FS|FE-NEWS
January 26, 2021
In this issue you will get an update on what the Coalition is working on, what was shared about value added foods, what's new in the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines, and tips on stretching your food dollars.
Community Connections
Community Conversation
Now on Thursdays from 2:00-3:00 pm

Please join us for our weekly remote Food Coalition Community Conversation, where we will discuss the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and why they are important to our community.

Date: Thursday, January 28, 2021

Time: 2:00 - 3:00 pm Mountain Time

Joan Ward, Ph.D., RD,

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 is the first set of guidelines that provide guidance for healthy dietary patterns by life stage, from birth through older adulthood, and for the first time, there are chapters devoted to each life stage, including infants and toddlers and women who are pregnant or lactating. Read more...

Join the presentation and discussion on what the Dietary Guidelines mean to us.

Call in Number: 1-669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 844 3128 3863
Updates on Supporting Our Community Food System
Online Pagosa Farmers Market
We are testing the system and recruiting vendors - growers, producers, and makers. Please email the Pagosa Farmers Market for more information.
Middle School Snack Program
We are supporting the United Methodist Women to provide healthy snacks to Pagosa Middle School students, increasing their nutrition between meals.
Heritage Cooking Classes
The Heritage Cooking project is current in the process of planning their program to offer heritage based cooking and nutrition classes for families, featuring locally produced ingredients. The classes are planning on starting in March. This project was funded through the PB process.
GGP Winter CSA Shares
The Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership (GGP) is producing winter Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares for the food pantry network, providing fresh produce to food pantry clients. This CSA is supported through the Archuleta County CVRF Grant to the Coalition.
Supporting Grant Opportunities
The Coalition is supporting local food system efforts through grant opportunites. Current efforts include supporting food system infrastructure improvements, which may provide technical assistance for business plan development. The Coalition is initiating discussions with local entities on feasibility of developing a composting facility to further the Coalition's goal of Food Waste Prevention and Resource Recovery for a grant for food waste diversion projects.
Distribution Facility Update
The Coaltion has established a distribution facility that is licensed by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. This facility supports the sourcing, procuring, storage, and distribution of food through all six Archuleta County food pantries and other food efforts.
Looking into the Future: Stay Tuned!
  • The Coalition is working to increase our sourcing of local and regional foods. We are moving ahead in forming a group that is focused on local ranching efforts to learn from and support our ranching community to increase our local food supply.

  • We are supporting efforts related to bridging medical-community food sources to support primary care patients.

  • We are also conducing an assessment of some of our December food efforts, at the moment, the After Hours Food Pantry and Mobile Food Distribution, to inform the next steps for these programs.
Grow Local, Buy Local, Eat Local
Value Added Foods: Highlighting Local and Regional Businesses
The Community Conversation of this past Thursday brought together three local/regional entrepreneurs well known for their fine products for a stimulating conversation about value added products, which, of course, they specialize in - Jenelle Syverson of Choke Cherry Tree, Kathy Keys of Pagosa Baking Company and Kris Gosar of Gosar Ranch Natural Foods. Read more...
Learning from Research and Practice
The Coalition is working with various individuals and sources to better understand how we can support our community to secure local and fresh foods. We have also researched smart shopping practices - Robin Young, our county CSU extension agent, shared some practices to help save food dollars. Here is a short list of pointers you might consider:
  • Budget: It's important to know your budget to determine how much you can spend on food each week.
  • Plan Your Weekly Meals: Plan your meals every seven to ten days to save money and limit food waste.
  • Take Inventory of What You Have and Make a Grocery List: Take inventory and check your meal plan before making a list for the store.
  • Shop Smart: Join rewards programs, read sales flyers, and gather coupons before going to the store. Also, make sure shopping is based on expiration dates.
  • Understand Prices Before Purchasing: Compare the retail price to the unit price while shopping. The unit price is located next to the retail price and is highlighted in red or yellow.

To see more shopping tips click here!
Support our Local Food System