Our History
Sunnyside Farms Market was opened in 2002 by fifth-generation Durango resident, Holly Zink. As a descendent of farmers, ranchers, and business owners, Holly was instilled with an entrepreneurial spirit and a strong connection with the western ranching tradition. While attending CU in Boulder, Colorado, Holly worked at a natural foods grocery store where she realized that she was intrigued by the fresh meat and seafood department. After graduation, she went on to attend the meat sciences program at CSU and interned at meat processing facilities in Weld County, Colorado in order to educate herself about all aspects of the meat business. Sunnyside Farms Market was opened in tandem with its sister business, Sunnyside Meats processing facility, which is owned by Holly’s father, Jerry Zink. Together, the businesses act as an avenue to supply the finest all-natural meats from local growers to households and restaurants in the community. The result has been a dream come true for Holly.
“It is a gift to be able to do something you enjoy so much and call it “work”. I love being able to provide the absolute highest quality meats to my customers, and the best part is that I am able to support local ranchers in the process. By purchasing from local growers, I know that I am doing my part to help land conservation, economic diversity, and preservation of agricultural traditions in our community.
Holly, along with her husband, Jesse Villanueba, and a highly competent staff have taken the Sunnyside Farms Market to the next level. In 2008, they got the opportunity to move into a brand new building that they share with three other locally owned businesses. Nature’s Oasis (a natural foods grocer), The Wine Merchant, and Serious Delights bakery came together with Sunnyside Farms Market to make an ideal one-stop-shop for the customers.
“The owners of the other businesses and I had been talking about this concept for a few years. We realized that a lot of our customers were overlapping, and are thrilled to be able to offer better service to our customers by sharing space to make the shopping experience more convenient. The synergy between the businesses is ideal and I couldn’t imagine a better environment for all of us.”
In addition to offering a quality of product that is second to none, Sunnyside Farms Market is known for its dedication to outstanding customer service. Holly believes strongly in creating a friendly, relaxing atmosphere that shoppers can truly enjoy. The staff is educated about the fine foods that they are selling and are able to give cooking advice and menu suggestions to even the most novice chef.
“Interacting with the customers is a lot of fun. When someone comes in to the store and needs something specific, we can almost always meet their needs. We enjoy the challenge of being able to help anyone from the die-hard backyard grilling enthusiast to the person who is cooking their first Thanksgiving dinner. We really pride ourselves on the quality and freshness of everything we carry from choice grade steaks, to sushi grade Ahi tuna to handmade turkey sausages, and our devotion to a genuinely unique service setting completes the package. “
