In September 2024, Jefferson County Food Policy Council hosted their Food Policy Fair at Lakewood Park. The event’s goal was to create an interactive learning opportunity for members on the various policy processes and issues affecting local food systems.
August 21, 2024
Congratulations to the public health departments of Adams, Arapahoe, and Larimer counties for receiving WIC Breastfeeding Awards of Excellence from the USDA during National Breastfeeding Month! Colorado WIC applauds their outstanding breastfeeding support and national recognition.
May 17, 2024
All over Colorado, farmers’ markets are starting to pop up with local growers ready to sell their farm-fresh produce! These markets are a vital part of our food systems, serving as a way for community members to access local, nourishing foods while also providing income opportunities for farmers, ranchers, and other producers.
At the Village Exchange Center in Aurora, one reality is clear to Amanda Blaurock, the organization’s executive director. Making connections for their clients as seamless as possible is a recipe for ensuring everyone who visits the center gets what they need.
The bread is always baking at Delta County Schools on the Western Slope of Colorado. What’s also always happening is Jeri Main, the district’s food service coordinator, and her staff are always on the hunt for new recipes.
Colectivo de Paz makes food a bridge.
The Denver nonprofit’s mutual aid program focuses on supporting people living unhoused. And a major way it builds trust between the organization’s volunteers and staff and the individuals they serve is by demonstrating an understanding of basic needs.
“If you don’t have those basic physical needs met, there isn’t anywhere else to go. Food is always a need, and it creates trust,” said Julian Temianka, the group’s Director of Outreach and Advancement. “With that line of communication open we can do more. Maybe it’s naturalization status. Maybe it is a wound that’s just out of sight under their shirtsleeve. We can’t just come in to say, ‘Who needs legal services?’ until we establish that baseline.”
November 2, 2023
The steering committee of the Healthy School Meals for All campaign is excited to announce its 41 community-based organization partners who will receive grants to support their work. Their efforts will focus on continuing to uplift the new school meals program, now available in every eligible school district across Colorado.
Greta Allen, the Blueprint’s Policy Director, recently visited Leadville to celebrate with some partners in Colorado’s Lake County. Located in a mountain valley of central Colorado, Leadville is the highest-elevation incorporated town in North America at 10,158 feet.
During her time there, Greta attended a full-day celebration of food and earth, with the collective goal of creating change to see food in abundance and in ways that allow everyone to eat healthy and be well. The event called “Future Town: Lettuce Gather” was hosted by Lake County Build a Generation (LCBAG) and Warm Cookies of the Revolution in September 2023.
In tiny Creede, where the school district is home to just 90 students, one man has a goal for himself and his team.
Malcolm Snead, the school’s nutrition director, wants his dining rooms to be considered the “best rural food service program in Colorado.” If you look at his menu and the response from the kids who come through the lunch line, he’s well on his way.
His menu features lentil stew sourced from Dove Creek, micro greens and hydroponically-grown lettuce from the San Luis Valley, and yak meat from a rancher in Saguache.
The San Luis Valley spans nearly 8,000 square miles of southern Colorado, where much of the land in the world’s largest alpine valley provides for the local community as well as people all over the state and nation. They’re the second-largest producer of potatoes in the United States and the largest supplier of native hay for Colorado. With the high-mountain desert’s climate, farmers also grow alfalfa, barley, wheat, and vegetables as well as raise livestock and use their land for grazing.
Dana Wood, the Blueprint’s Community Investment Manager, recently visited several partners in the San Luis Valley who are centering community-driven solutions to transform their local food systems and address hunger locally. This included the Valley Roots Food Hub, San Luis People’s Market, and Saguache Food Access Coalition. See her photo essay to learn more.
