Colorado Urban Farms Focus on Education, Food Security and Production
In partnership with: Colorado Department of Agriculture
The popular impression of Colorado agriculture may be big barns and sweeping fields hemmed in by mountains, but over the past decade, increasing numbers of farming operations have taken root in the state’s urban communities. Occupying relatively small footprints, urban farms’ missions often extend beyond production into the arenas of sustainability, food justice, community-building and education.
“Just like in traditional rural agriculture, there’s such a diversity of what urban farms look like,” says Dan Goldhamer, county director and horticulture educator for Colorado State University Denver Extension.
Denver metropolitan-area farms run the gamut, he says, from large-scale production greenhouses and aquaponics operations to community gardens and teaching farms. But they all face similar challenges, including long cash cycles, risk and – particularly in urban growing – stiff economic competition for land and labor.
The Denver Extension Office supports urban growers through technical assistance and education as well as facilitating relationship-building.
“An interesting thing about Front Range Denver Metro area urban agriculture is that people are pretty well organized,” Goldhamer says, pointing to Mile High Farmers, a grassroots collective that brings together diverse Denver-area farmers to share resources and advocate for policy change.
Sowing Seeds of Knowledge
Located at Warren Tech, a designated Career and Technical Education (CTE) center for Jeffco Public Schools in the suburban community of Lakewood, ACRES (which stands for agriculture, community, research, education, and sustainability) Farm specializes in market vegetables, which it sells through tailgate markets, a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and direct vending to restaurants. But as a principally CTE program, horticultural skills and career readiness are ACRES’ principal goals.
Although the high school juniors and seniors at ACRES attend traditional lectures and labs, they also do hands-on farm work on the 3-acre property, says horticulture instructor and farm manager Stephen Cochenour.
During the school year, students find themselves doing anything from starting seeds for ACRES’ hydroponic growing system to interacting with customers at CSA distribution points or preparing seedlings in one of the farm’s two greenhouses for its annual spring plant sale. In addition, through a summer internship program, students can earn school credit for keeping the farm running through the heart of the growing season.
One of the challenges at ACRES is balancing production capacity with teaching, Cochenour says. He notes that life lessons on dealing with the uncertainty of farming – especially in an era of climate change – are part of that education.
Acknowledging that not all ACRES students will pursue farming careers, Cochenour emphasizes the importance of guiding young people to become lifelong ag advocates.
“I think this is just as important as growing out a new generation of farmers,” he says.
See more: Big Green Connects Kids to Fresh Food and Farming
Food Justice for All
FrontLine Farming is a BIPOC- (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) and women-led food justice and farmer advocacy organization whose co-founders help lead Mile High Farmers and serve on the Jefferson County and Denver food policy councils. FrontLine grew about 27,000 pounds of fresh produce in 2021 using regenerative farming methods on 2 acres across three urban plots. But production isn’t FrontLine’s sole focus. Its three-pronged mission is to achieve food security, equity and sovereignty across the Front Range food system.
To address local food needs, FrontLine reserves a portion of the shares of its CSA program for SNAP and WIC recipients. They also partner with area nonprofits to offer a no-cost grocery program. Through its Healing Foods program, FrontLine donates more than a quarter of the food it grows to the local community through food banks, churches and other organizations.
To tackle food segregation and encourage food sovereignty, FrontLine established the Center for Food Justice and Healthy Communities, helped launch the Colorado Water Equity Partnership and is one of the main conveners of the advocacy group Project Protect Food Systems Workers. FrontLine’s BIPOC Beginning Farmer Apprenticeship Program teaches farming skills to growers from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.
JaSon Auguste, director of farming at Celebration/Sister Gardens has full faith that these efforts can have major impacts on the community.
“Even though we’re a small organization, we’re driven to make real, positive change on a tangible level in people’s lives, both one-on-one and on systemic and cultural levels as well,” Auguste says.
See more: Labors of Love: Colorado’s Agriculture Industry Boasts Diverse Talent