Incubator Plot and Equity Classroom Space Overview
The Just Good Food Program is entering its second year at the Equity Garden Classroom space on 2nd Street in Paonia, Colorado. We have built a timber frame classroom with the help of volunteers, installed a pollinator garden that is graced with native pollinator plants, edible and medicinal herbs and shrubs donated by local gardeners and farmers. We’ve also grown over 350 lbs of food for local food banks and are now supporting four local landless farmers who are incubating farm businesses on ⅛ acre plots.
The Incubator farmers range in age from 23-55 and represent a diverse group, from a disabled veteran, to a small family business, to a young woman learning to grow edible flowers for caterers and chefs in local and surrounding mountain towns. They each have full access to an ⅛ acre plot that has been holistically managed with cover crops and rotationally grazed sheep in the off growing season for the last three years. The plot also has senior water rights and is home to the Classroom space where incubators can attend workshops on regenerative agriculture and natural building for free. They can also peruse the Equity Plot where we grow vegetables, berries and herbs to donate to our distribution network of five local food banks. The Equity plot also serves as a demonstration site for Incubators and the public to learn about permaculture principles and soil building techniques that can be applied at a low cost. The plot is available for tours when coordinated with Elizabeth (Elizabeth@colofarmfood.org) or during workshops that are open to the general public on a donation basis.
We also hosted nine workshops in 2022 at the Classroom space and in our office during the chilly Spring months where we have covered topics ranging from fire mitigation with hugelkultur and biochar, to pollinator gardens, to soil health for pasture and gardens. We also built an observation bench for the pollinator garden and the entire timber frame classroom structure as workshops so that participants were able to learn step by step the building processes for these projects and also contribute to the plot for future generations to use and enjoy.
We meet at the plot (1221 Second Street) every Thursday evening from 5-7pm for a Volunteer day where we prep beds, plant food and pollinator plants for local food banks and ecological health. Folks who come out enjoy snacks, make new friends, learn and share new techniques for growing food and give back to our community by helping grow food for those in need.
This season, we are also pleased to welcome Sarah Leslie to the plot as our new Equity Plot Farm Manager and Volunteer Coordinator.
Sarah has a background in environmental sciences and food systems. She has experience working with community gardens all over the country. She is passionate about uplifting food accessibility via growing culturally important food and storytelling. She works as a journalist and is excited by emerging agriculture technologies such as carbon credits. Sarah is currently managing the equity plot in Paonia and using her farming knowledge to help create a productive, sustainable garden that will grow delicious food for our community.