Cottonwood Institute (CI) continued its partnership with Re:Vision to help make the 4th annual Urban Farm Volunteer Project a success! 15 rock star volunteers gathered on a chilly fall Saturday morning, all with different connections to CI, but a shared interest in giving back their time to Re:Vision! CI Instructors, Advisory Board Members, Staff, new, and old friends all bonded over hard work and laughs as the chilly morning gave way to a beautiful, sunny afternoon.

According to Joseph Teipel, Re:Vision Co-Founder and Executive Director, Re:Vision is an organization working to cultivate thriving, resilient communities. Westwood is one of the densest, youngest, and poorest neighborhoods in Denver. Yet it is culturally rich with incredibly talented people and a tight sense of community. It is also a food desert with no immediate access to healthy and affordable foods. The property was purchased in partnership with the City of Denver in 2014, and will eventually house the full-service grocery store, a community arts center, heritage food hall, commercial commissary kitchen, and office/co-working space.

Our volunteers are always happy to contribute to the efforts in any way possible. This year, we broke into 2 teams to tackle our jobs! One group helped to clear and load a trailer full of scrap metal, making space for new projects. The other worked on transporting some items from the main building and re- organizing them in their new home. We all joined together in the afternoon for some fun working in the gardens, helping to harvest containers full of peppers and tomatoes. Each year, we are amazed and inspired to see all of the transformations of this space. Last year, when we did this project, we helped prepare an area for a new greenhouse. This year, we were able to see over 200 lettuce plants thriving in their new hydroponic space.

Afterwards, we celebrated our hard work with delicious watermelon fresh from the Re:Vision farm. We shared an amazing Mexican lunch from Mujeres Emprendedoras Cooperative prepared by local Promotoras from the Re:Vision co-op. We ended the day on a good note, with bellies full of amazing food, beer from Great Divide Brewing Company, new friends, and a great sense of satisfaction for a job well done!

A big thank you to Re:Vision for your continued partnership and the opportunities you make possible for our students and volunteers. We appreciate and admire your dedication to the Westwood community! A special thanks to Joseph Teipel and David at Re:Vision for organizing this project. We would also like to thank the Mujeres Emprendedoras Cooperative and Great Divide Brewing Company, and of course our rock star volunteers for giving their time and making this amazing day so fulfilling and rewarding!

Check out more photos from the day by Clicking Here.

Written by Vicki Whisenhunt, Administrative & Logistics Coordinator