Keeling Curve

Primary Project Category:

Project Summary / Description:

After The Farm Collaborative was selected as the long-term agriculture leaseholder for Cozy Point Ranch in 2017, we had to decide how to utilize our expanded acreage (from two-thirds of an acre up to 15 acres). A heritage orchard is an ideal choice because: 1) it‚ a carbon-capture technique that is replicable and scalable across the majority of agricultural acreage in Colorado; 2) it reflects our valley‚ agricultural heritage and increases our chances of success by using grafts from trees within 50 miles of our farm; and 3) it creates a magnet for agritourism, an outdoor classroom, and a you pick source of fruit for locals and visitors.

How Project Affects Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions:

The Farm Collaborative provides programs and services to grow interest in the local food system and support regional farmers with 0% interest loans, training programs, a magazine publication, youth programming and more, all with the goal of more farmers and more food that is grown in a regenerative way

Best Estimate of GHG Avoidance/Reduction of This Project (Tonnes CO2 Equivalent/Year):

Impact on Underrepresented Groups:

The Farm Collaborative supports gender diversity. Organizationally, more than half of our board of directors, and half of our staff and management team are women. In terms of supporting economic diversity, our goal is to grow healthy, affordable food and make it widely available to valley households, as well as to food pantries, hospitals, and local schools. We also have a policy to not turn anybody away from our education programs for financial reasons; on average, 15% of the children who attend our Earthkeepers summer camps are on scholarships, and sometimes that percentage is as high as 35%. In addition, many of our programs support local farmers (some of the lowest income earners of our region) such as our farmer implement / tool library, incubator beds, housing library, and our future food hub (community kitchen / farm store / distribution center).

Sub-Categories: