300 Backyard Gardens Underway in SW Denver!
Here’s to spring in Colorado – where a single day can include t-shirt temperatures, sunglasses, a blizzard and even thunder snow! In the midst of all the wacky weather, Re:Vision’s promotoras and other community members are hard at work starting the sixth growing season (6 years!!) of Re:Farm Denver’s backyard garden program in southwest Denver.
We’re excited to announce that 300 low-income families have signed up for backyard gardens through our program this year! We want to take a moment to thank the Colorado Health Foundation and the Roots and Branches Foundation (Rose Community) for their support of the Re:Farm program, allowing us to expand the number of families who can experience the many health and economic benefits of growing their own fresh produce in their backyards.
Promotor Christobal Rodriguez demonstrating how to plant peppers.
Like many low-income urban communities, Westwood residents have very few choices for healthy food. Our Re:Farm program teaches families how to grow food right in their backyard. However, we know that simply helping a family start a garden isn’t a guarantee that they will change their eating habits and/or improve their health. Access is important, but without education and motivation, nothing will change. That’s why our Re:Farm program pairs each family with a promotora who is trained in gardening and in health. We train and employ residents from the community and match them with their neighbors, thus building the leadership, knowledge base, and relationships that make each neighborhood healthier, self-sufficient, and more resilient!
Promotoras delivering compost to a family garden.
Promotoras have finished delivering organic bio-compost to each household garden, and are helping families rototill their yard, breaking up the tough Denver clay into healthy, lush soil. Now we’re keeping our eye on the forecast for sunny days on which we can begin planting seeds. And just a few weeks from now, promotoras will deliver seedlings from Re:Vision’s greenhouse and help families plant tomatoes, chilies, squash, melons, and other summer delights! Later in the summer when families are harvesting their hard-earned bounty, promotoras will help lead cooking classes and workshops in Re:Vision’s new educational kitchen!
Interested in getting involved? Help more families participate in Re:Farm by donating now, by purchasing a CSA share, or by taking advantage of Revision’s Dig it Forward custom veggie garden design and installation services.
Already have a garden? Make your annual garden dollars go further by getting all your seeds, plants, soil amendments, and custom drip irrigation needs met at our Re:Seedling sales!