Dahlia Campus Farms & Gardens

About Dahlia Campus Farms & Gardens

Dahlia Campus Farms & Gardens connects people with fresh, local food. Dahlia Campus features an aquaponic greenhouse, a 40,000 square foot market farm and therapeutic gardens. These combined and accessible green spaces support community well-being.

How to Access Our Produce

Visit the Dahlia Farm Stand to shop for fresh local produce from our farm and greenhouse. We accept cash, credit card and SNAP, and offer affordable pricing. SNAP customers can receive a discount on purchases.

Visit Our Farmers Market

Visit the Northeast Park Hill Farm Stand at Dahlia Campus on Tuesdays from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. until December 9 to check out available produce for the day.

Apply to be a vendor at our weekly Farmers Market here.

Subscriptions

Sign up to pick up a weekly or bi-weekly box of produce from the Dahlia Campus. For more details and to sign up, visit our online store. Pickups are on Tuesdays from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

Dahlia Campus Food Pantry

The Dahlia Campus Food Pantry supports those in need of food in the Northeast Denver community. People do not need to be enrolled in services at WellPower to access the pantry.

Open Wednesdays from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Contact Us

For Farms and Gardens general questions:
farmsandgardens@wellpower.org
(303) 300-6177

For pantry:
greenhouse@wellpower.org
(720) 583-4743

Dahlia Community Cookbook 2023

Download the Dahlia community cookbook and discover over 25 recipes, available in both English and Spanish. Thank you to our Dahlia farmers and the community members who contributed.

Cookbook

Photos by Evan Semón Photography
720-620-6767

Take a Tour

Come explore the history of Dahlia Campus for Health & Well-Being by scheduling a tour with us. Learn about our greenhouse, farm and gardens, as well as the programs and services we offer. We can accommodate up to 12 guests in the greenhouse. Book your tour by clicking the button below.

Sign-up

Aquaponic Greenhouse

Dahlia Campus operates an aquaponic greenhouse where we grow produce and fresh fish year-round.

Aquaponics is a sustainable farming solution that recirculates water from fish tanks through vegetable grow beds.

Nutrients from the fish waste feed the plants and the plants filter the water to keep the fish healthy.

Market Farm

Dahlia Market Farm grows over 30 different kinds of vegetables including your favorites like tomatoes, cucumbers and okra. We are always open to feedback - if you like what we grow, we want to hear from you! If you'd like us to plant specific produce, you're welcome to let us know.

The farmers use regenerative agricultural practices, such as cover crop, integrated pest management and crop rotation to keep our soil and produce healthy. Many of these practices are rooted in Indigenous wisdom and African American heritage.

The farmers also acknowledge current science best practices and always seek to combine generational knowledge with modern science and technology to aid in climate resilience.

All of this results in a farm that is beautiful and productive. Your Dahlia farmers hope you take some time to walk around the farm, stop and chat and take in the sights and sounds of the Farm!

Alcove "U-Pick" Gardens

The alcove gardens are interactive areas designed to be enjoyed and utilized by the community, staff, and people we serve. Anything you find in these gardens is free to pick, just be sure to follow food safety and honorable harvest guidelines.

As you walk through these gardens you might notice your five senses come alive: sight, touch, taste, smell, and even hearing. You can brew a cup of freshly picked herbal tea, smell and harvest a bouquet of vibrant flowers, pick ingredients to make a fresh salsa, or simply enjoy the sounds of the windchimes amongst the gnomes and fairies.

Meet Our Team

Katie Huszcza
Associate Director of Operations and Farm Services

Katie's Bio

Katie has a passion for creating connections and building community through food and farming. She began a career in agriculture in 2011 at Innisfree Village, a 500-acre working farm that is also a living community for adults with disabilities. In 2013, Katie moved back home to Colorado to be the assistant farm manager at a high school on the Western Slope. Through these experiences she developed a passion for supporting people through horticulture and pursued professional registration as a horticultural therapist. Katie had the privilege of completing her horticultural therapy internship at the Denver Botanic Gardens and Craig Hospital where she worked collaboratively with patients and their medical teams to work towards recovery from traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries. Since then, she has managed a community farm, a cut flower operation and supported beginning farmers through training, mentorship, and land access. Katie joined the Dahlia Farms and Gardens team in 2021 and is thrilled to support such an amazing team and community.

Malcolm Gossett
Market Farm Manager

Malcolm's Bio

Malcolm grew up in an around food most of his life, working in kitchens and visiting farms in and around Los Angeles. His first farm job was on Vashon Island at Pacific Crest Farm, a two acre farm that doubled as a Montessori classroom. He then moved back out to Colorado, where he'd previously attended college, and began working at Frontline Farming as Assistant Field Manager. During a work exchange with Frontline and Dahlia, Malcolm became intrigued by Dahlia's mission to provide access within the local community of Park Hill as well as using farming and gardening as a means for people to connect to creativity within and outside themselves. Outside of work, Malcolm enjoys reading, cooking, baking, basketball, and watching his dog frolic at the dog park.

Dave DeMarco
Lead Aquaponic Farm Coordinator

Dave's Bio

Dave started volunteering at Dahlia’s aquaponic greenhouse in early 2022, and he was hooked—by the riotous beauty of the greens and fish in the Denver winter, and by the Dahlia Farm and Garden team’s mission of providing fresh, nutritious food to the community. Dave subsequently worked alongside with the Farm and Gardens team in the greenhouse and outside on Dahlia’s market farm and gardens. In fall 2023, Dave was thrilled to step into the role of Lead Aquaponic Farm Coordinator, and he finds joy seeing food the team grows going home with community members. At the moment, Dave’s favorite farm veggies are tomatoes, garlic and swiss chard, which he uses to recreate his Italian grandma’s bean soup.

Andy Orozco Rivas
Market Farm Assistant

Andy's Bio

Andy was born and raised in Denver, CO. As a farmer, skateboarder and cyclist, he enjoys daily learnings and opportunities to connect with the earth. Every day he feels the sun kiss his brown skin is a blessing. He shares his connections and healing through working with soil and facilitating the life of plants. He lives for today and prays for the grass that’s greener on the “other side” to be a vegetable garden instead. Food not lawns.

Shannon Hourigan
Garden Wellness Coordinator

Shannon's Bio

Shannon is driven by her desire to steward the earth through tending to the health of the land, individuals and communities. Her current position as garden wellness coordinator embodies this desire, creating farm related programming for youth ages 2.5- 13, and engaging with community members, people we serve and therapists on the farm. She has a background in non-profit livestock and vegetable farming and a passion for food policy and education. When she’s not working, she’s likely relaxing with her partner and her three big dogs. She loves exploring the mountains, crafting, riding motor bikes, eating good food with good people and sleeping.

Anna Cooper
Community Coordinator

Anna's Bio

Anna joined the team in August of 2021. They believe that access to fresh and nutritious food is a fundamental human right—food heals the body, calms the mind and builds strong communities. They love working at the Dahlia campus where they can connect communities to locally grown veggies as well as the dedicated folks who grow them. Anna enjoys spending time in nature, gardening, and pursuing all kinds of artistic endeavors. Their favorite veggies are jalapeños and tomatillos—especially when combined to make salsa!

Ariana Hernandez
Food Access Coordinator

Ariana's Bio

Ariana started as an intern on the Dahlia Market Farm back in 2021. Since then, she has spent time on the farm developing a passion for food justice, learning different ways of farming, connecting with the community and expanding access to fresh foods. In 2022, Ariana officially joined the Dahlia Farm Team where she continues to learn, teach and grow (literally!). Working with and for the land is rooted in Ariana's lineage. Although forgotten, she hopes to re-remember and pass down this knowledge. When Ariana is not at work she enjoys painting, practicing Danza (Aztec dance), spending time with family and reading a good book.

Leslie Flores
PRN Aquaponics Assistant

Leslie's Bio

Leslie is passionate about (re)learning and (re)claiming her indigenous roots and teaching them to those around her. She comes from a lineage of midwives and farmers, which is where her deep connection to tending to the land and people stems from. She loves learning about medicinal herbs, flowers, vegetables and greens. One of her favorite medicinal flowers is Calendula. She joined the Dahlia Farm team as an intern, then an apprentice, and is now the PRN Aquaponic Assistant. Her passions include seed-bead jewelry, farming and tending to the tilapia fingerlings that grow in the Greenhouse for the North East Park Hill community.

Kat Fish
Aquaponics Coordinator

Kat's Bio

Affectionately known as Kat Fish by friends and family, Katherine Fish was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. After moving to Denver in 2021, Kat worked as a hydroponic greenhouse lead and a production assistant for the Denver Botanic Gardens Urban Farm Program before joining the Dahlia team in January of 2024. Kat doesn't have a favorite thing to grow, but rather loves learning about new plants whenever possible, feeling great satisfaction in watching them flourish individually. Kat has always had a passion for plants and people, and witnessing the impact of sustainable farming on local communities has inspired Kat to engage in endeavors that combine her passion for horticulture with opportunities that benefit not only the environment but also the wellbeing of all people. Kat loves spending time in nature and has no problem getting her hands dirty. Her hobbies include backpacking, camping, climbing, snowboarding, writing, photography and seeing live music.

Get Involved

Dahlia Campus invites the community to help our gardens flourish by volunteering. If you are interested in becoming a recurring volunteer at the farm, please complete the form below to request a working interview with the Farm team.

Read about the different opportunities with Dahlia Campus' Farms & Gardens

Market Farm - Farming Volunteer

Time Commitment: Tuesdays, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The Dahlia Campus Market Farm produces seasonal produce for distrubution to the community through our subscription program, farmers market, pantry, delivery program, and donation partners. The Market Farm farming volunteer helps with all aspects of outside produce and flower cultivation including bed prep, planting, weeding, harvesting, pest control, etc. The opportunity is outside and will be exposed to hot summer temperatures. The role requires the ability to stand, bend, kneel/ squat, etc for long periods of time.

Market Farm Produce Packing Volunteer

Time Commitment: Mondays, 12:00 - 4:00 p.m.

The Dahlia Campus Market Farm produces seasonal produce for distrubution to the community through our subscription program, farmers market, pantry, delivery program, and donation partners. The produce packing volunteers will help with washing, weighing, and bundling market farm produce. This role will take place primarily in the air conditioned kitchen with the opportunity for work to be completed while sitting or standing.

Greenhouse Volunteer

Time Commitment (select the option(s) that work(s) for you): Tuesdays, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.; Wednesdays, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.; Fridays, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Greenhouse volunteers work in the 5400 sq ft aquaponic greenhouse the produces food for the local community distributed through our subscription program, farmers market, pantry, delivery program and donation partners.

Tuesdays: help with cleaning rafts, transplanting, and bundling produce.
Wednesdays: help with cleaning rafts and transplanting.
Fridays: help with harvesting, cleaning rafts and transplanting.

Pantry Volunteer

Time Commitment: Wednesdays, 2:30 - 6:30 p.m.

The Dahlia Campus Farms and Gardens program offers a weekly pantry available to anyone who lives Northeast Denver or is enrolled in services at WellPower. We focus on providing fresh produce at the pantry that has been grown on site. Pantry volunteers work alongside staff to help with set up, welcome community members, help enforce pantry guidelines like quantity limits, answer questions about available food options, and help with clean up. Volunteers may sometimes help with children’s activities as well. This opportunity is fully indoors in an air conditioned/heated environment. Set up and clean up are active with repetitively lifting boxes and crates that may weigh 30-40 pounds. During pantry there is an opportunity to be seated.

Let us know you're interested in a long-term volunteering opportunity

Farms & Gardens Volunteer Interest Form

Name

First Last

Phone

Where would you like to volunteer?

Aquaponic Greenhouse

Outdoor Farm

Both/No Preference

Tell us why you're interested in volunteering at our farm:

Please provide three (3) dates and times that you are available for a 30-minute interview:

See Other Volunteering Opportunities at WellPower

Contact Us

For Farms and Gardens general questions:
Email: farmsandgardens@wellpower.org
Phone: (303) 300-6177

For pantry:
Email: greenhouse@wellpower.org
Phone: (720) 583-4743

History of Northeast Park Hill

Click on the video to the right for a brief history of Northeast Park Hill and to find out why Dahlia Campus Farms and Gardens fulfill a critical need.