I'm in CO as well (Monument, approx 6,900 ft) and have just begun what I imagine will be a long process of trial-by-fire coversion of my back yard into what I hope will be a productive food growing area. I'm still relatively new to gardening in this area and from what I understand, the conditions can be a huge challenge along the Front Range. I know that it's possible, but it's likely going to take a good deal of effort and failures to figure out what works in your particular microclimate. We bought a new house that backs to open space (gotta love that protected preebles mouse), but our back yard is basically a blank slate - and by "blank slate", I literally mean blank. My current efforts are focused on building soil and converting my planting areas to hugelkulture beds. I figure that by the time spring rolls around, I will have been able to learn much more about permaculture and have developed a more thought-out plan that addresses some of the challenges that this area presents. I know that wind screening is going to be a major focus of my efforts, as the spring and fall winds here can be a real challenge.
Good luck and let us know what you try out.
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