This year’s program had about 20 participants. One participant said, “It was amazing. They give you an entire manual that has so much information, and the best part is we get an expert grower who answers our questions and is totally versed in Pagosa and the local growing climate.”
Another participant gave praise to the same binder each participant receives when they sign up for the course, “I’ve thoroughly read the binder because it’s very well laid out and there are many charts that are all related to our growing zone.”
The first three of five consecutive classes took place at the PLPOA community garden beds. The Vista Lake Community Garden beds were established in 2022 with the help and sponsorship of Healthy Archuleta. The participants worked directly on the beds, learning about soil health, structure, and amending the beds with composted materials provided by the PLPOA. These vegetable beds, which are maintained and managed by the Vista Lake Community Garden Committee, a subcommittee of the PLPOA Board of Directors, will begin growing fresh produce over the next several months and then donate the harvested vegetables to local food pantries by way of Healthy Archuleta’s Food Distribution Center.
The remaining two weeks of the Seed to Supper classes were held downtown at the Pagosa Springs Community Garden and focused on transplanting, direct sowing, garden maintenance, pests, weeds, fertilizing, etc. and finally end of season harvesting, how to cook what has been grown, preserving the harvest and putting beds away for winter.
These classes have become an important part of Healthy Archuleta’s involvement with the Pagosa Springs community. Over the last few years, local expert gardeners and farmers have offered their time and expertise as class instructors to help educate about growing in Archuleta County. Additionally, these classes have also been offered in English and Spanish to support our community in their gardening efforts.
Where to grow fresh foods this summer
If you’re looking to get gardening this summer, the Pagosa Springs Community Garden has beds available for you to grow your own fresh foods. If you don’t know what you’re doing, that’s okay! Healthy Archuelta offers support with our bimonthly Gardening Conversations at Pagosa Springs Community Garden from 9 am to 10 am all summer: June 14 and 28, July 12 and 26, August 9 and 23, September 13 and 27. We hope to see you there!
Where to buy fresh food this summer
Looking to purchase fresh local foods this summer? Higher Grounds recently added a Tuesday Night Market from 4 pm to 8 pm every Tuesday until Labor Day. In their parking lot, find local foods, crafts, and artisans. Mark your calendars for June 14 as the first opening day for the Pagosa Springs Farmers Market from 9am to 1pm at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church.
To learn more about the efforts of Healthy Archuleta, please visit our website at www.foodcoalition4archuleta.org or send us an email at fsfearchuleta@gmail.com.