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Evergreen Elders: Horticultural Therapy for Older Adults

Evergreen Elders was developed to provide therapeutic horticulture classes to older adults in care facilities, focusing on individuals experiencing memory care issues. In 2025, Larimer County Master Gardeners led 15 hands-on horticultural therapy sessions, engaging 202 participants in seasonal activities like making herb butters, pressed flower notecards and suncatchers, succulent pumpkins, grass stocking seed heads, flower arrangements, vegetable stamp cards, and holiday ornaments using fresh evergreens.

Guided by Master Gardener and horticultural therapist Erica Wharton, each session was designed to engage multiple senses, promote dexterity, encourage creativity, and foster connection among residents and volunteers.

Program participation promoted dignity, connection, and compassionate care for older adults, while volunteers found purpose and joy in sharing their time and skills. For residents living with memory loss, these moments of engagement offered tactile experiences that could support emotional well-being and enhance quality of life. Participants rate their mood with colored faces (red = upset, green = happy) before and after class. We found that at the end of class 95% felt happy, up from 65% at the start.

Evergreen Elders is made possible through community partnerships with Dementia Together, Columbine Health and Rehabilitation, The Worthington Independent Living, Good Samaritan, and Hearthside Dementia Care.

Connection Café at North Forty Food Pantry

In 2025, our Health & Well-being Specialist launched the Connection Café at the North Forty Food Pantry in Red Feather Lakes to support social well-being among older adults living in rural areas, where access to programs and services can be limited. Hosted at the food pantry distribution on the fourth Friday of each month, the café created a welcoming space for community members to gather, enjoy refreshments, and learn about local resources and educational opportunities. Nearly 150 people engaged with our booth at 8 events, while 19 partner organizations offered their resources and services to the community. Visitors shared conversations, built relationships, and gained information about health, wellness, and community services available in the Red Feather Lakes area. 

The café was developed in partnership with the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment and UCHealth’s Aspen Club, bringing together trusted organizations to meet people where they already are. By showing up consistently and partnering with trusted local organizations, the program built credibility over time and became a familiar presence in a community where small size and rural location can limit access to outside services.

Soil Health: Taste the Difference

To demonstrate how sustainable farming practices can influence food quality, our Ag Specialist and Farmers’ Market & Food Systems Coordinator teamed up to invite the public to explore how sustainable practices impact food quality through a blind taste test at the Larimer County Farmers’ Market.

More than 200 market customers sampled pairs of foods, including tomatoes, cucumbers, peaches, steak, milk, chorizo, and mushrooms, without knowing which was locally produced using soil health practices and which was conventionally grown and non-local. They then cast their votes for which tasted the best, and the results were clear. 83% of participants preferred the local Colorado peach, 75% chose the local tomato, 76% favored local mushrooms, 74% selected grass-fed local steak, and 67% preferred local milk. Participants consistently identified local, soil-healthy products as more flavorful, even without knowing their origin.

Beyond taste, the activity created meaningful conversations between producers and consumers. Educational posters at vendor booths highlighted the soil health practices they use, helping customers understand how farming choices affect flavor, nutrition, and land stewardship.