COMMUNITY PROFILE COURTESY OF @MOUNTAINROOTSFOODPROJECT COURTESY OF @MOUNTAINROOTSFOODPROJECT THE MOUNTAIN ROOTS FOOD PROJECT: MORE THAN JUST ‘BETTER FOOD’ BY ASHTON BROWN COURTESY OF @MOUNTAINROOTSFOODPROJECT THE MOUNTAIN ROOTS FOOD PROJECT has been helping those less fortunate in Southern Colorado for over a decade and donates 52,000 boxes of food each year. Mountain Roots is a small organic farm located in Gunnison, CO, and is known for giving away what they grow (also food from other local farms and farmers) to anyone that needs it. Mountain Roots is not a run-of-the-mill food pantry; the organization regularly grows its own food using regenerative farming techniques. Regenerative farming is a group of techniques that “balance and prioritize the health of the soil and restore the nutrients” in the water and crops. This allows their boxes of food to be fresher – and also much healthier – than the average food pantry or food bank. Holly Conn the executive director at Mountain Roots said, COURTESY OF @MOUNTAINROOTSFOODPROJECT “One of the things that sets us apart from a traditional food pantry is that we’re sourcing food from local farms as much as we possibly can, and we’re providing fresh fruits and vegetables — not boxed mac and cheese or Wonder Bread.” Conn said she wants the underserved community of Gunnison to come away from the experience with more 10 DENVER VOICE January 2023 than just a full stomach. “Our goal is to build comradery, self efficiently, promote health, and promote social and mental well-being, because it’s all tied together.” To achieve this goal, Mountain Roots hosts a four-week cooking class to show families how to cook healthy food for $10 or less. This is one of the many ways they try to erase some of the stigma surrounding people with low incomes. “I think we’re bringing a lot of stability to families who kind of just have to swallow their pride and hold their hand out for the handout,” said Conn. There has always been a need for food and shelter in the Gunnison community, but not like the growing demand over the last couple of years. “It’s a little bit heartbreaking to see an increase in requests this year,” said Conn. “You would think coming out of the pandemic, things would be getting better. On the other hand, it’s heartwarming to see how much our community has stepped up to support their neighbor in need.” Even though there was an increase in food requests in 2022 for Mountain Roots, there was also a record number of volunteers that assembled, sponsored, or dropped off boxes.
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