Growing Dome Lifestyle


The Easiest Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce Recipe: Perfect for Tacos, Salads, and More!

Whether you are growing cilantro in your garden or buying it from the store, it is one of those plants you always seem to have an abundance of. This cilantro lime sauce recipe is a great way to use up all that extra coriander. It is perfect for adding flavor to any dish. No matter if you're making tacos, burrito bowls, sandwiches, or salads, this sauce will make your meal even better. It's a creamy, blended sauce that uses cilantro, lime juice, and sour cream as the primary flavors.

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Water and the West: What Can We Do?

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.

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How to Make Kale Taste Good: Colcannon and Kale Chips

If you are like me and do not love the taste of kale, it is a great veggie to mix into other dishes that you normally eat. Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish that combines kale with, my favorite vegetable, potatoes! While Nancy’s kale chips are extremely simple to make and satisfy the need for a crunch.

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Bok Choy Wonton Soup

Wontons, dumplings, pot stickers, or whatever you prefer to call them are delicious, satisfying, and fun to make. This winter we have a lot of nutritious greens, herbs, and veggies to choose from in our Growing Dome gardens. Bok choy is delicious, easy to grow, and can be used in all types of recipes from soups to salads and stir-fries. 

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Kitchen Sink Soup

We call this Kitchen Sink Soup because we take everything leftover from our fall & early winter Growing Dome harvests & whatever we have in the fridge to make the soup. We put everything in but the kitchen sink! The key is to have veggies, herbs, a grain or carbohydrate, and different types of alliums

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2022 Year in Review

2022 is quickly coming to an end and we wanted to take some time to reflect on how we have grown. This year was filled with twists and turns that both grounded us and propelled us into action. Giving back to our community and getting involved is something that we felt was desperately needed after the two years of isolation we all endured.

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Dome-Made Salsa with Air Fried Chips

Lucky for us, it’s tomato season in our Domes right now, and if you are like us, you have a variety of vine-ripened tomatoes from your Growing Dome. If you haven’t tried a Dome-grown tomato, you are missing out. The filtered light and temperature in the Dome make a perfect environment to ripen your tomatoes. They are far more flavorful and delicious than any tomatoes at the market or even in the outdoor garden. We also have fantastic fresh garlic, cilantro, and onion that we harvested from the Dome. They make the absolute best fresh salsa! 

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Chard is the New Kale: Chard, Bread Crumbs, Parmesan, and Lemon Salad

This rainbow & swiss chard salad is delicious and a fantastic way to use fresh, vibrant, and sometimes underutilized vegetables. Move over, kale! Swiss chard is the new super green! Chard is known to be bitter, so it is often left out of raw, cold salads. However, combining it with lemon zest, Parmesan, and olive oil relaxes the chard and takes away the bitterness. Give it a try. This summery, satisfying salad just might become your new go-to!

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Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls No Guilt or Gluten

This bright, satisfying, yet light lunch keeps you going through your afternoon or you can use it as an appetizer to a favorite Thai dinner entree or even pho. Nasturtium spring rolls are perfect for any warm spring or summer afternoon or evening. Easy to make, the nasturtium packs a punch that is unexpected in A spring roll. They are so pretty you may not want to eat them but they are equally as delicious! 

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Nasturtium Spring Rolls with Thai Peanut Sauce

This bright, satisfying, yet light lunch keeps you going through your afternoon or you can use it as an appetizer to a favorite Thai dinner entree or even pho. Nasturtium spring rolls are perfect for any warm spring or summer afternoon or evening. Easy to make, the nasturtium packs a punch that is unexpected in A spring roll. They are so pretty you may not want to eat them but they are equally as delicious! 

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Last of the Winter Veggies: Leek Sauté

Cooking with veggies has been a liberating experience for me as a cook, food-enthusiast, gardener, and mother. I have found confidence in my ability to provide delicious, nutritious, sustainable food to my family and friends. Thinking outside the box and using healthier ingredients in everything that I cook. I have cultivated an incredible deeper relationship with food nurturing myself through growing my own sources of sustenance. It's a wonderful feeling going out and gathering ingredients from the garden and the Growing Dome. I know that everything was grown with care, has the proper nutrients in the soil, no pesticides, no herbicides or chemicals. It’s all organic, fresh, nutrient-dense, and local.

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The Best Vegan Lasagna

There are multiple reasons we suspect lasagna has rotated out of the weekly dinner routine (high fat, cholesterol, carbs, sodium, calories, etc.). But everyone loves a good lasagna, so let’s revise and revisit! Make it modern, healthy, flavorful, skip the side of guilt and opt for a salad.

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Pistachio and Chickpea Caesar Salad

When I first started cooking more plant-based and vegan recipes I struggled to find a Caesar salad that had the crunch, punch, and protein of a traditional Caesar. This recipe has double the crunch, and double the protein, with a nice punch in the dressing without all the fat, & no oil. 

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Chili Verde AKA Colorado Green Chili

Everyone has their favorite version of chili. Some like it spicy, some like it mild, some like it red, some like it green. If you’re like me, you can eat chili all winter long and be happy as can be. It’s easy to make, stores well, and is the perfect match for many other dishes. Before I had a large family, I used to store it in the freezer and warm it up as needed. Now we never have any leftovers, ever! The kids beg for it, and if it gets approved by them, it’s approved by me. That makes life so much more straightforward, plus it is one of my top favorite things to eat. It also keeps us nice and toasty in these cold winter months in Colorado.

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Butternut Squash Soup

This is the time of year that we are all looking for those soothing, warm us up, type recipes, to help acclimate to the changing cold temperatures outside. This soup says fall flavor as much as pumpkin spice! This recipe is creamy, vegan, nourishing, and is full of cozy fall flavors. It's the ultimate comfort food to keep you full & warm this season. It can be frozen or stored in the fridge for up to a week. If you do have any leftovers, it's easy to reheat for a quick lunch on a cold afternoon.

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A Crispy Roasted Brussels Sprouts Recipe

Brussels sprouts get a bad rap. They are notorious for many kids and adults alike having utter disdain for them. Have no fear! These roasted brussels sprouts are delicious, nutritious, and easy! They melt in your mouth, have caramelized outer edges, and a little crunch at first bite. I’m willing to bet, these little bites of goodness will convert any Brussels sprout hater.

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Fried Green Tomatoes: Not the Movie But Just as Good!

My family comes from a long line of deep-fried southern cooking. A whole lot of comfort food made with butter, buttermilk, cream, lard, and pretty much anything that would clog your arteries. Tastes great but we have to be practical about our health these days and try to incorporate some healthy substitutions that will make our classic dishes modern, delicious, and less fat and calorie-dense.

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Shrimp and Nasturtium Salad with Pine Nuts

Working at Growing Spaces for more than a decade has allotted me many exciting perks. The one I enjoy the most is having access to fresh produce, veggies, herbs, greens, and fruits all year round. For many years, I have walked into the Growing Dome, like it was the grocery store, at lunchtime and hand-picked my lunch. This shrimp and nasturtium salad is one of my favorite easy Dome Grown recipes.

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Easy Instant-Pot Artichoke with Dipping Sauce

I started making this creamy southern comfort food in 2007. My friend owns a southern, Mardi Gras-themed comfort food restaurant. She gave me the recipe because I was obsessed with how yummy it was! I’ve been making this exact broccoli casserole dish for holiday gatherings and potlucks ever since, and people always want more! My family loves it.

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Roasted Red Pepper and Cauliflower Hot or Cold Soup

I started making this creamy southern comfort food in 2007. My friend owns a southern, Mardi Gras-themed comfort food restaurant. She gave me the recipe because I was obsessed with how yummy it was! I’ve been making this exact broccoli casserole dish for holiday gatherings and potlucks ever since, and people always want more! My family loves it.

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The Best Way to Eat Your Broccoli: Broccoli Casserole!

I started making this creamy southern comfort food in 2007. My friend owns a southern, Mardi Gras-themed comfort food restaurant. She gave me the recipe because I was obsessed with how yummy it was! I’ve been making this exact broccoli casserole dish for holiday gatherings and potlucks ever since, and people always want more! My family loves it.

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Simple Pad Thai Recipe: Shrimp, Chicken, or Vegan.

Most people think you can't make restaurant-quality food at home. Well, I am here to tell you if that is your sentiment, you are sorely mistaken. I am going to change your mind! It took me more tries than I would like to admit to getting it right. To keep it clean & healthy, but decadent and delicious.

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Smooth and Creamy Hummus Recipe

It’s easy to make and delicious on just about any vegetable, cracker, pita chip, or toast. You can add just about any herb, spice, or vegetable you like to adjust the taste. Bonus points if it was grown in your Growing Dome.

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Best Spinach and Artichoke Dip Recipe

New Year’s is always a good time to make your favorite appetizers, dips, and drinks. I’ve been experimenting with different ways to make my creamy, cheesy spinach artichoke dip over the years. I have experimented with full-fat cream cheese, Neufchâtel cheese, mozzarella cheese, and even vegan substitutes. This is my favorite dip recipe, and it is pretty simple. It melts in your mouth! You will want to double the recipe just for yourself.

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Gluten-Free Chocolate Beet Brownies

Beets are full of good stuff. They contain a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains, which are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxifying. They are also chock full of vitamins and minerals, especially folic acid, manganese, and potassium. So, I guess you could say that these gluten-free beet brownies are "healthy".

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Baked Kale Chips

The first time I made kale chips, I remember thinking, “Should they taste burnt like this??” As it turns out, the answer to that question is no. After multiple failed attempts that were either too soggy or too burnt, I believe I have finally found the perfect kale chip. Yes, this is a very serious business, this kale chip business.

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Fresh Tomato Bruschetta

It’s peak tomato season, which means it’s also bruschetta season! By bruschetta, I mean the Americanized version of authentic Italian bruschetta, featuring ripe red tomatoes, basil, and garlic on golden, toasted French bread.

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5 Charities Fighting Food Insecurity

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!

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Not a Vegan Carrot Cake

Since I am not a vegan like Kesy I couldn't really do a vegan recipe. Instead, I give you my nana's recipe for the best carrot cake ever with homemade cream cheese icing. She is Sicilian and the only thing I love more than her cakes is her meatballs.

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Vegan Chickpea and Sorrel Salad

Now that you have read How to Grow Sorrel, I am sure you are wondering what do do with those tangy green leaves. Don't worry. We have your back. This three-step vegan salad is the most straightforward recipe we have ever featured.

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Reflections on Retirement

Udgar and I founded Growing Spaces in 1989. The process of selling it was like looking for the right partner to pass on the baton in an exciting marathon. Preparing for that moment took extra energy. Our team had become our community as we developed the agility together to master all the moving parts of an evolving company. After retiring, we decided to travel in order to mark the change and to distance ourselves from our results-driven habits.

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It’s QuaranTime

With the craziness of the world right now, it can be tempting to pick up the remote and start a little vacation in your apartment. However, this can quickly turn into a harmful thing. Staying inside all day can have negative effects if you aren’t working towards positive goals and creating a productive environment. Try to make your work-from-home day like any other workday. But instead of a stressful morning commute, take a healthy morning walk outside. And take the extra time to do some other things you normally would not have time to do on a busy morning.

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Off The Vine

Optimize micronutrients by eating fruits and vegetables immediately after harvest. There are so many benefits to eating vegetables fresh from the earth. Taste, nutritional value and saving trips to the grocery store. Food travels hundreds, if not thousands, of miles before it makes it to the grocery store shelves and loses critical nutrients along the way.

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Cleaning Greenhouse Panels

Winter or early Spring is a great time to clean your panels as vegetation is generally reduced, allowing easy access to the polycarbonate surfaces. According to Claudia Stover, long-time Growing Spaces dome owner and greenhouse gardening teacher, not only does regular cleaning of the polycarbonate panels increase the sanitation of the greenhouse but “keeping the dome panels clear of pollen and plant debris also helps reduce disease and pest pressure on your plants.”

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Homegrown Chicken Pot Pie

Homegrown Chicken Pot Pie with Organic Dome Grown Veggies. What better way to say farewell to the winter growing season than with the ultimate comfort food. Fill your belly with fresh chicken, herbs and winter veggies from your Growing Dome.

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Lumpia: Vegan Filipino Egg Rolls

Lumpia – Vegan Filipino Egg Rolls I am a massive fan of any spring roll or fresh roll. But this time of year, they aren’t the first dish that comes to mind. The weather often inspires my appetite. When it’s cold outside, I usually yearn for comfort food like chili, soup, hot tea, etc. Lumpia...

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Vegan Fully Loaded Feel Better Pho

Fully Loaded Feel Better Vegan Pho I took a class with vegan chef Tess Challis to learn how to make this dish specifically, and I have simplified and streamlined it here for you. This is a comforting dish from a food culture that I incorporate into my everyday lifestyle. The secret to making delicious vegan...

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Green Thumb Daddy`s Greenhouse

Stories From Growing Domes Across the Globe Andrew Trujillo – Green Thumb Daddy The Growing Spaces team often refers to Andrew as the face of Growing Dome Greenhouses. Although he doesn’t work for Growing Spaces, he is one of our biggest supporters and provides outstanding feedback, content and wonderful pictures on our social media channels....

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Help Grow A Dome for Food Insecure Communities

These non-profits are working to increase access to locally grown organic food in their communities There are many challenges facing our planet’s agricultural systems.  Climate change, pesticides, GMOs, over-farming, soil health, corporate agriculture among many others.  Food insecurity is also a major concern, as many communities do not have access to fresh, healthy organic food. ...

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December 2019 Tropical Flowers in New Mexico Mountain Greenhouse

Stories From Growing Domes Across the Globe Matt & Christie’s New Mexico Mountain Greenhouse is growing beautiful tropical flowers year-round If you are an avid user of the Growing Spaces Facebook Group “Growing Dome Enthusiasts”, then you are no doubt familiar with our December Growing Dome of the Month owner, Matt Larson. He often posts...

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Tomatillo Green Chile Tamales

Tomatillo Green Chile Tamales It’s prime green chile season! If you live in the western United States, then you know all about green chile peppers. If you are one of the few who does not let me give you a little insight. Pueblo Native Americans have cultivated chile peppers for centuries, but the modern renditions of...

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Pumpkin Squash Risotto

Pumpkin Squash Risotto Harvest time is upon us for pumpkin and all varieties of squash in and out of the Growing Dome. I love a nice warm comfort food as the leaves begin to change, the days get shorter, and the nights colder. Risotto is just that! Here is a recipe from my kitchen to...

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Greek Village Salad

Greek Village Salad In honor of our Tomato Plant of the Month, our September recipe is a Greek Village Salad. This recipe is my go-to for a quick and light meal that easily uses all the excess tomatoes we have at this time of year.  Total Time: 10 min   Serves 1-2 What you need: SALAD...

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Cultivating Abundance

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...

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Artichoke Salad

Artichoke Salad In honor of our Artichoke Plant of the Month, our August recipe is my family’s favorite Italian salad. It can be eaten alone or paired with homemade pasta for a healthy recipe. Total Time: 15 min   Serves 4-6       What you need: SALAD INGREDIENTS: 1 head red-leaf lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces1...

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Vegan Buffalo Chickpea Tacos

Vegan Buffalo Chickpea Tacos Spice up your next taco night with food from your dome and an easy-to-follow recipe from peppers and chickpeas combined with a spicy buffalo sauce and a cooling drizzle of ranch in this flavorful take on traditional tacos. Serves 4 What you need: ⅓ cup hot sauce 3 tbsp sriracha sauce 2...

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Nourishment During the Summer Solstice

Ways to nourish your body and your Growing Dome during the Summer Solstice  The Summer Solstice of 2019 is upon us, bringing with it a time of intensity physically, emotionally, and environmentally. As we all know, the Solstice marks the day of the year with the most hours of sunlight. On this day, that number...

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Sustaining Mental Wellness In Your Growing Dome® Greenhouse

Gardening Sustains Mental Wellness While Providing Healthy, Nutritious Food: A Win-Win for You and Your Body Gardening in a Growing Dome is an invaluable method to improve and sustain mental and emotional wellness. Growing Domes are coveted, some would argue sacred, retreats to be with nature and one’s thoughts and emotions. At some point, however,...

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Growing Bananas at 60 Degrees North 

     Janet and I first met Bjorn Oliviusson in Fall 2012 when we arrived to help install the 33′ Growing Dome Greenhouse sold to the Royal Institution of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. As described in Bjorn’s post, it ended up at a school near the university, a pleasant setting, but late Fall in Stockholm the...

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Cloud City Farm: Growing the Impossible at 10,000 Feet

Cloud City Farm: From Superfund Site to Community Gardens, Thriving High Altitude Farm and Year-Round Growing Dome Greenhouse With only 28 frost free days a year, and living 10,000 feet above sea level, they are growing what at first might seem impossible. Cloud City Conservation Center (C4) Cloud City Conservation Center (C4)  is a non-profit 501(c)3...

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Mission: Wolf, Off Grid Greenhouse Gardening

Off Grid Greenhouse: Two Indoor Gardens at 9,000 ft. Elevation. Does off-grid gardening seem impossible? Mission: Wolf accomplishes mission impossible. Not one, but two, Growing Dome off-grid greenhouses at a staggering 9,000 ft.  Their secret… not green thumbs. Wolves. Mission: Wolf proves truly unique. The wolf sanctuary in Westcliffe, CO, serves not only as a...

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Pine River Garden Club: Growing Gardeners

Pine River Garden Club – Bayfield, CO Growing Gardeners and a Local Foodshed with a Growing Dome® at the Pine River Community Garden Instead of garlic from China and avocados from Mexico, the Pine River Garden Club cultivates their own local foodshed, grows gardeners and teaches how to harvest what you thought wouldn’t grow here....

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7 Simple Secrets to Maintain Vibrant Health

75 Year Old Ex-Dentist Reveals Effective No Cost Methods of Improving Health Naturally Following are 7 simple tips to maintain vibrant health, as given by this guy. And unless you’re brand new here, I bet you recognize our fearless leader! Udgar Parsons, the creator of the Growing Dome® and co-owner of Growing Spaces®. You’ve probably seen...

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One Healthy Snack Without The Burden Of Prep Time

One Healthy Snack You  Can Grab On The Go… Without The Burden Of Prep Time You like to eat. You want a healthy snack. You’re hungry…all the time. It’s the same for all of us. We’re all hungry all the time. My kids are always asking for food, always on the prowl for the next...

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The Gift of Food Security

  What does food security mean to you? Does it mean that your food is grown organically without pesticides and hormones? Does it mean that you know you will always have food on your table for your family because you can supply it yourself? Maybe it means you have grown enough food to collaborate with...

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Our Sugared Lives

TOO MUCH SUGAR TOO MUCH SUGAR – This is all we hear in the news and in health magazines. Every news organization is reporting on Americans eating too much sugar. What does all this mean? How much is too much?  Most people think “eh, I don’t eat doughnuts and cookies so I should be OK”. ...

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Sowing Winter Crops in the Growing Dome

  Sow your seeds in early fall to prepare for your Winter Garden: If you grow in a Growing Dome, or greenhouse, or even want to try to extend your season in an outdoor garden, the time has come to sow seeds for fall and winter gardening. If you sow in late August to early...

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Beneficial Insects

Gardening in a Growing Dome is rewarding. Upon entering the Growing Dome, we inflate our lungs with clean, fresh air, instantly melting away any fears or worries we had moments before. In this sanctuary we feed the fish, smell the blossoms, snack on some healthy treats along the way, and nourish the soil. Sowing seeds...

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Permaculture Convergence in Mancos, Colorado

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...

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Assisted Living Greenhouse

Sunshine Gardens Senior Community Growing Food, Fine Dining, and The Power Of Gardening A fierceness springing from knowing what you want and possession of resolve to get it. He means business. He is the kind of guy you want on your side. Most people just call him Bob. The residents of Sunshine Gardens are lucky to have...

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Solar Power, Your Pocketbook, and the Environment

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...

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Children’s Health Empowered By Growing Your Own Food

  The Pizza Bed Regenerating Children’s Health By Growing Your Own Food And Regenerating A Culture Connected to The Soil Our kids are fat. I know that’s a shocking way to say it, and with a little license to be politically incorrect, it’s probably accurate. Sadly. And as for adults, the majority isn’t any better off. But it...

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Community Gardens and The Garden Project of Southwest Colorado

The Garden Project of Southwest Colorado “Growing your own food is a revolutionary act.” -Vandana Shiva Gardening is Revolutionary. Your garden is significant. Gardening creates a better world, bringing health to your body and health to the planet. It cultivates a quality of beauty that merits direct experience for full appreciation. Even a humble backyard...

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Growing Your Own vs Shopping

Like Renting vs Owning. And why a Growing Dome® is more Cost Effective Than my CSA Box. Bountiful Baskets are great. They keep my family of five stocked with quality fresh fruits and vegetables. The other day, while picking up our baskets at the local pick up site, the lady that checks your name off the list greeted...

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Winter Gardening: Growing Spaces

Winter gardening. Can it really be productive? Well, how about growing 20 varieties of food plants at the beginning of January? In the midst of a Rocky Mountain winter? Claudia Stover, a Growing Dome® owner of 10 years, had a visit this past weekend from Growing Spaces® owners, Puja and Udgar Parsons. In this video,...

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Exercise To Cultivate Wellness

We all know the importance of eating good food. And we all know the importance of exercise,  but do you do it? Be honest. Do you get enough exercise? Do you have something in your life that keeps you consistently exercising 4 or 5 times a week? Now, I’m not talking about lifting weights, working...

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Season’s Greetings

Season’s greetings! What is this season? A time of turning…turning toward snow boots and scrapers and bundling up to scrape snow off the solar panels and help Udgar mount the plow. The smell of wood smoke nurtures my sense of gratitude for our Rocky Mountain home and the outdoor life we get to live. This...

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Living in Gratitude this Season

As I begin this Newsletter greeting, I was just watching wild turkeys outside our window scratching for food. I always feel wonder that they return every year and surround our cabin with their good energy, reminding me of the pilgrims and Native American’s offering gratitude. I am preparing a surprise turkey dinner for a friend and...

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Growing Spaces, LLC. Joins Colorado Environmental Leadership Program

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...

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Peace as a practice taught through gardening

There is an intangible, but equally empowering peace that comes with the practice of growing our own food. Have you taken the time to understand where this peace comes from? In understanding the roots of this peace we can find ways to expand on it and move the practice over into other parts of our...

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It’s Earth Day

It’s Earth Day, and this is being celebrated in many places around the globe (see Earthday.org ). In our own small town, the people of vision were out on a cold day in their booths giving away small trees to celebrate Earth Day. There were many examples of innovation and many contributions to the awareness...

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Replenish Your Garden’s Footprint

Let’s start out by first acknowledging that gardening is an inherently Earth-friendly activity. The basic acts of turning the soil, sowing seeds, watering, and nurturing the plants literally consists of acting in a loving, gentle and kind way toward the Earth. Gardening is also eco-friendly in less direct but as conspicuous ways. The most obvious...

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Proof that Gardening Gives a Natural Mood Lift

How many people do you know who are affected by depression, anxiety, stress or other emotional illness? Or maybe the better question is: Who do you know that is not affected? The pressures of today’s increasingly fast-paced, high-tech society that demands you know all things at all times and learn to do them all at...

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Keynote Address: Staying Centered in the Cyclone

One of our two favorite leaders of Growing Spaces, Puja Parsons, gave a beautiful keynote address to an audience of nearly 200 at the SW Colorado Women’s Small Business Conference in Durango, Colorado on July 13th, 2012. It was a bit of a new frontier for Puja because she had the opportunity to present how...

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Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership Comes into View

Last year we shared with you the vision for Pagosa Springs’ Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership (GGP) and how this sustainable movement was poised to change our community in big and beautiful ways. We are excited to post an update with a rendering of the proposed project and an overview of the design. This is all really...

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Listen in on Positive About Pagosa

We have a great recording to share with you from an interview at the local KWUF Radio’s Positive About Pagosa radio show with Udgar Parsons, Growing Spaces LLC owner and founder. Udgar shares his journey of discovering Pagosa Springs, Colorado as the home for his family and his business as well as how he came...

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We are Made in America

We spend a lot of time talking about our greenhouse kits and what they can do. Next, we highlight our vision of a sustainable world, and lastly, we sometimes happen to mention who we are. The increasing attention paid to goods made in America has caused us to think back to who we are as...

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Slow Money Entrepreneur Showcase Presentation

If you missed it last month, we have it to share with you now! Puja Dhyan Parsons, Owner & CEO of Growing Spaces® LLC was one of 24 people representing her company in the Entrepreneur Showcase at the Slow Money National Gathering on October 13, 2011 in San Fransisco, CA. A hallmark of the Slow...

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Visioning the Balance

“For Puja and I, everything is connected, and we are ever awed by the complexity and beauty of the natural world. Offering a product which helps people enjoy and support this beauty and the bountiful ways of nature – while growing an abundance of food – is very fulfilling for us.” – Udgar Parsons, Co-Owner...

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Solar Powered Business

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...

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A Worthy Journey: Putting youth gardening into perspective

As we celebrate the interest from children and young adults in growing organic food, we want to point to major influences over the last few years. I thank the efforts of Jamie Oliver, Will Allan, and Michelle Obama and many Moms and Dads who are convinced that learning “where food comes from” is the beginning...

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What About Farm-to-School for the Little Ones?

I am not very good at baking….there I admit it. I love to cook but have a mental block on baking. It is challenging, to say the least, with all of my food allergies. (Wheat, gluten, eggs, dairy!) So I gave it up long ago but in the recent months the need has come back...

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The Grassroots Global Web

Have you noticed how the off-grid, sustainable living movement is increasingly wired in? You can subscribe to @HomeGrownDOTorg on Twitter and like the Solar Living Institute on Facebook. How strange is the small farmer with his hands in the dirt one moment and his eyes trained on YouTube the next? How odd is the gardener...

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A Gateway to Sustainability

With so many innovative projects going on across the world today and so many ways to encounter the magic of communities coming together we have an endless supply of inspiration. Shifting our focus to this positive movement brings us to those who have opened the gateway to sustainability. One of our favorite stories comes from...

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Growing Organic Food in Urban USA

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....

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Is Sugar Toxic?

On May 26, 2009, Robert Lustig gave a lecture called “Sugar: The Bitter Truth,” which was posted on YouTube the following July. Since then, it has been viewed well over 800,000 times, gaining new viewers at a rate of about 50,000 per month, fairly remarkable numbers for a 90-minute discussion of the nuances of fructose...

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Michelle Obama and Growing Spaces – Working Toward a Common Goal

Today’s announcement that Michelle Obama is authoring a book on the importance of school, urban and community gardening is another example of the mind shift that is happening in the United States and across the globe. Her support of healthier, more self-sustaining lifestyles is directly in line with Growing Spaces vision. Growing Spaces was founded...

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Smoothie made from Garden Greenhouse Veggies

A delicious and nutritious smoothie right from the garden! Ingredients: 1/2 zucchini, peel and remove seeds 1/2 cucumber, peel and remove seeds 5 cherry tomatoes (this recipe uses yellow cherry tomatoes) 10 chunks of pineapple (this recipe uses frozen chunks) 1/4 cup water 1 tsp honey Blend coarsely chopped vegetables, pineapple, water, and honey in...

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Food for Thought

As I am moved by the amazing colors of the harvest season here in the Rocky Mountains, it seems so appropriate to share why I feel so honored to have Shumei International® teachers arrive as our guests in teaching Natural Agriculture. We Americans were once gardeners and people of the land. My own lineage were...

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Shumei Natural Agriculture & Growing Spaces

“The principle of Natural Agriculture is an over-riding respect and concern for Nature,” stated Mokichi Okada in his book A Great Agricultural Revolution. This respect leads to minimum intervention in the growing processes. While many modern agricultural practices are based on a belief in the need to control and manipulate the growing process, Natural Agriculture...

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Greenhouse Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Our friends in Taos, New Mexico once published this recipe – we just couldn’t get enough of this yummy treat, and wish to pass it on to our fellow gardeners…(** as originally from a friend of Yart, Janine N; Yart leaves out the ingredients with the asterisks.) Chocolate Zucchini Cake Cream together: 1/2  cup **margarine...

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How Growing Your Own Food Changes Your Life

Growing just one food-producing plant at home like tomato, bell pepper, strawberry, lettuce, snow peas, etc. can do more than just save money otherwise spent at the grocery store. Whether you are a family of five, a single-person household, or a community of many, you can make a difference in how you live – today!...

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Green Living 101: Grow Your Own Food

Green Living 101: Grow your own food in Colorado Worried about America’s addiction to oil? Do you want to rely less on oil and live off the vegetables and fruits of your labor? Want to grow your own organic food all year around, even in the dead of winter in the bitter Colorado Rocky Mountain...

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Recycling: 1.41 Oz. of Trash Created by Gardening Class

We are celebrating!! Growing Spaces hosted the first of this seasons four-part Gardening and Beyond class… In preparation for the event, we made a conscious decision to really eliminate the “normal” waste that is created by having such an event with 30 to 40 people. We used real glasses, cups, saucers, silverware and cloth napkins....

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Promoting Positive Lifestyle Change

From Janice, (new decade) In an effort to promote positive lifestyle changes, I want to tell you about a company I work for called Growing Spaces.  The staff here is very excited to share our passion about the importance of our product, the Growing Dome greenhouse. Half of all American adults have a chronic illness...

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Growing Spaces Conserves Energy on a Daily Basis

See the list our office team members came up with of various steps we take to preserve precious resources. We are “Committed to being a truly Green Company”. Reduce: Photovoltaic grid tie system: We sell electricity back to the grid. We may be the only off the grid manufacturing place in Pagosa Springs. We minimize...

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