Colorado's farmers markets are places where people connect and share ideas, not just sell local produce and dairy products. The Greeley Farmers' Market is home to several stands from nearby farms, and many of them are doing nonprofit activist work to uplift the lives of Colorado residents. Garden & Health chatted with one stand owner, Sean Short of Blooming Health Farms. He took them through Blooming Health's mission and discussed how sustainable agriculture helps social justice.
Short co-founded Blooming Health, a 501c(3) nonprofit hydroponic and chicken farm, with Ryan Smith in 2019. The operation works with at-risk youth ages 15 to 24 to teach them valuable life skills, fulfill community service hours, and stay out of the criminal justice system. It sells all its products at the farmers market stand in Greeley, where Blooming Health is based.
"Our mission was to start connecting and networking with the other people in our area and understand what our needs were," Short explained to Garden & Health.
Read more at Garden & Health.