🌿 Looking Back, Growing Forward 🌿

Hi Lindsay,

A new year always brings a little pause for reflection—and then a whole lot of jumping back in. As we settle into 2026, we’re already off and running, and we wanted to share a few moments we’re proud of from last year, along with what’s been keeping us busy lately.

✨ 2025 Highlights ✨

🥕 Produced 22,500 pounds of fresh food using organic farming practices at Denver Green School Community Farm (DGS) and the Farm at Jack’s Solar Garden (JSG), feeding over 5,000 of our community members.

🥕 Half of the produce distributed from both farms went to people in need via no-cost and low-cost CSA shares, donation-based farm stands, SNAP and WIC programs, Farm to Cafeteria programs for local schools, and food pantry donations - 20% of the total harvest was donated to food pantries!

🥕 At DGS, half of the memberships in our CSA program served food-insecure households through no-cost WIC, SNAP, and Solidarity Shares. At Jack’s, 10% of our farmers market sales were provided at half-price to SNAP customers, and almost 30% of the harvest was donated to local food pantries. 

🥕 Engaged nearly 10,000 individuals through CSA shares, farmers markets & farm stands, volunteer days, workshops, field trips, classes, and events, including 500 youth at DGS.

🥕 Stewarded 4 acres of farm land using small-scale sustainable farming methods through employing 12 farm crew members in roles from youth intern up to manager.

Closing a Chapter in Agrivoltaics

As 2025 came to a close, so did our chapter at Jack’s Solar Garden.

In spring 2021, we broke ground on one of our most innovative projects yet: farming beneath solar panels at the largest agrivoltaic (agriculture + photovoltaics) vegetable research site in the U.S. For five seasons, we applied our regenerative agriculture practices to these unique solar microclimates while partnering with researchers to measure results. Preliminary findings show exciting benefits of agrivoltaics, including higher yields for certain crops, reduced water use, extended growing seasons, and improved solar efficiency thanks to the cooling effect of vegetation beneath the panels.

Last year however, the USDA canceled the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program. Without this funding, we could not continue research at Jack’s, making 2025 our final season. We are deeply grateful to our partners — Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Colorado State University, and the University of Arizona — for collaborating on this trailblazing effort.

We’re sad to close this chapter, but incredibly proud of what we built together. Thank you to everyone who worked and volunteered at the farm at Jack's over the years to bring this project to life!  We especially appreciate the hard work and dedication of our farm managers from 2021 through 2025: Brittany Staie, Liza McConnell, and the co-managers Katie Ketchum, Mira Leibovich, and Steven Larrea!! 

Over five years, we contributed valuable data, supported publications, and helped inform the design of the new solar array at Denver Botanic Gardens’ Chatfield Farm. We’re proud to pass along what we’ve learned so this work can continue. We’re also proud to share that our own Harvest Manager, Katie Ketchum, is now working at Denver Botanic Gardens — continuing to share her agrivoltaics expertise, regenerative farming knowledge, and hands-on experience to help advance this movement!

Most of all, we celebrate our Jack’s farm team, who demonstrated to thousands what’s possible for sustainable vegetable production in the semi-arid West — growing chard leaves the size of your torso, arugula that never bolts, and lettuce that stays sweet in July heat. We’re sad to close this chapter, but incredibly proud of what we built together. Thank you for an unforgettable five years.

Jack's Solar Garden was featured at the end of last year on NPR's Marketplace! Check out the story highlighting the innovative approach of agrivoltaics in combining farming and solar power to diversify revenue streams:

https://www.marketplace.org/story/2025/12/02/agrivoltaics-combines-farming-and-solar-power-and-helps-diversify-revenue

Introducing our newest team member:

Steph Cochenour, MAP Farm Manager

Re-launching Mountair Park

Community Farm in Lakewood

We are thrilled to be re-launching full production at Mountair Park Community Farm this season under the farm management leadership of Steph! In 2024, we paused production to let the land rest after 10 seasons and reassess the farm's potential to meet its surrounding communities' changing priorities.

In 2025, we hosted longtime partner Ekar Farm to lead production while we focused on community outreach/engagement around MAP. We hired a Community Navigator who organized and convened three community listening sessions to collectively determine how MAP can continue to be a relevant resource to the surrounding neighborhoods moving forward.

Some of our goals this season include:

• Harvest and distribute 7,000 lbs of organic produce

• Reach 1,000 people through on-farm engagement and education programs

• Host Andrea’s No-Cost Market on a bi-weekly basis from May to October

Come work for Sprout City Farms!

Sprout City Farms is hiring at both Denver Green School Community Farm and Mountair Park Community Farm!

Check out the postings here: https://sproutcityfarms.org/join-our-team

Visit or Volunteer at one of our farms!

Volunteer and Tour sign-ups are also open for DGS this season! Volunteering gives community members the opportunity to work alongside our farmers and gain valuable skills related to growing food in a community setting. All ages and experience levels are welcome!

👉 https://sproutcityfarms.org/volunteer

🥬 Become a Supporter! 🥬

We’re excited to launch our new Sponsorship Program! This is a meaningful way for businesses and community partners to support local food production while gaining visibility and impact. Learn more about how to get involved here.

Becoming a Cultivator by participating in our monthly donor program is a fantastic way to make a significant contribution to our mission, and is a reliable source of revenue for Sprout City Farms to germinate perennial progress in the communities we serve. Please consider a monthly donation that’s easy to set up -- set it and forget it!

Join the board!

We're seeking new members to join our Board of Directors! Check out the Board member position description and get in touch if you're interested! We are particularly looking for:

• Accountant or someone with finance experience

• Lawyer

• Experienced fundraiser

• Community organizer

• Representative(s) from the neighborhoods and communities surrounding our farms