THREE LEAF FARM

Our People

LENNY AND SARA MARTINELLI

Three Leaf Farm is owned by Lenny and Sara Martinelli, who also own the local restaurant group, Three Leaf Concepts. With five restaurants located in the Boulder area, the Martinelli’s purchased the farm in 2010 so they could bring organic produce to their menus without raising prices. (You can learn more about their restaurants HERE)

The small urban farmstead boasts a wide range of produce, including heirloom tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, greens, corn, squash and more. There are a number of fruit trees on the farm that offer apricots, peaches, apples, plums, and cherries. Herbs, both medicinal and culinary, abound on the property, as do a wide array of flowers. There is a Medicine Trail that winds through the wilder areas along the farm and the creek, where visitors and students can learn about the medicinal plants that grow along Colorado’s Front Range.

The farm is also home to chickens, goats and horses, all of whom contribute to the ecosystem of the farm.

Committed to the idea of self-sustaining agriculture and an environmentally conscious lifestyle, the Martinellis received the 2012 Nature’s Plate Award, awarded by the prestigious Nature Conservancy, for the “greenest” restaurant in Colorado. In 2013, Three Leaf Farm was honored with the Lafayette Heritage Award for preserving the agricultural spirit of Lafayette. In 2014, Lenny and Sara were inducted into the Boulder County Business Hall of Fame. Three Leaf Farm was honored to receive designation as a Botanical Sanctuary in 2015 from the United Plant Savers, an organization committed to the preservation of at-risk and endangered medicinal plants in North America.
In 2023, their flagship restaurant, The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse, was recognized and included in the Michelin Guide as a recommended restaurant of Colorado.

LENNY MARTINELLI
Owner, CEO of Three Leaf Concepts, Executive Chef of TLC
Lenny graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in Environmental Design. While in school, Lenny worked in a number of restaurants and purchased his first restaurant, The Naropa Cafe, in 1992. At the cafe, Lenny deepened his knowledge of cooking, and his lifelong appreciation of the ethnic cuisine of other cultures was sparked. In 1998, Lenny and Sara were selected to operate the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse, a gift to the city of Boulder from their sister city, Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The ornate, handcrafted Teahouse is the largest teahouse in the US, and is one-of-a-kind in the western hemisphere. Lenny’s creative vision has extended to his other restaurants, Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant, The Huckleberry, Zucca Italian, and The Chautauqua Dining Hall, one of Boulder’s historic landmarks. In addition to the restaurants, Lenny has created a large, successful catering business, Three Leaf Catering.

SARA MARTINELLI
Owner, Ethnobotanist, Herbalist, Tea Specialist
Sara has a degree from the University of Colorado in Anthropology with a focus on ethnobotany and nutrition. She completed a two year program at the Rocky Mountain Center for Botanical Studies in 2002, and is a practicing clinical herbalist. Sara is the tea specialist and blender at the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse and has created a number of the Teahouse’s exclusive tea blends. In addition to her clinical practice for humans, Sara also consults for both equine and canine clients, and creates customized formulas to increase health, performance, and vitality. Sara teaches numerous classes and workshops at Three Leaf Farm and has written a number of articles for publication. For Sara’s extended biography, click HERE.

JAX MARTINELLI
Farm Manager
Jax joined the Three Leaf Farm team in 2012 and took the position of farm manager in 2018 after graduating from Colorado State University where he studied Horticulture and Conservation Biology. During his studies, Jax worked at the Colorado State Forest Service Nursery cultivating native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers. Jax works closely with our restaurant chefs to plant, cultivate and harvest the organic produce that we feature at the restaurants. Additionally, He has helped immensely with our flood restoration initiative at the farm, working closely with our plant, animal, and insect populations. To get in touch with Jax, email him at jax@threeleafconcepts.com.

Jessi Leonard
Barn Manager - Equine, Livestock, and Honeybee Operations
We are so grateful that Jessi joined the Three Leaf team in 2019. She manages all aspects of the Equine and Livestock programs at Three Leaf Farm. Jessi has double bachelor degrees from the University of Denver in Archaeology and English Textual Studies, with a minor in Studio Art. Jessi holds a Masters Degree from Colorado State University in Rangeland Management, as well as an additional Master Degree in Integrated Resource Management. In addition to caring for the animals at Three Leaf Farm, Jessi manages a herd of 20 alpacas, and has 2 horses, 4 goats, 3 dogs, 6 ferrets, 2 cockatiels, and 1 parakeet.

Gracie Leonard
Social Media and Marketing Master, Actor & Comedian, (and occasional horse poop-mucker)

Gracie handles the social media for the farm, and also works for our sister company- The Boulder Tea Company. Gracie graduated from the University of Denver with a double major: one in Creative Writing and one in Theater.

Rebecca Lefebvre
Colorado Contemporary Fine Artist and Three Leaf Farm's Artist-in-Residence

Rebecca is a contemporary fine artist, author and educator based in Colorado. She creates from her home garden studio pieces inspired by nature and the patina of life. In addition to her art, Rebecca has authored a wide collection of decks and books combining mindfulness, nature and creativity to help people foster deeper connections with the world around us and experience the confidence that comes with attuned self-expression.

She is the farm’s artist-in-residence, teaching all of our outdoor painting classes. If you have any questions about her classes, you may contact Rebecca directly at: rebecca@aveclavie.com.

To learn more about Rebecca and her work, visit her at:
rebeccalefebvre.com
rebeccalefebvre.art

Melissa Beckwith
Local Artist and Graphic Designer
Melissa Beckwith is a graphic designer and artist living in Louisville, Colorado. With over 20 years of experience working with clay, she combines an elegant blend of form, function and detail making both hand-built and wheel-thrown pottery. Her ceramic work is both artistic and functional with a focus on surface texture and unique glaze combinations. Her inspiration comes from shapes and textures found in nature with a deep appreciation for the history of pottery as one of the oldest mediums of self-expression.

Erin Sullivan
Farm First Mate, Candlemaker, and Artist

Erin joined the team in 2022 after working a variety of ag-related jobs. Her work with the State of Colorado Dept of Ag, BCFM, and with other farms has given her a great appreciation for local producers. She's always interested in learning more about season extension, flower growing, farm business models, decentralization of meat production, and heirloom corn varieties. Erin is active in the Flatirons Young Farmers Coalition and in the Boulder contra dance community. She also has a small beeswax candle business.