On September 10, 2021 Healthy Archuleta, Inc. was established as a non-profit corporation in the State of Colorado. Healthy Archuleta is dedicated to advancing food production, health and community wellness through food/nutrition resource assistance, educational programs, advocacy, systems work, and promoting community-driven solutions that lead to a healthier Archuleta. Meet our board of directors...
Healthy Archuleta focuses on 2 areas of learning:
Food System| Food Equity |
Community Health Wellness| Health Equity |
For each of the above two areas of learning please see the related goals and current initiatives.
For each of the above two areas of learning please see the related goals and current initiatives.
Food System|Food Equity
This has been the primary work of the Food System|Food Equity Coalition over the past 2 years.

Food System|Food Equity Goals
- To focus and strengthen the Coalition to effectively engage youth, community members, stakeholders, and partners in learning about the community-based food system.
- To engage and expand involvement of community members from all backgrounds in equity and food equity work.
- To engage and expand involvement of community members from all backgrounds in public policy advocacy related to the local/regional food system.
- To expand and coordinate food access efforts to advance food equity through food pantries/community food organizations and government agencies.
- To expand the viability of a community-based food system allowing more people to access and utilize local and regional foods as well as other affordable nutritious foods with less food waste and more resource recovery.
There are four focused areas of learning for our work in this area:
(1) Food Production
(2) Healthy Food Access
(3) Food Waste Prevention & Resource Recovery
(4) Food Entrepreneurship
(1) Food Production
(2) Healthy Food Access
(3) Food Waste Prevention & Resource Recovery
(4) Food Entrepreneurship
Food Production
Community growers and producers support the community to develop capacity through education and mentoring to grow food more sustainably in backyards, community gardens and commercial and institutional settings.
Community growers and producers support the community to develop capacity through education and mentoring to grow food more sustainably in backyards, community gardens and commercial and institutional settings.
-
Grow and Share
-
Vista Lake Park
-
Intergenerational Gardens
-
Learning to Grow & Produce
<
>
Grow and Share
Backyard growers plant an extra row of produce and commercial producers offer CSA shares for clients of the local food pantries. Click HERE for more information. |
Vista Lake Park
Vista neighborhood residents lead the design and development of a community garden at the Vista Lake Park. To learn more, click HERE.
Learning to Grow/Produce Together
Community members are supported to build and sustain capacity as it relates to growing and/or producing food in Archuleta County.
Community members are supported to build and sustain capacity as it relates to growing and/or producing food in Archuleta County.
Growing and producing food is at the heart of our food system. To learn more click HERE.
Healthy Food Access
Food pantry clients, those experiencing barriers to healthy food options spoke and we listened. In partnership with the 6 food pantries and local schools, fresh foods are procured and made available to food pantry clients and school age children to address food insecurity and advance nutrition security.
Food pantry clients, those experiencing barriers to healthy food options spoke and we listened. In partnership with the 6 food pantries and local schools, fresh foods are procured and made available to food pantry clients and school age children to address food insecurity and advance nutrition security.
-
Food Pantry Network
-
Food Distribution Center
-
Mobile Food Pantry
-
Middle School Snack
-
Farmers Market Support
<
>
Food Pantry Network
Six local food pantries in Archuleta County, through the structure of the Food Pantry Network support (source, procure and distribute healthy and nutritious fresh food) more than 200 households per week that experience food insecurity. Click HERE for more information.
Six local food pantries in Archuleta County, through the structure of the Food Pantry Network support (source, procure and distribute healthy and nutritious fresh food) more than 200 households per week that experience food insecurity. Click HERE for more information.
Food Marketing comes in many forms. Food marketing influences the choices we make about the food we consume. Food distribution is how our food gets from the farmer to our plate. To learn more click HERE.
Mobile Food Pantry
The Mobile Food Pantry served as a pilot program of the Food Pantry Network of the Archuleta Food System|Food Equity Coalition. This effort intends to expand the capacity of the existing food pantries to make food more accessible in underserved areas of the County to community members with limited access to food. The goal of the Mobile Food Pantry is to bring food closer to those who can use it and who live in areas of the county that are harder to serve than others. For more information click HERE. |
Food Waste Prevention and Resource Recovery
Households and institutions engage in learning about food waste prevention and adopting behaviors to reduce and minimize food waste in Archuleta County. Planned activities include (a) Education of school aged children and (b) Social Media Engagement Campaign. To learn more about food waste prevention and resource recovery, click HERE.
Households and institutions engage in learning about food waste prevention and adopting behaviors to reduce and minimize food waste in Archuleta County. Planned activities include (a) Education of school aged children and (b) Social Media Engagement Campaign. To learn more about food waste prevention and resource recovery, click HERE.
Food Entrepreneurship
Food entrepreneurs engage in networking, educational programming and other related efforts to enhance and advance the economic viability of the local food businesses. To learn more about transforming food for storage and market, click HERE.
Food entrepreneurs engage in networking, educational programming and other related efforts to enhance and advance the economic viability of the local food businesses. To learn more about transforming food for storage and market, click HERE.
Community Health Wellness|Health Equity
This is a new area of learning that evolved from the Food System|Food Equity work and expanded to include health equity.

Community Health Wellness|Health Equity Goals:
- To focus and strengthen the Coalition to effectively engage youth, community members, stakeholders and partners in community health wellness, nutrition security, and health equity efforts.
- To engage and expand involvement of community members from all backgrounds in equity, nutrition security, and health equity work.
- To expand and coordinate food and nutrition resources to advance nutrition security as a driver of health equity.
- To capture and advance learning related to community health wellness.
- To identify and learn the key elements of community-based nutrition security.
- To advocate for a shared vision and values around nutrition security and health equity.
There are two focused areas of learning for our work in this area:
(1) Nutrition Security
(2) Community Education
(1) Nutrition Security
(2) Community Education
Nutrition Security
Health care and community organizations along with content area experts support individuals and families to access healthy affordable food, nutrition education, food purchasing/preparation skills, and dietary counseling. Click on the four tabs immediately below to learn more about our activities related to advancing Nutrition Security.
Health care and community organizations along with content area experts support individuals and families to access healthy affordable food, nutrition education, food purchasing/preparation skills, and dietary counseling. Click on the four tabs immediately below to learn more about our activities related to advancing Nutrition Security.
-
Assessment & Planning
-
Patient Navigation for Nutrition Security
-
Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program
-
Community Wellness Corner
<
>
Assessment and Planning
Develop and implement a nutrition security and a health equity (access to preventive health care services) assessment in Archuleta County. To learn more click HERE.
Community Wellness Corner
Partnering with Community Health Empowerment support groups of youth and adults in Archuleta County to learn together how to form and sustain healthy habits around nutrition, fitness, and sleep. Using science-based materials and through a participatory process, individuals are supported to think and act in terms of community health and wellness, learning together how health and wellness belong to everyone. |
Eating nutritious foods takes more than the individual. It takes a community. To learn more click HERE.
Community Education
Emergent topics that engage community members in learning about growing, culture/heritage, and promoting healthy food options are identified and developed alongside the community and delivered to children/youth, parents and primary caregivers, food pantry clients, community groups, and others.
-
Chef on Wheels
-
Kids in the Mountain Garden Program
-
Heritage Cooking
<
>
Chef on Wheels
Seasonal food demonstrations in partnership with the Archuleta Food Pantry Network feature recipes highlighting the rich heritage of Archuleta County. Participants are also provided with take home garden fresh produce and pantry staples to recreate the dish at home. Click HERE for more information. |
Kids in the Mountain Garden Program
Children and their parents gather in small groups to enjoy an afternoon in the garden, storytime, a short nutrition lesson and then time in the kitchen to prepare a tasty and nutritious Hispanic style meal from the items they harvested earlier in the garden. Click HERE for more information.
Children and their parents gather in small groups to enjoy an afternoon in the garden, storytime, a short nutrition lesson and then time in the kitchen to prepare a tasty and nutritious Hispanic style meal from the items they harvested earlier in the garden. Click HERE for more information.