The Ag & Food Lab — 2026 Colorado Gives Day

Colorado's food system is connected.

Farmers need access to land, water, tools, and infrastructure. Food businesses need storage, processing, and distribution. Families need access to fresh, locally produced food. And communities need opportunities to build a stronger local food economy.

The Ag & Food Lab works across these connections—collaborating with farmers, workers, food businesses, and community partners to address gaps and inequities across Colorado's food systems.

Four Programs. One Integrated Food System. 🌾

The Farm — Land Access & Stewardship
35 acres in Bennett where emerging and historically excluded farmers access land, water, tools, training, and regenerative farm infrastructure.

The Market — Food Security & Community Access
SNAP-authorized pop-up markets and no-cost food boxes connect Colorado producers with families in low-access communities.

The Hub — Shared Infrastructure & Economic Development
A 15,000-square-foot Denver warehouse provides cold and dry storage, light processing, and distribution support for small food businesses.

The School — Education & Workforce Development
Education, internships, service-learning, and cross-sector training cultivate the next generation of food-system leaders.

Why Flexible Support Matters 💚

Much of The Lab's public and institutional funding is restricted to specific programs, infrastructure, or grant deliverables.

Flexible philanthropic support gives The Lab the ability to manage cash flow, retain key staff, meet match requirements, respond to emerging opportunities, and successfully steward larger public and private investments.

Every dollar helps strengthen the connections between Colorado farmers, food businesses, workers, families, and communities.

Our Impact So Far 📊

Since September 2023

Your Support Helps Leverage More 💪

Since incorporation, The Ag & Food Lab has secured approximately $900,000 in funding.

Using a conservative 1.7× local food multiplier, that represents an estimated $1.53 million in activity moving through Colorado's local food economy.

With $455,000 in committed funding and an active pipeline of approximately $1.41 million in pending public, private, and philanthropic opportunities, flexible support helps The Lab build the capacity needed to steward these larger investments.

How Your Gift Helps 🌱

🌾 The Farm: Supports equitable land access, farm infrastructure, tools, training, and regenerative practices for emerging and historically excluded farmers.

🛒 The Market: Helps connect Colorado producers with families through SNAP-authorized markets and no-cost food boxes.

📦 The Hub: Strengthens shared storage, processing, and distribution infrastructure for small food businesses.

🎓 The School: Supports education, internships, service-learning, and training that cultivate future food-system leaders.

One Gift. One Integrated Local Economy. 💚

Your support helps strengthen the connections between farmers, food businesses, workers, families, and communities across Colorado.

Help The Ag & Food Lab grow a more resilient and equitable local food system—from soil and seed to plate and back to the soil.