A Community Coming Together to Create the Impossible
It has been more than 11 years since we updated you on the Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership and its mission to “educate the community in sustainable agricultural practices by producing food year-round using local renewable energy.” What started as a vision from a small group of locals to build a town park has become the living, breathing heart of Pagosa Springs.
Today the community venture known as The Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership, Inc, (GGP) consists of three 42’ Growing Dome greenhouses heated with geothermal power, an Audubon native plants garden, a Rotary club garden, and an amphitheater along the San Juan Riverwalk. The greenhouses use geothermal energy from nearby natural hot springs. This renewable energy source helps to maintain a consistent temperature within the greenhouse, allowing for the growth of a variety of plants year-round in USDA hardiness zone 5a.
the geothermal system that heats their greenhouses.
The Big Three Greenhouses at the Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership
If you have visited Pagosa recently, you have probably seen the three giant geodesic domes along the river. Each 42’ geodesic greenhouse has a different purpose and a corresponding name.
The Education Dome at the Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership:
The Education Dome was the first greenhouse up and running in 2017. Volunteer carpenters constructed the beds, and the Archuleta School District students wheeled in the soil. Vegetables were quickly planted by enthusiastic volunteer growers.
You can tour the Education Dome and discover year-round gardening. The dome previously hosted over 600 students a year. In 2020, when the pandemic hit, they switched gears to raising vegetables for the GGP and donating to Healthy Archuleta. Today they are still selling produce, and the greenhouse is again open to students, tourists, and community members. Winter Market Hours are 10 am – 1 pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. During the summer, hours change to 9 am – 12 pm. You can find a list of upcoming events on their website.
The Community Dome at the Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership:
Like the Education Dome, the Community Garden Dome grows vegetables and herbs in traditional raised beds with only natural gardening practices; instead of individual volunteers, the food is produced by community organizations. The Community Garden Dome encourages groups to thrive rather than focusing on individuals allowing them to share the experience of sustainable gardening with many more people. Each organization is assigned a raised bed or beds, and their needs, such as soil and seeds, are provided to them by the GGP.
Some of the groups that participate include St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, The Friends, The Elementals, The Kindness Group, and their newest participants, Archuleta Seniors. They do not currently have any growing space available, but you can contact them to inquire about future openings and volunteer opportunities by emailing ggp@pagosagreen.org.
The Innovation Dome at the Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership:
In contrast to GGP’s Education and Community Garden soil-based growing domes, the Innovation Dome showcases an integrated aquaponic growing system that yields veggies and fish using the least amount of water while still producing as much food as possible. It is entirely soilless.
The food produced by the Innovation Dome is sold to local restaurants providing an income stream that supports the GGP.
Fundraising for a Community Project
We had the opportunity to speak with key members of the GGP, Sally High, Co-Treasurer, and Pauline Benetti, Vice-President. They said there were many bumps in the road, but it was all about perseverance and the drive to create a unique partnership to showcase “growing food and community with local energy.” They have spent countless hours working on grant funding, developing relationships and partnerships with community members and groups, and making the impossible possible.
In the fall, during the community celebration of Fall Colors, the GGP holds its main fundraiser, Breakfast with Balloons which traditionally attracts a large and enthusiastic following to greet the ascending balloons early on Saturday morning. In the spring, it plays a major role in the community celebration of Earth Day. During the year, the amphitheater is used by a variety of organizations.
The number of grants available for local schools, communities, and nonprofit organizations in the US is vast, and the possibilities are endless. If you want to start a community greenhouse, we have a list of grants for schools, communities, and nonprofits, including some of our own, to help you get started.
You can find all of our Featured Growing Domes highlighted in our monthly newsletter, “The Happy Grower,” on our social media platforms (Facebook and Instagram) and in our blog. At the end of the year, we create an annual calendar that includes every Dome of the Month. We send them to all Featured Dome participants, along with a gift of Growing Spaces gardening goodies! Apply here.
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