Once again, the members of our community have risen to another challenge: In March, the El Pomar Foundation of Colorado Springs awarded Colorado Farm To Table $10,000 towards 2009 operating expenses. However, they would only provide the grant if and only if donors would contribute an additional $10,000 from within the community and do it by June 1st.
With Alisha Moore at the wheel, volunteers (from left to right) Brice Lewis, Deborah Bass and Emily Lewis carefully transplant cauliflower. Photo courtesy Areta Heard.
You more than met the terms of the challenge! Even in these difficult times, nearly 125 individuals found a way to make it happen. Best of all, over 91 % of the funds came from “locals”. Colorado Farm To Tables (CFTT) defines “locals” as those who live in the Arkansas River Valley communities, from Cañon City to Leadville, as well as those neighbors in Fremont, Teller and Lake counties. This is a terrific showing of neighbors helping neighbors.
Every donation, no matter what size, helps CFTT meet the annual budget. Contributions pay back many times over in the number of pounds of fresh produce picked and shipped to those in need. As a result, Colorado Farm To Table will receive $10,000 from El Pomar in addition to your donations already in hand. These monies are earmarked for seed, fertilizer, fuel, repairs, operational farm supplies and all the direct operating costs needed to get the 2009 growing season started.
With the cold and extremely wet spring this year, planting was seriously delayed. However, as of today, all the sweet corn, three varieties of squash and nearly 7,000 cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower transplants are in the ground. The remaining acreage will be seeded with oat hay to help build up the soil for future produce production. What’s needed now is an abundance of sunshine along with summer’s warm temperatures. With this, the crops will receive the heat units they need to mature.
Watch the crops grow lush this summer on the Shine Family farm as you travel Hwy 291 towards US285, just past the Arkansas River bridge. And, if you would like to join a great team of valued volunteers, please contact Volunteer Coordinator, Gay Dewberry-Hahn at 719-539-4467 or ebeth81201@yahoo.com. Gay welcomes people of all ages, talents and backgrounds and has many exciting ways in which you can serve. You’ll work alongside master farmer Tony Madone and Farm To Table’s newest farm hand, Alisha Moore. Or, perhaps one of CFTT’s many year-round “office” tasks will appeal – you decide!
Colorado Farm To Table depends on your support to make the harvests happen. With today’s economy, more people than ever face the reality of being hungry. There will still be ongoing funds needed to carry CFTT through the entire season, but without your generous and timely support this Spring, there would be no season.
On behalf of Tony Madone and the entire Board of Directors, a sincere thank you for making possible the mission of Colorado Farm To Table: providing fresh vegetables to those in need across Southern Colorado, year after year.
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