A Summer of Cultivation

Inside:

• Feeding Students and Families
• Major Grant Awards
• A Vision for the Future
• Opportunities to Get Involved

SOIL Shares Provides Fresh Food to Students

This summer, we expanded our SOIL Shares program, which brings garden harvest back to Durango School District students through school nutrition programs. Over summer break, families were able to take home their choice of veggies and herbs during summer lunch pickup. Now that the school year has begun, DSD's Food & Nutrition Services Department is using Farm to School funding to purchase vegetables from SOIL that go straight to salad bars and meals at schools throughout the district.

Since July, we have harvested 542 pounds of fresh food for our SOIL Shares program!

A Glimpse into Phases 3 & 4: This funding allows us to move directly from design into construction!

• Phase 3 (The Hub): Features the Horizon Stage and outdoor gathering amphitheater, Imagination Hill’s 600 sq. ft. play and discovery zone, the Animas Watershed Flowscape, Nature Art Garden & Studio, and the Living Soils Lab.
• Phase 4 (The Living Landscape): Features the 10,000-year History of Local Agriculture exhibit, the Permaculture Food Forest, the Regenerative Farmyard & Barn, Forest Trail improvements, and a Farm Market Stand.

CALLING LOCAL BUILDERS & CONTRACTORS

RFP Announcement: Phase 3 & 4 General Contractor

We will officially release our Request for Proposals (RFP) in early October to select a General Contractor to lead the construction of Phases 3 and 4.

We are seeking a visionary local contractor who loves custom, innovative work, is excited about working with sustainable/local materials and processes, and wants to collaborate with our passionate team to take the SOIL Lab to the next level.

If you are a contractor or know a great local team who should be on our notification list when the RFP drops, please contact Charlie Love at clove@durangoschools.org.

Planting Seeds for Phase 5: The Inspire Center

As we move forward with building out Phases 3 and 4, we are officially launching the quiet phase of our capital campaign for Phase 5: The Inspire Center for Sustainability Education (targeted for construction in 2029).



The Inspire Center will serve as the permanent educational anchor of our campus, bringing year-round sustainability programming, regional research opportunities, and community gatherings to Durango for generations to come. We are seeking Community Champions and Sustainability Heroes—visionary donors, local business leaders, and philanthropic foundations—who want to leave a transformative, lasting legacy for Durango by helping fund the anchor facility of the SOIL Lab campus. 

Please reach out to Charlie Love at clove@durangoschools.org to learn more.

New AmeriCorps Member at SOIL

Welcome, Alexis!

Alexis is the AmeriCorps Education Facilitator for the 2026-2027 school year. Alexis studied Sociology and Artistic Research in the Netherlands, worked for multiple years as an educator in Dallas, Texas, and studied permaculture through volunteering in grassroots projects across the Americas. 

As the Education Facilitator, Alexis is excited to connect with students and community members across Durango, hoping to spread knowledge and joy. She is grateful to all the beings, human and non-human, that have welcomed her to Southwest Colorado. 

Outside of work, you can find Alexis two-stepping, juggling a soccer ball, talking with friends and family, or engaged in il dolce far niente (the art of doing nothing).

Events at SOIL

This summer, we took full advantage of warm, sunny evenings in the garden to host our monthly Community Workshops. Adults and kids of all ages learned about wild edible plants, waterwise gardening, and arranging cut flowers! See the fall workshop schedule and sign up below!

Garden Guys at SOIL

Darrin Parmenter and Tom Bartels paid a visit to SOIL for their weekly radio show and podcast, Garden Guys! Click below to hear our interview and learn more about our programs.



NEW BUSINESS SPONSOR SHOUT OUTS

Growing an Inspired Community Together

Every milestone at the SOIL Lab is powered by local businesses, foundations, and community members stepping up to support our vision. A huge thank you to our latest community champions:

Pinnacle Heat Pumps: Generously discounted and installed a mini-split heat pump system, replacing our unreliable HVAC unit to make our office trailer efficient and comfortable year-round.

• New Sponsorship / Volunteer Opportunity: To maximize our new heat pump's energy efficiency, we are looking to insulate the perimeter of our elevated office trailer floor. We are seeking a local builder business sponsor (for an in-kind labor/materials donation) or a volunteer team to lead this quick community project!

Advanced Concrete Solutions: Donated a brand-new concrete slab installation in the Community Garden Pavilion, creating an accessible, durable gathering space for student field trips and public workshops.

High Noon Rotary Club & Moniker Foundation: Provided critical grant funding toward our full-time AmeriCorps Member position for the 2026-2027 school year! Our AmeriCorps leader serves as an instructional guide for K–12 field trips, manages facility maintenance, and leads community outreach.

• Closing the Match Gap: We are currently seeking $4,800 in remaining matching funds by the end of February to cover the final host site fee installment.

Please Support our Business Sponsors and Partners!

Everything that you see at the SOIL Outdoor Learning Lab (The Community Garden with almost 100 garden beds, The Grow Dome where food and community will flourish year round, and The Hub which will again transform the space in 2027) was all funded and made possible by individual donors, business sponsors, local grants, and countless volunteer hours. Please join us in thanking the following businesses and organizations for their support of SOIL:

The SOIL Outdoor Learning Lab has both Instagram and Facebook accounts. Follow us to stay informed on what's happening in the garden!