The 33’ geodesic dome will grow healthy food to help eradicate food insecurity in the Pine River Valley. Pine River Shares will build a large geodesic dome greenhouse at its downtown Bayfield campus located in the ‘old primary school’ at 658 S. East Street beginning on Tuesday, June 29 through Saturday, July 3, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The dome-raising will culminate with an open house and free community cook out on Saturday, July 3 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., serving hot dogs, hamburgers and refreshments. The public is invited to attend.
The 33’ geodesic dome greenhouse will make it possible for Pine River Shares to grow food year-round and provide healthy produce for food insecure residents of the Pine River Valley. The greenhouse, crafted by Pagosa Springs-based Growing Spaces, is the newest addition to the “People’s Garden” that includes a recently planted 20-tree apple orchard and over 1900 square feet of fully planted in-ground garden beds.
The “People’s Garden” supports key components of the Field to Fork (F2F) Project Plan whose mission is to grow a healthy, independent food system in the Pine River Valley to meet the food and nutrition needs of its 15,000 residents. The Project accomplishes this by mobilizing residents and communities to produce, buy and consume healthy food grown in the Pine River Valley.
In its fourth year of success, the project grew out of extensive community conversations with over 200 residents from every community in the Pine River Valley. This long-range food security plan guides the work of F2F. A key theme of the long- range plan is to promote homestead food production and teach skills to people who want to grow food in their own yards. The plan intends to further revive agricultural practices in the valley where there was once a vibrant and self-sustaining food system comprised of family farms, grain mills, and dairies.
The greenhouse will grow produce for the organization’s Food Share program that distributes healthy food to over 200 households in Bayfield, Ignacio, Tiffany, Allison, Arboles, and Sam Brito communities every week. Food is delivered to these communities through a volunteer courier service.
The greenhouse was purchased entirely through donations from community members. The Moniker Foundation provided grant funding to support some of the installation costs and AmeriCorps NCCC is providing volunteers for the build during the week. More information about the Field to Fork Project and Food Share programs can be found at http://www.pinerivershares.org.
Pine River Shares
A 501(c)(3), constituent-led and community-based leadership project, brings together the knowledge, skills and resources of people in the Pine River Valley to increase their collective power and bring about positive social change resulting in healthy, thriving Pine River Valley communities.