An event at Coffman Ranch in Carbondale will focus on topics like conservation, regenerative agriculture, sustainable food production and waste diversion on Thursday.
It’s called “The Story of Food in Climate Solutions” — hosted by a new, local environmental organization called MTN Bio.
Founder Beth Shoemaker said she finds hope in the number of people and organizations working to address climate change. But in conversations with some other community members, Shoemaker has noticed that many people can disengage when the conversation turns to the environment. She believes some can become “overwhelmed” by the problem — perhaps unaware of the solutions that already exist or are in the works.
“I just wanted to bridge that gap,” Shoemaker said. “I just felt like there was something there that needed to change.”
She hopes events like this one, built around storytelling and community, will help folks get more plugged in, like some young professionals she hosted for a focus group this spring. Many of them worked in sustainability, climate advocacy or other environmental fields, and they demonstrated a much different attitude about the future of the planet.
“It was fascinating, because they didn't feel the same sense of hopelessness” that Shoemaker has encountered in other conversations, she said. “There's still a lot that needs to happen with climate change and for things to go in the right direction, but they were so much more engaged and they had more agency, and I think that that was one of those, you know, ‘aha’ moments,” she added.
Thursday’s event will mark the second big public showing for MTN Bio; another program earlier this summer focused on the intersection of business and climate solutions, in a collaboration with West Slope Startup Week.
At Coffman Ranch, the lineup will include a farm tour, food and beverage tastings and community mingling — plus a panel discussion that features leaders in sustainable agriculture, food production and waste diversion. Speakers include Brian Hightower of Coffman Ranch, Casey Piscura of Seed Peace and the Farm Collaborative, and Alyssa Reindel of Evergreen ZeroWaste, along with Connie Baker of Marble Distillery and Kade Giannetti from The Painted Pig and Aquila Cellars.
Lina Sutro, the experience coordinator for MTN Bio, said the location is part of the story — as the ranch, now owned by the Aspen Valley Land Trust, is focused on education and planet-friendly farming practices.
“We thought, what an awesome opportunity to bring something that is already in people's backyards even closer to them, so that they can understand on a deeper level … (that) there's actually people out here working night and day to really make this a sustainable working ranch,” Sutro said.
The panel begins at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, bookended by opportunities to engage with other members of the community. Tickets are required and available for purchase at mtnbio.org.
