Drylands Agroecology Research

Big news: 20,000 trees are coming to DAR next spring! ???? Our impact is growing every day: ? 51 land stewardship partners ? 402 tons of carbon sequestered (so far!) ? 64,758 linear feet of swales built ? 18,664 trees and shrubs planted ...and these numbers don’t even include the amazing work we do with our partners! Now through Dec 10, every donation to our Colorado Gives Day page is matched dollar for dollar. That means you can double your impact and help us continue restoring life on Earth. ?? Donate today and be part of the change. ???? https://lnkd.in/gWt7uszM #RegenerativeFarming?#ClimateAction?#ColoradoGivesDay?#PlantTrees?#LandRestoration

At the beginning of July,?DAR has donated a total of 3,160 pounds of fresh, regeneratively grown food.?All of which was grown in the?Food Solidarity Garden?and?Elk Run Farm. This total does not include the food that has been gifted directly to volunteers, donors, community lunches, friends, family, and storage crops that have yet to be donated. Here’s where our donations went: ???807 lbs?donated to Indigenous Elders & families ???1,387 lbs?to staff CSAs ???966?lbs?to families attending Alaya Preschool, Boulder Day Nursery, CU Children’s Center, and New Horizons in partnership with Boulder Food Rescue Your support is the lifeblood of this work. Whether you donate $10 or more, your gift allows us to extend our impact to our communities. ??We’re asking for your support this Colorado Gives Day. From now until December 10th, each donation will be matched by the CO Gives Foundation and FirstBank. Double your impact to support life on earth! #regenerativefarming?#regenerativeagriculture?#landstewardship?#coloradogivesday?#biodiversity

Who's your go-to for bulk bare-root Siberian Pea Shrub seedlings? We're on the hunt for about 1,650 of these hardy, nitrogen-fixing plants—ideally regionally adapted for Colorado’s climate zone 5b. +Bonus points if you’ve worked with a supplier who’s as passionate about restoring drylands as we are. We’re ready to partner up for a robust planting season, where each shrub adds to the resilience and biodiversity of our projects across the arid West. If you have recommendations, we’re all ears! #RegenerativeAgriculture #TreePlanting #LandRestoration #ClimateAdaptedPlants #SiberianPeaShrub #EcosystemResilience

It is estimated that between 50% and 60% of the United States caloric intake comes from cereal crops, primarily wheat and corn. Over the last few centuries, millions of acres of intact, functional ecosystems like forests, savannas, and grasslands, were destroyed, along with their respective plant and animal communities, water and nutrient cycles etc, just to grow these annual crops in mostly monocultures. Chestnuts are unique tree nuts - they are around 75% starch/carbohydrate and 25% protein and fat - nearly the same nutrient spectrum as wheat. The nuts can be milled into flower for baking, breads, etc. Imagine if our farmlands were instead dominated by rich polycultures of tree and shrub crops like chestnuts and hazelnuts. Designed for mechanical harvest, gleaned with livestock and grazed for increased profit potential plus nutrient cycling. It is not unrealistic for vast forests of agricultural systems to feed our country without compromising the necessary ecosystem functions that preserve water, soil, and habitat resources. To me, this is where production and conservation overlap, where stewardship of ecosystems at a profit is a win win for all

?? Boulder Area Friends – Mark Your Calendars! ?? Mad Agriculture is thrilled to invite you to a unique culinary experience on November 16 at Lyons Farmette. This isn’t just any event – it’s an opportunity to explore and enjoy crops from regenerative farm systems that many of us may not even know how to cook with…yet! Farmers only grow what they can sell, so we want to start spotlighting crops that are key to regenerative systems, like perennial grains (think Kernza), nitrogen-fixing crops (chickpeas, lentils), and ancient grains (millet, emmer, farro). These ingredients are not only packed with nutrition but also critical to regenerative farming practices. Our goal? To make these foods accessible, exciting, and fun for everyone. Join us for a one-of-a-kind grits cook-off featuring Colorado’s top chefs, headlined by my son, Chef Cody Candelario – Food Network star and champion of Cutthroat Kitchen, Chopped, and a finalist on Hell’s Kitchen. They’ll compete to create the ultimate dish using Nexty award winning Gruff Ancient Grain Grits (from Regenerative Organic Alliance certified heritage farro grown on the historic Prairie Grass Ranch in Montana’s Golden Triangle). Our esteemed judges include Gruff founder Crystal Manuel, New Hope Network's Carlotta Mast, author Sophie Egan, and Mad's own board chair Robbie Vitrano. ?? Use the code MAD at checkout to bring your ticket to $75. Hope to see you there for a night of fun, flavor, and food education!

Well, I am stoked to say that another 1,500 acres of land degraded by conventional farming practices is on its way back to ecosystem health. This property on the semi-arid eastern slope of Washington, close to the apple-growing capital of the country Wenachee, stands around 2,000 vertical ft above Lake Entiat. Historically, this landscape was a well-developed conifer forest until western expansion and logging clear-cut most of this area. On the eastern side of the Cascade Range, this area is much more brittle than the temperate rain forest on the other side and did not re-forest on its own. Maybe 50 years ago, some really tough farmers decided to grow annual spring wheat up here, despite the huge vertical climb on dicey roads out of the valley and the intense topography. Major erosion, in some places down to bedrock, scar this landscape. By the time we got there this fall, annual wheatgrass is still the dominant plant species except for in the wet drainages, where serviceberry, elderberry, wild rose, and aspens thrive. We designed, surveyed, and installed a water management system that doubles as access pathways through the ranch. This series of USDA terraces, swales, and retention ponds will jumpstart the hydrological cycles, boost perennial development, and help to establish woody vegetation to rebuild this site into a functioning agro-ecosystem. Now, all it needs is a bunch of thoughtfully planned animal impact! It’s been a privilege to work alongside Mark Shepard Restoration Agriculture Development, and Jake Takiff from Cedar Springs Farm on this project, all of us committed to seeing this land thrive again. #LandRestoration #RestorationAgriculture #ClimateResilience #CascadeRange #EasternWashington #MarkShepard #NickDiDomenico

Join us for an insightful evening at the?Agrivoltaics Seminar Series?in Boulder! We’re gathering some of Colorado's most dedicated land stewards and innovators, including our very own Nick DiDomenico from DAR, to share farming and ranching perspectives. Learn how agrivoltaics is transforming agriculture by blending renewable energy with regenerative practices. You'll hear from experts like Kristen Boysen, Clark Harshbarger from Mad Agriculture, Lauren Kelso from Growing Gardens Boulder and Andy Breiter from Grama Grass Livestock. It's a powerful lineup—don’t miss it! ?? Date:?Thursday, November 7th ? Time:?5:30 PM - 8:00 PM (Doors open at 5:00 PM) ?? Location:?The Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St, Boulder, CO 80302 ?? CSU folks: there’s a bus from campus leaving at 4 PM and returning at 8 PM.For details and registration, visit: https://lnkd.in/gr8u2W_2? or contact Liz at?[email protected] #agrovoltaics #agriculture #renewablenergy #regeneration

?? Now Hiring: School Age Program Teacher! ?? Folk Farm School at DAR is looking for an inspired Teacher to lead kids (ages 7-9) in earth-centered learning. If you’re passionate about place-based education, creative expression, and hands-on curriculum that connects kids to the land, apply to join our team! ? About Folk Farm School Rooted in earth-based kinship, our school is about nurturing sovereignty, wonder, reciprocity, and creative expression in each child. We believe that literacy, numeracy, and life skills come alive through practical experiences that deepen their connection to the land, themselves, and each other. ?? Role Highlights As our Teacher, you’ll develop seasonally aligned and differentiated curriculum for children ages 7-9, guiding students in place-based learning at Yellow Barn Farm. You’ll track each child’s development, create growth-centered communication with families, and foster a safe and emotionally supportive environment where children thrive. Details: ?Program Days: Mon-Thurs ??Hours: 8:45a-3:00p ??Location: Yellow Barn Farm Please share this with anyone who would thrive in this environment. We can't wait to hear from you?? https://lnkd.in/ggghdpiR #placebasedlearning #outdooreducation #childled #education #regeneration #forestschool #earthcentered #jobopportunity

Harvest time is finally here! We will be hosting the last Farm Hop of the season with our partner farm and dear friends Yellow Barn Farm. Get on the land with us one last time! This is the perfect opportunity to check out the heart of regenerative agriculture and connect with our wonderful community.? After the tours, celebrate the harvest season with us by enjoying a farm-to-table lunch made by our friend Yoshua of You Enjoy Life. Get your tickets here: https://lnkd.in/guSnVX-c #regenerativeagriculture #supportlocal #coloradoagriculture #community

We’re incredibly grateful to SOIL for providing us with a 0% interest Slow Money Institute loan, enabling us to take our regenerative land management efforts to the next level. Special thanks also to Jolie Brawner from The Alliance Center for her continued support and partnership. With this loan, we’ve acquired a row mulcher, a game-changing piece of equipment designed for large-scale orchard and vineyard management. This tool allows us to deliver and distribute high volumes of biomass like compost and wood chips, critical for enhancing our drylands agroforestry practices. Community-based finance models like Slow Money Boulder are essential in supporting local organizations like ours, making it possible to scale landscape restoration efforts across public and private lands. By leveraging this tool, we can deepen our impact, restoring ecosystems and fostering resilience for the long haul. If you’re not familiar with the Slow Money movement, I strongly encourage you to learn more at SlowMoney.org. #RegenerativeAgriculture #CommunityFinance #Agroforestry #Sustainability #LandRestoration #SlowMoney