2018 annual newsletter
the joy of cooking — together A few weeks ago, we were curious how the shelter group (7 youth) would react to our scheduled Saturday activity: buying food at the farmer’s market to prepare a meal. We told them we trusted their ability to find and buy foods they really wanted. We were relieved when they dove right in and rocked it. They were so excited! They trusted their peers to return extra money, combined funds to make larger purchases and refrained from buying things only for themselves. They chose heirloom tomatoes, several kinds of lettuce and greens, onions, homemade tortillas, and fresh roasted green chile. When they came home, they all wanted to be in the kitchen and help out with cooking the meal — TOGETHER! They laughed, jammed music, smelled produce and were really excited about their homecooked lunch. We had an amazing taco salad that day! The best part was watching them work together and feeling inspired and encouraged to do this work because, with days and moments like these, you could see their joy and excitement. — corilia ortega & penny peterson, Teen service specialists
the green launch of dreamtree farms, LLC In February, we successfully launched DreamTree Farms: a social enterprise to raise funds for our programs — and grow healthy greens year-round in Taos. In May, Chef Jaime Nieves-Flores and Manager Lucas Motsinger hosted the DreamTree Farms launch party at the Gorge Bar and Grill. Now, you can support DreamTree Project and young people in our community by ordering salads at Common Fire and Five Star Burgers and by purchasing lettuce mix at Taos Food Coop and Sol Food Market. Help us grow DreamTree Farms! Look for DreamTree Farms, llc greens at