Gratitude

Gardens are such a ripe metaphor for the Thanksgiving season; the cornucopia of the harvest reminding us all of the abundance we can experience through a garden harvest, a bountiful feast and the loving relationships of family and friends.

On this Thanksgiving, all of us at Guidestone would like to extend our gratitude to our volunteers, participants, partners and this community that values healthy local food.  Best wishes for an abundant and thank-filled holiday!

Land Link - Sustainablility and Resilience

written by Andrea Earley Coen
Education & Outreach Director, Guidestone

Just after Hurricane Sandy swept up the East Coast,  a friend shared a link to a New York Times article (included below) about the ideas of sustainability and resilience.  The article got me thinking more about those ideas in regards to Guidestone's work, and this blog is based on those musings...

There is an interesting conversation that is currently taking place across many sectors of society, discussing the differences between sustainability and resilience, and the necessity of both to ensure communities thrive within unpredictably changing environmental conditions.

Resilience implies the short-term ability to respond effectively to dynamic, unforeseen, potentially catastrophic situations.  Sustainability on the other hand addresses the causes of these potentially unforeseen situations and works toward solutions.  For example, from an Ecology perspective, resilience would be the ability to assist a prey animal species to adapt and rebound from overhunting by an overpopulation of it’s primary predator.  Sustainability in this same scenario would focus on the factors that led to overpopulation of that predator and work towards ecological balance in this predator-prey dynamic. 

When applied to the idea of food systems, resilience refers to the ability to manage different parts of the food supply chain during a limited-time event (i.e. major storm) while sustainability addresses the larger-scale needs of ensuring a local food system that can cope with changing environmental conditions.

For an informative article recently published in the New York Times, post-hurricane Sandy, in regards to the paring of these ideas, click here.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/03/opinion/forget-sustainability-its-about-resilience.html?pagewanted=all

For a more in-depth look at sustainability and resilience in food systems, click here to read an article on the University of Vermont’s Food Feed blog.
http://learn.uvm.edu/foodsystemsblog/2012/10/22/resilience-and-sustainability-in-the-food-system/

Guidestone and the Central Colorado Land Link Initiative 

Within Guidestone, sustainability and resilience are two sides of the coin that Land Link is working to address in regards to land access and local food production. 

Resilience comes by helping bolster the local food economy on many levels. The Central Colorado Land Link Initiative (CCLLI) increases opportunities in farming and ranching by connecting retiring farmers, ranchers and landowners with next generation farmers and helping to create equitable, secure, and affordable access to agricultural land through various management and lease agreement structures. 

Guidestone’s sustainability comes through it’s demonstrated commitment to organizational strength through building the capacity of our staff and volunteers, developing a diverse funding strategy, and establishing strategic partnerships.  In regards to the CCLLI, this includes the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas and CSU Extension.

Land Link Currently:

We have had an incredible outpouring of interest on our Land Link database with over 100+ registered users from across the country, over 40 of which have also submitted farmer applications and are inspired and enthusiastic to begin new or move existing agricultural operations to the Arkansas Valley region and throughout Colorado.  There is a high demand for land opportunities to accompany this burgeoning group of aspiring farmers!

Please contact andrea@guidestonecolorado.org to learn more about the Land Link program and how you could get involved or visit www.guidestonecolorado.org/Land-Link to submit a land listing.


And if you would like to join us in this conversation of land link and local food systems...

 

Land Link Forum - Save the Date!  

March 8-9, 2013

Mt. Princeton Hot Springs

Please join Guidestone in this forum on land link, local foods and agriculture.  The 2-day event will include a keynote speaker, presentations, discussion and networking opportunities, delicious meals highlighting local foods of our area and a Friday evening social event, all held at the beautiful Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Resort.  More details to come!

For info on the Mt. Princeton Resort, go to www.mtprinceton.com

Pumpkin Patch Thank You!

 On behalf of Guidestone’s Board of Directors and staff, we would like to extend a resounding thank you to everyone in the community who participated in our 6th Annual Pumpkin Patch Festival, this year held at the Hutchinson Ranch.  It was a wonderful weekend of festivities, and we are grateful to all the attendees, volunteers, sponsors and partners that helped make the weekend a success!

Abby & Wendell "Hutch" Hutchinson

We would like to specifically thank the following individuals, organizations and animals for helping make the Pumpkin Patch such a great event: Art & Abby Hutchinson and the staff and animals of the Hutchinson Ranch, Ralph Ogden of Arkansas Valley Trail Rides and his team of wranglers, draft horses and ponies, Dennis Fischer and his John Deere tractor, Weathervane Farm for providing pumpkins, Colorado Grown Distribution Center, GARNA and all of our hard-working and positive volunteers: Deb Bass, Shannon Bevington, Michael Blazewicz, Ruby Brown, Leslie Champ, Charis Cheeseman, Travis & Ann Colbert, Cecilia & Tess Darracott, Tami Deal, Christi Lee Delaney, Karen Fortier, Michael Hayes and students from Horizons Exploratory Academy, Nancy Hunt, Angie Jensen, Emily Karls, Karen Lacy, Elizabeth Laesecke, Samantha Lane, Karen & Kelsey Lundberg, David Lynch, Claudia Mann, Melissa McKenna, Amy McMillan, Dee Miller, Anne Oliver, Mesa & Lily Pinto, Danielle Riggio, Seth, Caitlin & Juniper Roberts, Joan & Randy Roberts, Beth Sather, Claire Shepard, Susan Skye, Kristine Smock, Faith Spino, Isaac Stackonis, Betsy Steinberg & Family, Josh & Sam Visitacion, Mark Zander. 

Linda, Jack, Steve & Greg

Thanks as well to the following musicians for sharing their talent and creating such a festive atmosphere!  Pierce Gresham, Sam Pankratz, Carl Meinecke, Drew Murzda, Elisha McArthur, Dave Tipton, Greg Walters, Linda Lovell, Jack Chivvis and Stephen Smalzell.

We also would like to thank the following businesses for their sponsorships or in-kind donations: Arkansas Valley Trail Rides, LiveWell Chaffee County, The Eddyline Restaurant and Brewery, Erin’s Organics Geothermal Greenhouse, Simple Foods, Izze, The Chip Peddler, Ploughboy, Scanga’s, Hutchinson Ranch Grass-Fed Beef, Mountain Phoenix Coffee Roasters, City On A Hill Roastery and Sweetie’s Bakery.

All of the proceeds from the Pumpkin Patch go to support Guidestone’s Farmhands Education Program, which provides hands-on, experiential farm & ranch education programs to school groups, children and families.  Guidestone is a Chaffee County-based non-profit dedicated to strengthening the local food economy through the preservation of agricultural resources and education.

Community support is invaluable to the success of these programs, and we are grateful to be part of such an enthusiastic community that supports local food and local agriculture.  Thanks again, and best wishes for a cozy winter.  We hope to see you on the farm again soon!

Tom Pokorny & Jen Visitacion at the welcome table!

Warm regards,
Guidestone Staff: Jennifer Tucker Visitacion, Andrea Earley Coen and Margaret Fitch
Guidestone Board: Brian England, Tom Pokorny, Judie Anders, Erin Oliver, Paul Houser and Derald Brady.

Pumpkin Patch crowd in the barn

Watching apples go through the cider press!

Making corn husk dolls

Chip & Dale waiting for a wagon load of kids to head out to the pumpkin patch

Joan & Randy Roberts ready to sell pumpkins and gourds

Busy hands at the craft table

Simpler Times Bluegrass Band taking advantage of late afternoon sunlight on Friday evening

Getting ready for a pony ride

Art & Wendell "Hutch" Hutchinson enjoying the festivities

Dennis Fischer and his hard-working John Deere tractor delivering folks to the barn

Angie Jensen working the cider press with some enthusiastic helpers