UCCS Calls on Local Grain Producers & Business Owners

August 31, 2023

The University of Colorado Colorado Springs, in conjunction with the Colorado Grain Chain, is offering an educational online series about grain this winter and spring. Scholarships are available for local grain producers as well as business owners of grain-oriented businesses. The Good Food Collective is taking charge of gleaning in our community this harvest season. Gleaning is the art of harvesting fruit that would otherwise go unused. Tickets for the 2023 Sunflower Shorts Play Festival are on sale now. By Connor Shreve. This story is sponsored by Choice Building Supply and Southwest Health Systems

Learn More...

Colorado Grain Chain - https://www.coloradograinchain.com/events/uccs-grain-school-online

Good Food Collective - https://www.goodfoodcollective.org/

Sunflower Theater - https://sunflowertheatre.org/

University of Colorado Colorado Springs - https://www.uccs.edu/

UCCS Grain School - https://outreach.uccs.edu/grain

Choice Building Supply - https://www.acehardware.com/store-details/06453

Southwest Health Systems - https://www.swhealth.org/

Read the Full Transcript

There's a new push to help local grain producers learn more about their craft. And as we head into harvest season the Good Food collective is bringing the community together to keep as many fruits and veggies from going to waste as possible. And six local playwrights will debut new short plays at this season's Sunflower Shorts Play Festival. You're watching the local News Roundup, brought to you by Choice Building Supply and Southwest Health System. I'm Connor Shreve. The University of Colorado Colorado Springs is offering three classes as part of its online grain school this winter and spring. The course is offer a deep dive into the wide array of grains through the lenses of crop science, nutrition, and community. Topics will include ancient grain pathways from grain handling and processing including milling and malting to the hands-on application things like making pizza, pasta, and protein bowls. The UN has named 2023 the year of the millet. To celebrate all three classes will include millet from farming to processing, nutrition, and health and culinary uses. The three classes will be farming and processing health and nutrition and community. You can take one class for $150 or all three for 400, scholarships are available for Colorado farmers and grain focused businesses. To pre-register and apply for a scholarship go to coloradograinchain.com. The Good Food Collective is looking for help in making sure less food goes to waste by providing a place for gleaners and tree owners to connect online. Gleaning is the practice of harvesting otherwise unused fruits and veggies from local backyards and farms to get them to people who need and want them. Doing so helps reduce food waste saves bears and feeds the community. Tree owners can list their trees on the Good Food Collective website where harvesters can check out the list of available trees and fruits available for harvest. The Fruit Tree Registry is also used by the Good Food Collective to organize community gleaning events. Learn more at goodfoodcollective.org. After months of preparation, the 2023 edition of the Sunflower Shorts Play Festival is ready to debut. The Sunflower Troupe will show six short original plays from four Corners authors performed on stage at the Sunflower Theater starting September 8th. The September 8th and 9th shows will start at 7:00 PM with a matinee on September 10th at two. Tickets are $20 at the door or online at sunflowertheater.org. You can learn more about these and other stories at motezumalocal.news. Thanks for watching this edition of the Local News Roundup. I'm Connor Shreve.

Growing Community, Culture, and Climate-Adapted Crops

Pueblo Seed & Food Co. is a family-run organic farm and seed enterprise rooted in deep stewardship of land, seed, and community. Established in 1996 and now operating on irrigated acreage near Cortez, Colorado, the company grows a wide diversity of certified organic crops—open-pollinated seeds, chile peppers, varietal garlic, vegetables, legumes, and heritage grains—selling them as seeds, fresh produce, and handcrafted foods through their Seed & Bakehouse retail space. Their mission centers on renewing and strengthening community resilience by stewarding healthy seeds and food, guided by regenerative, biodynamic, and conservation farming traditions that honor both plant genetics and human stories. As winter approaches, Farm Direct Seed & Food Co. invites its community to celebrate the Winter Solstice Fundraiser on Sunday, December 21, 2025, at their downtown Cortez Bakehouse. This festive gathering not only marks the seasonal turning point with music, hands-on milling and baking, and holiday shopping, but also serves as a kickoff to their exciting new initiative—the Pueblo Seed & Grain Hub, developed in partnership with the Onward! Foundation to expand regional capacity for drought-tolerant grain and legume production. Join in the spirit of the season with whole grain cookies, community, and support for food and seed security in the Southwest. By Paige Sparks. This story is sponsored by Choice Building Supply and The LOR Foundation.

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