Welcome to the Colorado Mountain College Community Garden!
Located at the CMC Campus in Edwards, CO. This garden is open to the public, and plots are available for reservation each Spring. Join us for multiple educational opportunities in the garden each year, or sign up for our waiting list to be allocated a plot!
Fill out this Gardener Agreement to be allocated a plot for the 2025 season! Due to high demand, there is no guarantee that a plot will be available, but you will be added to a waiting list upon completion of the required form. We will reach out to you as soon as a plot is available! Plots are allocated by order of request, so do not delay in filling out the gardener agreement form.
New Roots CO (NRCO) promotes a local, sustainable food system in Eagle County through outreach, education and partnership. Our partnership with Colorado Mountain College Vail Valley (CMC) has provided us an opportunity to grow and distribute food locally and to create an educational space for students and the surrounding community.
New Roots CO oversees and manages the community garden located at the CMC campus in Edwards. Gardeners and stakeholders include faculty, staff, students, alumni and local community members.
We are dedicated to increasing student education and engagement opportunities and revitalizing an appreciation for locally grown foods and sustainable agricultural practices. The garden is a teaching space where learning spans academic disciplines, ages, ethnicities, and experiences. Our programs support local families and provide growing opportunities for community members who might otherwise not be able to grow their own food.
We grow food and native plants for harvest and use the cultivation process to incorporate hands-on, experiential, and place-based learning into the Colorado Mountain College experience. We will donate our harvest to the community through our local food pantry, “The Community Market,” which seeks to feed the one in seven people in Eagle County who experience food insecurity, including many students and their families. The Community Market will distribute the food we donate out to the community at their many distribution sites throughout Eagle County.
We are very enthusiastic about the potential that the school garden holds. The available growing space is sufficient to serve as both a productive, food-producing space and a unique and engaging learning environment. This student-driven, experiential learning project aligns with CMC’s mission and provides an excellent opportunity for students to engage with their school in a new and inspiring way.
Want to garden with us?
If you’re interested in gardening with us at the CMC Garden or our fun educational opportunities, please complete the attached Volunteer Liability waiver and Community Gardener Agreement and Application.
Please bring all plot fees ($50 each) to the front desk at the CMC campus. Remember that all CMC faculty, staff and students are exempt from plot fees!
2025 Gardener Agreement and Application
Refer all questions to newrootscolorado@gmail.com and/or evan.lane.ellis@gmail.com
Outline of Events for 2025
All educational and volunteer events coordinated by New Roots CO are open to the public!
Events will take place at CMC Campus in the garden or indoors unless otherwise noted. Dates and times are subject to change. Please register before each class using the link(s) below and email NewRootsColorado@gmail.com for details
- Mon April 21 @9am – Climate Action Week; Raised Bed gardening at CMC Garden
- Sat April 26 @10am – Spring Cleanup at the CMC Garden
- Weeding, preparing raised beds, moving mulch and more garden fun in preparation for the growing season.
- Sun May 11 @10am – Planting natives and volunteer work day at CMC Garden
- Get hands on experience with planting Colorado native flowers and shrubs during this volunteer work day.
- Sat May 24 @10am – Volunteer work day at CMC Garden
- Weeding, mulching and more general garden tidiness
- Sat June 7 @10am- Volunteer work day at CMC Garden
- Weeding, mulching and more general garden tidiness
- Sat Aug 23 @11am- Gardening with Native Plants workshop at CMC Garden
- Educational workshop demonstrating the practice, benefits and ecological outcomes of gardening with Colorado Native plants.
- Sat Aug 30 @5pm- Garden Potluck and Mixer at the CMC Garden