Ollin Farms Presents at the United Nations

Kena and Mark were honored to travel to the United Nations in New York this week to participate in a gathering of thought leaders from around the world developing programs and policy to support family health and well being.  The meeting coincided with the International Day of the Family and this year’s gathering was focused on the theme of Families and Climate Change.  As described by the United Nations:

“Empowering families through education, changing consumption habits, and advocacy is critical for meaningful and effective climate action. Families pass values across generations, so instilling sustainable habits and climate awareness in families from an early age is important. Integrating circular economy principles into early childhood education can help build a sustainable economic model based on minimizing waste and regenerating natural resources.

The 2024 International Day of Families aims to raise awareness of how climate change impacts families and the role families can play in climate action. Through family and community initiatives, we can foster climate action with education, access to information, training and community participation.”

Ollin Farms co-presented a paper at the meeting along with CU-Denver professor Ruben Viramontez Anguiano and our youth volunteer coordinator Olin Harrison Anguiano.

Participating in this meeting at the United Nations has allowed us to reflect on the 17-year journey of the farm and all the people and organizations that have supported us over the years.  Ollin Farms has been a community effort, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without the support of our CSA members, farmstand customers, employees, students and volunteers.  We share this honor with all of you and would like to recognize the following organizations:

• Boulder County Office of Sustainability and Climate Resilience- for providing grant funding to support the expanded implementation of regenerative practices on the farm which provided the plants, seeds and materials needed to engage the community with hands-on learning.
• Wildlands Restoration Volunteers- for connecting so many families and community members to the farm for restoration projects.
• People Pollinator Action Network- for partnering on youth education events and expanded pollinator plantings at the farm.
• Boulder County Public Health- for grant funding expanding healthy food access to underserved populations in the community and partnering on connecting Early Childhood Education programs to the farm for field trips and hands-on learning.
• The Longmont Museum- for celebrating the rich agricultural heritage of our city and partnering on educational programs, as well as art and cultural programming connected to the farm.
• Sister Carmen Community Center- for supporting local agriculture and making fresh produce available to underserved populations.
• The USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service- for providing cost-shares and technical support for many of our conservation practices.
• Boulder County Open Space- for protecting natural landscapes from development and providing agricultural leases that have allowed us to expand our regenerative practices onto public lands.

Working together, we can make a difference for our families, communities and our planet.

 In gratitude,

The Ollin Farms Family

Kena, Mark, Sofia, Jimena, Amber, Koral and Jack