Support Regenerative Agriculture in The North Fork Valley

Round Mountain Institute

Epicenter~ The North Fork Valley, Colorado

Restoring the Balance — Together

It’s ours to act — patiently, with grace, and with purpose.

Every day, the headlines scold. Often, the weight feels too much to bear. Smoke-filled skies cannot become our new normal. Our children must not fear being swept from their beds by flood.

Nature offers a quiet, eloquent solution. And, as a thoughtful and intelligent keystone species, we can lead.

The Solution Beneath Our Feet

Plants pull carbon from the air and send it deep into the soil, where billions of microorganisms — fungi, bacteria, insects — transform imbalance into equilibrium.

When we support regenerative farming, or even tend a single patch of living earth, we:

️Attract rainfall and restore the local water cycle

Grow nutrient-dense, abundant, and healthy food

Build climate and economic resilience

Eliminate the need for chemical inputs

Revive rivers, wetlands, and saltwater systems

Help reverse climate change by putting carbon back in the ground

How We Work with Nature ~ Five Principles of Soil Health

Minimize soil disturbance — no plowing, no tilling

Keep living roots in the ground year-round

Integrate animals to cycle nutrients

Grow diverse species to mimic nature

Keep the soil covered with mulch, plants, or compost

Water Stewardship Practices

Mulch to retain moisture

Shape land with swales and contouring to slow and sink rainwater

Plant perennials to protect and hydrate the soil

These simple practices, applied in orchards, vineyards, pastures, food forests, gardens, or even landscaping, create extraordinary benefits.

A Mosaic of Regeneration

Our valley is a rare convergence of ecological potential and human passion. Flanked by the Grand Mesa, the Dobies, the Black Canyon, and the West Elk Mountains, our isolation makes it the perfect living laboratory to watch regeneration ripple across the land.

Here, gritty, determined farmers are building soil, restoring water cycles, and reimagining agriculture.

Why Your Help Matters

The North Fork Valley is a treasure — but like so many farming communities, it teeters on the edge. Rising land prices, less rain, and barely break-even harvests threaten its future.

With your support, it can grow into a regenerative stronghold that:

Anchors a secure, local food supply

Calls back snow and cools the winters in surrounding mountain towns

Grounds understanding through education

Empowers farmers to work in harmony with nature’s wisdom

Becomes a model for bioregions everywhere

Join Us!

Whether you are a gardener, chef, rancher, activist, or simply curious, you are welcome here.

This work must be collective — and it must happen now.

Your gift is more than generosity.

It is an act of stewardship — one that may secure your own future and the future of those you love.

Please reference the project for which you would like to dedicate your donation: Regenerative Learning Center, VOGA Regenerative Grant Program, COFFA Outdoor Classroom, Roots in the Dobies or General Fund.

Donate Here or mail your check to:

Round Mountain Institute

1222 3rd Street

Paonia, Colorado 81428