Luscious Lands
Foundation
A 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization
Our Goals
Luscious Lands Foundation strives to create a healthy society and planet through the following pillars:
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Education
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Ecological conservation
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Regenerative agriculture
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Agricultural research
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Nutrition
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The creation of beautiful, harmonious, and green spaces
Ever-evolving, Luscious Lands Foundation endeavors to create oasis hubs throughout the City of Boulder. These key hubs would serve as both tranquil meditation spaces and balancing forces to the culture of Boulder as it develops into a small city.
Past Projects
Thrive Wellness Center
We created an urban farm that wrapped around a medical facility at 455 S Hudson St in Denver, CO. This building held space for a renowned yoga studio and was home to a BioDentist, a Naturopathic doctor, and a chiropractor. The produce grown was harvested, prepared and enjoyed amongst the staff of the building, and surplus produce was donated to charitable organizations and sent home with volunteers. Applying many of the multi-cropping techniques that Joe experienced during his travels in South India, this project served as a testing ground for both perennial and annual crops being grown in close proximity.
504 Geneva Ave
Sustainable Kashi
Joe aided in the design and implementation of semitropical food forestry throughout the 84 acre grounds. He used a number of fruit trees and annual crops while also testing a diversity of crops around the world to find suitable species to the sandy soils of Sebastian, Florida. One of these viable crops was a variety of Pidgeon Pea that was selected and bred by ICRISAT near Hyderabad, India for its unique characteristic of drought-resistance and photoperiodism.
This home has been a favorite on the 'Sustainable Homes Tour' in Boulder. It boasts solar, photovoltaic, and geothermal systems, as well as many other energy saving features. This landscape included four fully functional native systems. Intricate earthwork was skillfully engineered into the design, which conserved and retained water, helped maintain short and long term moisture, and improved the drought tolerance of the flowers and crops grown. Joe implemented overlapping drip zones which allowed him to grow food crops adjacent to desert flowers; each plant received the exact amount of water needed and no more.
Educational Food Garden
Joe pioneered an edible garden at the Boulder Public Library which was free for public picking. He hosted a number of picking seminars and educational events.
The Edible Learning Garden is a demonstration of how to grow food sustainably in a small urban space. It is farmed (planted, maintained, and harvested) by Community Food Share which is a food bank fighting hunger in Boulder/Broomfield Counties by providing access to fresh, nutritious food through local partners and its onsite and mobile pantries. All produce grown in the Library’s Edible Learning Garden is donated to Community Food Share!
Current Projects
Yellow Barn Farm
Luscious Lands Foundation moved into Yellow Barn Farm in 2021 and in the first year, Joe has pioneered an educational food garden. With the increase in space and structure that Yellow Barn Farm provides, we plan to test even more drought resistant crops and cropping methods. We can also host many more volunteers, providing them with an immersive, hands-on agricultural experience.
This educational garden will continue to produce for many years and allow space for new foundations and nonprofits to gain their foothold. A volunteer space would include a rustic kitchen space that would keep volunteers well-fed with delicious produce picked right out of the field. It would also be the first step towards nutrition and cooking classes.
In time, Luscious Lands will be ready to create a fully functional kitchen studio, appropriate for creating video content for nutrition and cooking education.
Future Plans
Luscious Lands Foundation is working towards creating Boulder's first botanic garden which would serve as a hub of education. Its facilities will provide space to host speakers, seminars, and events relating to sustainability, permaculture, traditional agriculture, and culturally enriching activities such as meditation and yoga. The fertile grounds will host a multitude of traditional crops and serve as a testing ground for new drought resistant crops stable for climate change. The lush gardens will be home to an array of high desert adapted perennial plants, providing an abundance of pollen and nectar to hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees.
This sanctuary will be an oasis in the city, providing a meditative space for people to collect their thoughts, peacefully reflect, breathe deeply, and go forth into society refreshed. This project will be done through partnership with private land owners, donors, and the City of Boulder.
We are also seeking donations and other support towards our endowment.
Your stunning & welcoming home would be a monumental launching pad towards this endeavor. Not only would your contribution skyrocket the value and creative output of Luscious Lands, your home would serve as a intimate retreat to host guests, guest speakers, and other collaborators during the conception phase of the botanic garden. In time, your home could also serve as a key hub for educational purposes.
Luscious Lands Foundation aims to transform our sacred land into sacred community, will you join us?