“Food desert” is a commonly used but inadequate term coined by researchers to define areas where people have low incomes and low physical access to supermarkets. The term Food Apartheid more accurately describes the racist and oppressive systems that create inequitable food environments.

We are sowing seeds of food sovereignty "the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems."

After the Shop and Save closed in Spanish Lake in 2018 we went to work creating an abundance of food for Spanish Lake. The soil here is rich and will grow almost any seed you plant. We believe everyone should have access to fresh local fruits and vegetables. In the few short years we have run our non-profit we were able to grow 36,000 lbs of food for our community. We distribute this food through the Spanish Lake Farmers Market and a senior program. Our goal is to be a model for building healthy local food systems.

We offer holistic healing to our community as well. When we started our mission to create an abundance of food, we didn't fully realize how much this space would mean to our community. We bring our community together to celebrate with us, learn about urban agriculture and experience holistic healing in nature. We are healing our relationship with the land which heals us and the planet. The video above is from our Dreaming to Implementation Farmer Training Program. We understand one solution to food insecurity is to get more farmers farming!

Creating food equity is a lofty goal. We know we can't do it all by ourselves. Your donation helps us with EVERYTHING we do. Our impact = your impact! Your support is invaluable to us.

Community Food Projects – Growing, distributing and consuming food locally means fresher, more nutritious foods, which sustains the local economy and puts control of food production and distribution back into the hands of community members.

Creating Food Equity in North County

By Rustic Roots Sanctuary CO

Creating Food Equity in North County

Rustic Roots Sanctuary Healthy Food Access