UpRoot Colorado

Fundraise

UpRoot Colorado harvests and redistributes surplus fruits and vegetables from farms, orchards, and fruit trees through our Gleaning Programs around the state. Our gleaning efforts simultaneously increase access to nutritious food for all Coloradans, reduce agricultural food loss, and create opportunities for volunteers to learn about our local food system in the process.

We partner with farmers and recruit volunteers to harvest crops that might otherwise not be harvested or eaten. After the harvest, we collaborate with food banks, pantries, and other organizations that distribute food at no cost to members of our community who need it.

UpRoot is the only organization working to address agricultural surplus at a statewide level in Colorado, and our efforts increase connectedness between folks in the food system who may not have the capacity to connect with one another if UpRoot did not exist.

We believe that surplus, nutritious food should not go unharvested/uneaten while members of our communities do not have enough to eat. Your donation to UpRoot Colorado helps move the needle towards a less wasteful and more equitable Colorado food system in which there is a greater appreciation for our food and those who produce it.

Giving Activity

Mission

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.

Background Statement

UpRoot was formed after “Feeding the 5000 Front Range,” an event designed to increase awareness about food waste held in Denver 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 discovered that there was not a concerted, statewide 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 ~800,000 pounds—approximately nine 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.

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Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

UpRoot Colorado

other names

UpRoot

Year Established

2017

Tax id (EIN)

82-1407915