Environmental Sustainability
Environmental sustainability at Growing Spaces connects how we grow, how we build, and how we care for the resources around us. This category explores topics such as passive greenhouse design, solar energy, water conservation, pollinator habitat, local food systems, environmental stewardship, and sustainable agriculture. You’ll also find stories about Growing Dome projects and Growing Spaces initiatives that put environmental responsibility into practice, from community food efforts and renewable energy to long-term accountability as a Certified B Corporation.
Growing Spaces is now a Certified B Corporation
May 4, 2026
B Corp certification required us to document our energy claims and examine how we run the company. Some of the work confirmed strengths. Other parts exposed gaps in our records and practices. Here is what we learned.
Happy National Pollinator Week!
June 17, 2024
Pollinator Week is a time to celebrate the vital role these insects play in our environment. It's also an opportunity to reflect on our practices to be sure we're doing our best to help them thrive.
A Year Round Growing Dome Greenhouse, How Does it Work?
December 1, 2023
The technologies behind what make our product one of the best greenhouse options on the market are not rocket science. They are Dome science! You might already be familiar with our seven features, but if not we are going to get down to the basics so that you can understand how they work and why they make the Growing Dome Greenhouse the best greenhouse option for you!
Survival Garden: What to Grow for Food Security
October 30, 2023
A survival garden is about more than growing vegetables. Grow foods your family will eat, make the most of your growing space, preserve the harvest, save seeds, and build a more dependable food supply year after year.
Water and the West: What Can We Do?
March 6, 2023
Without water, the west has a number of problems. We need to be thinking about the “new normal”, the best ways that we can conserve water, and how we can stabilize our own food systems. Our proposed solution is to go back to our roots, bring back the kitchen garden, and fight food insecurity in our own backyards.
2020 Year In Review
December 30, 2020
We believe everyone should be able to reliably grow clean, healthy food all year round. No matter where they live. The Growing Spaces Mission has never been as important as it is now. Design improvements, installation efficiency, gardening advice, international partnerships and food security projects have all enabled more people to grow organic food year-round all over the world. We want to give you a look back at 2020, and a glimpse forward into our plans for 2021.
5 Charities Fighting Food Insecurity
July 1, 2020
We wanted to take a moment and show our appreciation to five outstanding non-profit charities that are actively fighting food insecurity. Navajo Nation, Mattersville Vets, Urban Growers Initiative, GoFarm Coop, and the Food Coalition 4 Archuleta County and the GGP are all working to improve the health and nutrition of the people in their respective communities. See what Growing Spaces is doing to support these great causes, and learn how you can help. We are also excited to announce a new Urban Community Garden Grant opportunity for 2021!
Earth Day 2020: Stay at Dome
April 22, 2020
Commit to reducing your Carbon Footprint by 10% with a Growing Dome. As most of us are spending the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day in our homes, the Earth is getting a breather.
Cultivating Abundance
August 19, 2019
Cultivating abundance, both financially and in my garden, has been a long journey for me. When I first became interested in gardening I was convinced I needed to grow my own food because the economy was going to crash and I’d have to know how to be self sufficient in order to survive. This belief…
Redefining Independence
July 4, 2019
Reflections on Local Resiliency and Global Sustainability Independence Day begs us to ask some of the most critical questions of the century in regards to local and global sustainability. Such questions demand that the rising leaders in sustainability choose a path that honors the freedoms the Constitution deems important. One of these freedoms speaks to…
The Growing Dome Insulated Greenhouse: Revolutionizing the Greenhouse Industry
March 9, 2018
Welcome to the Wonderful World of the Growing Dome® Insulated Greenhouse The Growing Dome is a net-zero, energy-efficient, insulated greenhouse. You can grow year-round with no heater, even in cold climates. A unique system that truly revolutionized the greenhouse industry. How is that possible? It’s always fun to have Udgar mic up and wander out to the…
Growing Domes Featured on Episode of Living Big in a Tiny House
October 1, 2017
Off-Grid Tiny House Paradise in British Columbia, Canada Grows Year-Round With Three 42-foot Geodesic Dome Greenhouses This episode of Living Big in a Tiny House features the ultimate tiny house off-grid paradise, complete with three 42-foot Growing Spaces Growing Domes! Situated on 380 acres of spectacular lake-front property in BC with private hot-springs and abundant…
Permaculture Convergence in Mancos, Colorado
July 20, 2016
Permaculture and Tending the Fires of Inspiration Permaculture isn’t really about chickens, swales, plants, energy, composting toilets, and buildings; and this article isn’t really about permaculture. It is about how permaculture helps us design for beneficial relationships. Relationships which make the world a better place, regardless if it is between domestic fowl, comfrey, and pill bugs….
Solar Power, Your Pocketbook, and the Environment
June 3, 2016
Save Money, Combat Climate Change, and Power Ahead When the Rest of the World Grinds to a Halt The electricity went out. The lights flickered overhead, the computer shouted a loud Kapoof! and turned off completely. I turned it back on, not thinking much of it. A little later the lights flickered and another Kapoof! from the computer. A…
An Example of Sustainability and Stewardship in Action, Mission: Wolf
September 14, 2015
Growing Domes and Mission: Wolf A Living example of Sustainability and Stewardship “A wolf in a cage is good for one thing…to teach people NOT to put wolves in cages.” Mission: Wolf I applaud the work of our friends over the mountains in Westcliffe, Colorado. Mission: Wolf You won’t believe how they are raising the…
Growing Spaces, LLC. Joins Colorado Environmental Leadership Program
September 9, 2014
Pagosa Springs, CO – Growing Spaces of Pagosa Springs will be recognized Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014 at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts for achievement of Bronze tier environmental leadership by the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment. At the 15th Annual Colorado Environmental Leadership Awards, Growing Spaces will join other Colorado companies…
How We Built a Socially Responsible Company and What Inspired Us
December 10, 2013
Why are we a Socially Responsible Company? Like so many environmentally aware people, I was really affected by the reality of the unusual super-storms of the past few weeks as the hurricane in the Philippines and the recent tornadoes here in the United States, took away lives, homes, and livelihoods. The Climate Reality project states…
Growing Dome at the Solar Living Institute
June 28, 2013
Solar Living Institute Update: Unfortunately due to COVID the Solar Living Institute closed it’s doors in October 2020. They are still offering on-line classes. Recently we received an update from the Solar Living Institute in Hopland, CA of the 26′ Growing Dome greenhouse built in 2012. “The Growing Dome is one of the main attractions…
Our Dirt Work Leads to a Food Revolution
April 17, 2013
Celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver endorses the Growing Dome Greenhouse while visiting Navajo Nation in Arizona
The Pagosa Verde Symposium: Growth Strategies for Rural Colorado Communities
July 24, 2012
On August 9th, 2012, our hometown of Pagosa Springs, CO is hosting a professional collaboration to explore economic growth, renewables, geothermal development and sustainable agriculture. The goal is to move Colorado mountain towns into a sustainable future. We are excited to lend our sponsorship and support to this great endeavor and are looking forward to…
Solar Powered Business
October 3, 2011
Did you realize that Growing Spaces is a solar powered business? The solar panels installed outside our workshop provide enough to run our shop and offices while leaving power left to send back into the grid. Our staff also participates in energy saving activities that help us make the most of the sun power we…
A Gateway to Sustainability
June 17, 2011
As the world turns towards sustainable solutions, the Eden Project in Cornwall, UK, stands out as a beacon of hope and innovation. This visionary project, transforming an exhausted quarry into the world's largest conservatory, exemplifies how communities can come together to create impactful, eco-friendly spaces. Its blend of education, tourism, and social enterprise inspires visitors globally, subtly promoting ecological awareness. In Pagosa Springs, we draw from this example, envisioning our own eco-destination with the Geothermal Greenhouse Project. Join us as we nurture this dream, planting seeds for a sustainable future and inviting you to share your green community stories.
Pagosa’s Geothermal Greenhouse Project Bringing Us Home
June 17, 2011
In a world grappling with economic challenges and environmental concerns, Pagosa's Geothermal Greenhouse Project stands as a testament to community resilience and sustainable living. Embracing the 'going local' movement, this initiative is not just about cultivating plants; it's about cultivating hope and kinship within the community. Drawing parallels with the Eden Project and the transformative vision of the Aspen Institute, this project symbolizes a shift towards a sustainable, eco-friendly future. Join us as we explore how this project is shaping Pagosa Springs into an eco-destination, celebrating human ingenuity and a sustainable way of life.
Growing Organic Food in Urban USA
June 14, 2011
Living just 100 feet from the freeway, the Dervaes family lives a self-sufficient life in the middle of LA. They grow enough organic food on their 1/10 of an acre of available “farm” land on their 1/5 of an acre of property in Pasadena, to live year-round without going to the grocery store for food….