This past weekend, Healthy Archuleta brought together local partners united by a common purpose:
Strengthening health equity across our community.
Gathered around a dinner table in a local home, guests from diverse cultural backgrounds and professional roles shared food, laughter, and openhearted conversation. What began as a meal quickly evolved into a thoughtful exchange about how families can thrive when foundational health needs such as sleep, nutrition, and connection are supported.
Special guest Darius Loghmanee, MD, Pediatric Sleep Medicine Physician from Chicago, shared insights from his work helping children and families overcome sleep challenges. He spoke about the transformative power of rest and how listening to patients’ stories, treating the root causes, and restoring healthy sleep patterns can give people their lives back. Even though most of his patients only see him once, the impact is lasting, and the demand for specialists like him continues to grow.
As Dr. Loghmanee seeks new ways to reach community members with clear and trustworthy educational materials, attendees offered creative ideas, from tapping into trusted community networks to innovative tools like podcasts that can break isolation and spread knowledge. Conversations also acknowledged real barriers: fear of judgment, cultural differences in how families handle health concerns, and the weight of responsibility community facilitators/navigators may feel.
The discussion was rich, honest, and motivated by a shared belief that residents deserve accurate information and compassionate support. Whether expanding peer-to-peer education or creating welcoming spaces for families to seek guidance, participants imagined new pathways that honor both expertise and lived experience. The evening closed with a lighthearted sharing of delicious treats, filling the room with joy, gratitude, and a renewed sense of connection. It was a reminder of what is possible when people sit down together, listen deeply, and explore how to build a healthier future side by side.
Pagosa High School Students Explore Local Food Pathways
On November 20, 2025, Plant Science students from Pagosa Springs High School stepped out of their classroom and into Archuleta County’s food system. As part of a growing partnership between Healthy Archuleta, the high school Plant Science class, and local organizations, students spent the day learning firsthand how food moves through our community, from seed to soil, from kitchen to table, and from packaging to recycling.
This field trip is one piece of the Food System Curriculum developed by Healthy Archuleta. The curriculum helps youth understand where their food comes from, who is involved in preparing and distributing it, and how our community works together to keep residents nourished. “By engaging youth directly in our county’s food system,” said a Healthy Archuleta team member, “we help them build knowledge, confidence, and a sense of connection to the health and resilience of our community.”
The day began at Growing Spaces, where students stepped inside climate-controlled dome greenhouses designed to grow food year-round. They learned about sustainable growing techniques and the technology that protects crops from Colorado’s unpredictable weather. One student shared the realization that, “…if you grow it inside, you really don’t have to worry about weather.”
Students then had the opportunity to see how fresh ingredients turn into homemade salsa, discovering how cooking can bring a community together. As one student noted, “The community can come together to eat various types of foods of different cultures.” With fresh flavors still on their minds, they traveled to Pagosa Baking Company to see a busy commercial kitchen in action. “The kitchen has more room than the one at my house,” a student noted, “there are also a lot more machines here than at my house.”
During the journey, students were also introduced to what happens when food is shared. At the Healthy Archuleta Food Distribution Center (FDC), they learned how donated items are stored and distributed to the local food pantries across Archuleta County. They also helped plant seedlings in the grow towers to start lettuce production for distribution to food pantries through the FDC. The students saw how these support services help families facing financial challenges access healthy food options.
“Feeding people good food that they can’t afford for free,” one student reflected, “and it brings the community together.”
To understand the full life cycle of food, including what happens after packaging and containers are used, the students ended their day at the local transfer station. Here, they observed recycling equipment, learned about waste streams, and even noticed how much cardboard moves through the county during different seasons. As one student said with surprise, “It’s cool, and we know how much cardboard we use those months.”
From growing domes to bakery ovens, warehouse shelves to recycling balers, every stop along the route expanded the students’ understanding of the local food system. They returned to school with new perspectives on the complexity and the community teamwork behind every meal.
Healthy Archuleta looks forward to continuing this collaboration with teachers, students, local businesses, and community partners. By turning learning into lived experience, this partnership is helping cultivate the next generation of informed leaders who care about food access, local agriculture, and sustainability in Archuleta County. Together, we are growing curiosity, strengthening community, and inspiring youth to be part of the food system that nourishes us all.
Healthy Archuleta is proud to help foster these moments of collaboration, where community champions reflect on their efforts, learn from one another, and imagine solutions that strengthen the well-being of every family in Archuleta County.
To learn more about Healthy Archuleta, please visit our website at www.foodcoalition4archuleta.org.