Monroe Farms Fundraiser

The Monroes are a fixture in Colorado agriculture and have been farming in Weld county since 1936. They are one of the oldest organic farms in the state and have been organic from the beginning. They believe in the importance of being caretakers of the land.  Jerry and Jacquie took the farm over from Jerry senior in the 1990's and shortly thereafter, were helping to develop farmers' markets around Colorado and into Wyoming. They also pioneered Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in Colorado and the Monroe Organic Farms CSA is one of the oldest in the area.

CSA is a means to build community around an issue that effects us all- the local food system. When a community comes together around an issue, we are truly able to make a difference together. Our CSA members have been the cornerstone of Monroe Organic Farms llc., and we couldn't have done it without the help of our members over the years. Now we are coming forward to ask for your help so that as community we may continue to be pioneers in organic agriculture...


Today, Kyle Monroe hopes to continue the legacy of caring for the land by purchasing and utilizing a NO- TILL PLANTER. By using a no- till planter to plant some of the crops at the farm, he will be able to capture more carbon in the soil , doing our part to preserve ecosystem and soil health and in turn leading to healthier, more nutrient- dense crops.

We will use these funds to purchase the no- till planter and to pay for soil tests to measure the impact of the planter on the quality of the soil. We aim to raise these funds by the end of this growing season so that by next year, Kyle may begin to experiment with the planter. 


In gratitude,
The Monroes


A little bit more info on the No- Till Planter:
After four generations of our family farming on the same land, we have gained a unique perspective on how to manage it. We grow many different varieties and rotate them throughout our fields. We also rotate alfalfa through each field, letting it grow for years. This has been our best ally as far as replenishing soil health.

At an organic conference, Kyle and Sam attended a seminar held by the Rodale Institute  from Pennsylvania. They have been pioneering new and exciting no- till techniques , one of which is called the roller- crimper. This is an implement pulled behind the tractor which crimps a cover crop every several inches in order to terminate the cover crop. This creates a thick layer of mulch without disturbing the soil. One can then plant seeds into the terminated cover crop. We have bought a grain drill to plant a cover crop as well as a roller crimper with which to terminate the cover crop. We have already planted 5 acres of cover crop to experiment with this technique. Now, all that we need is a no till planter! It's vital that we have a planter that can handle planting into ground that has not been tilled, the soil having way more structure. And this is precisely the point! We want to preserve that structure as much as possible. Soil health is dependent on good structure in order for all the microbes and intricate soil web happenings to take place!

We are excited to try these techniques with several crops including dried beans, green beans, sweet corn, and popcorn! We have a very powerful legacy to live up to and want to continue protecting the land we are so lucky to tend. Thank you for your help!