Written by: Donor Coordinator and Fresh Food Connect Coordinator, Janeè Harris
Vanessa Dayton is a homeowner in Rural North Boulder, and she has been one of the first donors to give her excess urban garden harvest to BFR’s newest program, Fresh Food Connect. She has many garden beds with organic vegetables, fruit trees and herb bushes all across her property. In the back of this beautiful sanctuary, there’s a pond with breeding ducks that regularly lay dozens of eggs. These eggs can catch a pretty penny for friends and farmer’s markets alike, and she still makes weekly donations to this program over the summer. Last year Dayton replaced all of her grass with clover fields as food for the new beehive that she tends to in her backyard.
All of the excess of this naturally sustaining food source is donated to BFR, and this generous donation effort has qualified Dayton’s property to be protected by the EPA from harmful pesticides that might be sprayed in the surrounding area. One particularly toxic and heavy-handed dosing was scheduled to take place right next to her productive pond and burgeoning beehive. If Dayton had not noticed the employee wearing a HAZMAT suit in the yard next door, who knows what 
kind of adverse effects would wreak havoc on the delicate colony and ecosystem nearby? The dosing was halted, and authorities were called to assure that Dayton’s home is protected and will stay chemical-free. The neighbor who ordered the most toxic chemicals be sprayed in his yard could face a fine or jail time, and he has conceded to purchasing the more eco-friendly option at a higher cost.
kind of adverse effects would wreak havoc on the delicate colony and ecosystem nearby? The dosing was halted, and authorities were called to assure that Dayton’s home is protected and will stay chemical-free. The neighbor who ordered the most toxic chemicals be sprayed in his yard could face a fine or jail time, and he has conceded to purchasing the more eco-friendly option at a higher cost.
Through the efforts from people like Vanessa combining with programs like Fresh Food Connect, we can make an impact on our immediate environment that ripples throughout the community.