Colorado Farm2Food Program

The Colorado Farm2Food Program supports small-scale farmers and food entrepreneurs as they launch or refine a food and beverage value-added product and explore new markets.

Research shows that value-added production, the act of processing raw agricultural goods into finished products such as food or beverage products, can increase farmers’ profitability, increase the shelf stability of products, expand the market season, increase farm visibility, and allow them to enter new markets.

The Colorado Farm2Food Program centers around three main components:

  • A 5-part on-demand video series (Summer 2025)

  • Self-paced coursework as a downloadable workbook with practical tools, templates, and assets (Summer 2025)

  • Two in-person events (Fall 2025)

Participants will gain access to a wealth of information through food systems experts as well as curriculum that has been supplemented by other Farm2Food programs across the nation. You’ll hear the most critical pieces of information in the webinar series and then work through modules that eliminate the uncertainty of diversifying your production or enhancing your existing food or beverage products and business. Finally, you’ll have the opportunity to explore Colorado’s food and beverage unique ecosystem through in-person events.

““I learned so much and gained building blocks to continue my journey in getting my product in front of more customers. The program answered questions I didn’t even know I had and helped me think outside the box when it comes to my product(s).””
— Kirsten Pope, Ika Greens

2025 Colorado PROGRAM

The NASDA Foundation is seeking participants is seeking participants to join Colorado Farm2Food Accelerator program!

PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY

Whether you’re exploring how to bring a recipe idea to market, refining a current product, or expanding your product line, Farm2Food Colorado offers tools, insights, and connections to help you grow your value-added business while supporting local agriculture. Farm2Food Colorado is available to anyone interested in using Colorado’s specialty crop* ingredients to create/refine food and beverage products. Colorado producers at any stage are welcome to attend one, some, or all of the program components. There is no cost to the participant, thanks to Colorado’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program funds to help support Colorado's agriculture and the broader community. In return, participants agree to provide feedback on the program and their progress via impact surveys.

*The USDA defines specialty crops as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, culinary herbs, and spices. Visit USDA’s What is a Specialty Crop? webpage to view a list. 


PARTICIPANTS CAN EXPECT

  • Expert insights from speakers and producer panels across Colorado’s food system

  • Technical know-how to turn specialty crop ingredients into value-added products

  • Practical tools & templates—from pricing workbooks to packaging guides

  • Food safety guidance, including FSMA-aligned practices and scalable compliance tools

“The Farm2Food Accelerator was a space that managed to feel both professional and personal. Each week I felt inspired to innovate and better the products that I have been working on.”

- Crystal Leon, The Radish Hotel



2025 PROGRAM FORMAT & PARTICIPANT EXPECTATIONS

During summer and fall of 2025, participants will have the opportunity to engage through:

  • An on-demand video series – a free series introducing key concepts in product development, pricing, food safety, customer insight, and retail readiness. Each session will include expert presentations. The series will also showcase producer panels drawn from Colorado’s vibrant food system and the Farm2Food community around the nation.

  • Self-paced modular curriculum as a downloadable workbook. The modules include information on the topic, an activity to help you apply the knowledge to your business, and relevant resources.

  • Two Fall 2025 in-person events – an event showcasing food safety resources and connecting producers to additional technical assistance as well as an event exploring value-added food product trends and creating networking opportunities.

On-Demand Video Series

To reach a broader audience and offer greater flexibility in delivering information to producers, we will provide an on-demand video series rather than the live webinar series. These materials will cover content similar to what would have been presented during live sessions. Rooted in feedback from producers, this format change allows participants to learn at their own pace and to revisit the information for future reference.

Aligning Mission, Market, and Message to Guide Product Development with Dustin Finkel & Fuel & Iron
• Brand mission, customer identification, and value proposition
• Panel discussion with Colorado producers

Knowing Your Costs with Kevin Athearn
• Calculating production costs and Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)

Creating Viable Products through Customer Insight and Iterative Development with CSU Spur & Fuel & Iron
• Identifying market needs, testing with real customers
• Panel discussion on market research and iteration

Building Safe, Compliant, and Scalable Food Products with CSU Spur
• Food safety, sanitation, lab testing, packaging, and scaling

Getting Retail Ready through Pricing and Preparing Your Pitch with Dustin Finkel & Fuel & Iron
• Pricing for profitability, understanding margin/markup, and pitch prep
• Panel discussion on retail readiness

Colorado-Adapted Curriculum – Coming Soon!

Launching Summer 2025, the Colorado-tailored Farm2Food curriculum will be available for self-paced learning. The coursework will be structured as a free, downloadable workbook packed with practical tools and templates that support every stage of your product development process. For details on module topics, please visit the curriculum page.

This hands-on resource will also include:

  • A recipe ideation journal

  • Budgeting and pricing templates

  • Food safety factsheets and videos

  • Packaging and labeling guides

  • And much more!

Please join one of the upcoming webinars or visit this webpage in early June for information on how to download the coursework.

 

In-Person Events Coming This Fall

Farm2Food Colorado will host two in-person networking and training events in Fall 2025. These events will bring together producers, educators, and support organizations to deepen the learning and build real-world connections. Farm2Food Colorado will host an event in Denver showcasing food safety resources and connecting producers to additional technical assistance support available at CSU Spur. We will also host an event in Pueblo highlighting value-added food product trends and creating networking opportunities. Space will be limited for both events.

More information will be announced later this summer.

COST

Cost: Free



PARTNERS

Click on our partner logos to learn more!  

Funding

Funding for The Farm2Food Accelerator: Energizing Growth for Colorado’s Small-Scale Specialty Crop Producers was made possible by a grant/cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.