On September 6, the Alliance for Collective Action hosted our annual Farm Tour. This year’s Roots & Rhythms Farm Tour was a curated, day-long journey through the Denver metro’s food system. It was an invitation to slow down, sink into the rhythm of the land, and reconnect with the deeper stories of food, farming, and community.
Why Urban Farming, and Why Now?
This moment calls us to rethink how we relate to the land. Industrial agriculture and extractive practices have pulled us away from seasonal rhythms, ancestral knowledge, and the simple truth that food is a relationship, not just a product. At our March event, Where Do We Go From Here?, our community voiced a longing to live more in step with the natural world, to honor those who came before us, and to find renewal in the everyday act of stewardship. Roots & Rhythms was created in response to that call.
What We Experienced
At each stop, farmers opened their gates and shared their stories. We witnessed regeneration in motion, from Sprout City’s community-powered plots to The Urban Farm’s youth-centered education; Five Fridges’ heritage livestock and research, to Fleischer Family Farm’s neighborhood-centered abundance. Together, these farms reminded us that tending the soil can also be an act of remembrance, resistance, and renewal.
One participant captured the spirit perfectly:
My favorite part of the day was “experiencing the passion and commitment of the farmers, learning of the interests and surprising connections with the tour participants, learning of a working garden very near to me in which I could buy a share.”
Participants spoke of leaving with:
A stronger sense of community — Food connects us not only to the land, but to each other.
A deeper sense of responsibility — Stewardship isn’t just for farmers, it belongs to all of us.
A renewed sense of possibility — Regeneration isn’t an abstract idea. It’s happening, here and now, in our own backyards.
By creating space for embodied hands on learning (muddy boots, sun on our faces, stories held in the air) the Farm Tour bridged the growing gap between people and their food. These connections matter because they ripple outward. They shape how we advocate for policy, how we support local farms, and how we choose to participate in building food systems rooted in care instead of extraction.
We invite you to connect with the farms we visited:
Sprout City Farms
Hosts regular weekly volunteer days (Fridays from 10am – 12pm at Denver Green School), as well as special group volunteer events throughout the season (by appointment). Volunteers—be they experienced gardeners or those looking to learn more about farming—are encouraged to attend. All ages are welcome!
The Urban Farm
Has some amazing events coming up that you do not want to miss!
- Fall Equinox Farm to Table Dinner – SEPTEMBER 20TH – SAME Cafe is going to be making a delicious dinner with their produce. Convivio Café will have a coffee and dessert bar. FlyteCo brewing is brewing some beer with their honey! And so much more fun and yummy things!
- Dia de los Muertos – NOVEMBER 1ST – Honor the Day of the Dead with an evening of culture, community, and celebration, featuring Aztec dancers, mariachi, lucha libre, escaramuza, dancing horses, trick ropers, face painting, sugar skull decorating, a mechanical bull, Mexican food, and artisan vendors.
5 Fridges Farm
Sign up for Farmer Amanda’s “Egg Share” here and/or reach out to her directly about using her awesome commissary kitchen, booking her goats, or hosting your next event! She is always available to just chat with you directly about whatever your ideas may be: Contact her here or via email: info@5fridgesfarm.com
Fleischer Family Farm
Check out their website to sign up for one of their remaining Fall CSA shares and view their upcoming class schedule here! And of course, you can visit their Farm Stand located at 2005 South Zephyr Court Lakewood, CO 80227 every Saturday 10 am – 2pm.
What’s Next
Roots & Rhythms wasn’t just about seeing farms. It was about remembering that a regenerative future depends on how we show up–how we show up for the land, for one another, and for the stories that sustain us. By syncing with the rhythms of soil and season, we are reminded that regeneration is not only possible, it’s already underway.
Roots & Rhythms is part of the Alliance’s 2025 Signature Event Series, alongside Where Do We Go From Here? and Stories as Seeds. Each gathering has invited us to slow down, listen deeply, and cultivate the future we long for.
The seeds planted on this tour will keep growing and can be cultivated in the conversations we have, the policies we shape, and the way we nourish our communities day by day.
Because ultimately, regeneration begins with relationships.