UpRoot increases the nutrition security of Coloradans by harvesting and redistributing surplus, nutrient-dense food while supporting the resilience of farmers.
We envision a less wasteful Colorado food system in which all have access to the nutritious food they need to live healthy lives, and where farmers are valued as cornerstones of our society.
UpRoot was formed after “Feeding the 5000 Front Range,” an event designed to increase awareness about food waste held in Denver over World Food Day weekend in October 2016. That weekend, gleaning events (i.e., events during which surplus produce is harvested for redistribution) on two Colorado farms provided about 1,500 pounds of fresh produce for the event.
Impressed by the amount of food left unharvested on Colorado farms in mid-October, UpRoot’s co-founders began a research phase that revealed that there was not a statewide, concerted effort to harvest surplus food and redistribute it to Coloradans facing nutrition insecurity.
Since that time, UpRoot has steadfastly begun to fill this gap in Colorado’s food system. Since 2017, UpRoot's staff and volunteers have harvested a half-million pounds—approximately five million servings—of locally grown, nutrient-dense surplus food and redistributed this life-sustaining resource into the hands of Colorado residents facing barriers to healthy food access.
Organization name
UpRoot Colorado
other names
UpRoot
2017
Tax id (EIN)
82-1407915
Category
Food, Agriculture & Nutrition, Environment, Community Improvement & Capacity Building, Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy
Organization Size
Medium Organization
Address
PO Box 1952Boulder County, CO, US
Delta County, CO, US
Denver, CO, US
Mesa County, CO, US
Garfield County, CO, US