAN “ROCKWOOD” DIRNBERGER, CEC
1987-2024