Projects

Colorado Local Sustainability was founded in 2007 to support the protection of farm and ranch land, increase the availability of fresh local food to our communities, keep the land and your life healthy by advocating sustainable agriculture methods, and to help support our local economies across Colorado. The items below are represent goals of our projects and program.

• Promote the protection of Colorado’s farmland.
• Help to easily connect consumers with local farms and ranches.
• Help market Colorado’s sustainable growers.
• Help educate consumers on the need to support local food.
• Provide educational resources on sustainable agriculture for growers.
• Help farmers & ranchers obtain grants.
• Make it easier for chefs and schools to purchase local food.
• Encourage the start-up of new farms and urban CSA’s.
• Help growers find land to farm or garden.
• Help create jobs.

Colorado Local Sustainability is currently working on the following projects:

The Rocky Mountain Growers Directory
The 2008 and 2009 print version of the Rocky Mountain Growers Directory have been very popular items, and reach over 45,000 consumers around Colorado with each edition. The printed directory contains farm and ranch listings, articles on local food, recipes and more. Moving forward, We are focusing our efforts on our online presence by improving our content, adding more growers and businesses to the directory, and bringing in more readers. Since the printed directory is also also of great value in reaching consumers the website may not, we are looking to our web advertisers and sponsors to help underwrite the 2010 Rocky Mountain Growers Directory.

Fresh Connections – Farm to Chef Program
A farm to chef program which makes it easy for chefs and other food buyers to purchase from small, local farms and ranches.

Grants for Growers
A service to help farmers and ranchers apply for grants which could help them start or expand their operations, or move towards organic or sustainable agriculture methods.

LandShare Colorado
A free service to help connect growers in search of land, with landowners who have cultivatable land. LandShare Colorado is also working on the “Grow Your Own CSA” program which helps educate new farmers on how to start their own urban CSA, or micro-farm CSA.