Pueblo Seed & Food Co. has launched a nonprofit initiative with Onward! A Legacy Foundation to boost heat- and drought-tolerant grain and legume production in Southwest Colorado.
To celebrate the start of the Pueblo Seed & Grain Hub, the community is invited to a winter solstice celebration and fundraiser Sunday, Dec. 21, at Pueblo Seed & Food Co., 25 N. Beech St. No RSVP is required.
The event includes brunch from 9 to 11 a.m., a seed and food auction from 11 a.m. to noon with local auctioneer Ryder Higgins, and holiday shopping with live music by Magi & Nur and free cookies from noon to 2 p.m.
According to a news release, the hub will operate as a fund of Onward! and provide regional farmers with open-pollinated seed and infrastructure. It will also offer training for food makers, health professionals and educators interested in regionally grown grains and legumes.
“Organic, drought-tolerant heritage grains and cover crops are in extremely short supply in the U.S., and infrastructure to support regional production of these crops is nonexistent for small and midscale family farmers,” said Dan Hobbs, Pueblo Seed & Food Co. co-owner.
The project received a major donation in October from the Nimmagadda family: 155 acres and several buildings in upper McElmo Canyon, 19891 Road G. The hub will house a food-grade seed cleaning line, seed repository, testing lab, demonstration gardens and educational programming.
Seven collaborating farmers from Colorado and New Mexico have already delivered culinary barley, sorghum, Sonoran white wheat and finger millet to the hub this fall.
“The ultimate measures of the success of a local grain and legume food economy are adoption of these special crops by millers, bakers, chefs and home cooks, but also health professionals such as dietitians, nurses and doctors,” said Dr. Nanna Meyer, nutritionist and Pueblo Seed & Food Co. co-owner. “The Nimmagadda family believes in food as medicine and so do we.”
Pueblo Seed & Food Co. will donate its seed cleaning equipment to the hub and plans to transfer its seed collection. Hub services will include seed cleaning and testing, demonstration gardens, regional outreach and educational programs promoting nutritious, drought-tolerant crops.
Proceeds from the auction will support hub initiatives aimed at strengthening seed and food security in the region.
