Our group's mission is to create spaces where community members can help
each other grow healthy food.
We are a volunteer group that came together in Summer 2017 to revitalize a small garden at the Cortez Rec Center and open it up to the community. Our group operates as a project of the Good Samaritan Center Food Pantry in association with the City of Cortez Parks and Recreation Department.
We have created a small community garden adjacent to the current garden that has a total of 19 family, individual and handicap accessible plots available for community members. The original garden consists of 3 demonstration beds that are a showcase for intensive gardening ideas while providing fresh produce for the food pantry. A new children's garden is comprised of 3 additional plots from the original garden along with a sandbox, a "dig area" and growing spaces along the border.
The entire project is a beautiful space for many activities from potluck meals to outdoor meetings to art workshops. We hope people will enjoy eating their lunch in the garden during the workday, relaxing in the shade with a good book, or taking the opportunity to explore the flowers, vegetables, and insects flourishing in the garden.
We are working to bring community gardens to Cortez and intend for the Rec Center Garden to be a catalyst for more gardens in other parts of the city. We are part of the wider movement in the Four Corners region to create a local sustainable food economy.
Together we can create vibrant community gardens in Cortez, supporting the health, security, and connectedness of our friends and neighbors.
OUR VISION
A diverse and vibrant network of community gardens that inspires people to be self-reliant and to build resilient communities.
OUR GOAL
To create space where people can grow healthy food.
To provide gardening, cooking and nutrition classes.
To create a shared sense of place by connecting with and embracing the cultures of community members.
To share healthy food with the Good Samaritan Food Pantry.
To build a sense of community and neighborhood vitality.
To work with local partners to promote healthy eating and to develop a sustainable, local food system.
We're excited that we have been able to work with the City of Cortez to start this community garden in Cortez that is open to all residents of Montezuma County.
The Garden is located outside the Rec Center on the SW corner*
Cortez Recreation Center
425 Roger Smith Blvd.
Cortez, CO 81321
*A membership at the Rec Center is not required to access the garden.
