My name is: Karen Smith

Providing access to healthy food

I help distribute Community Supported Agriculture shares as part of GoFarm. I’m on the board of directors. We feel everybody should have access to affordable, healthy foods.

I’m also on Golden’s Community Sustainability Advisory Board, and promoting local food is consistent with the City’s sustainability goals.

A new nonprofit

GoFarm is a new nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing access to local, fresh produce.

You can purchase shares through the GoFarm website, then pick up your shares every other week at one of the distribution points. The pickups go into October.

The shares include an assortment of fresh produce. The selection varies as the growing season progresses. We also sell egg shares.

This week’s shares include fresh arugula and other greens, kale, Swiss chard, white turnips, radishes, sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes and a variety of fresh herbs.

GoFarm works with farmers in the Front Range. It benefits the farmers because it provides a market. And the community, as a whole, benefits by having locally-based programs like this. GoFarm supports several outreach programs.

One is providing food donations through a couple of programs including Golden’s Snack-N-Wagon. Another is educating preschool students about healthy foods. Education is critical for knowing how to use fresh produce.

A shared interest

I’ve lived in Golden since 1987. I’m passionate about providing access to local food. I’m an amateur backyard gardener, and I’m inspired to be around so many other people who share this interest.

I guess the interest in local food goes back to when I was working on a family farm in North Texas in high school. We did vegetables, and had eggs, chicken, sheep and cattle.

In my backyard now I’m growing potatoes, onions, peppers, carrots, beets, lettuce, cabbage, spinach, eggplant, squash … that about covers it. It provides a source of food but I also just enjoy the process.”

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