Nude Foods will be pitching on Shark Tank on March 11 at 8pm! They're hosting live watch parties in Denver and in Boulder from 7-9pm where you can meet Nude Foods co-founders, sample snacks from local vendors, and watch what happens when zero-waste takes on the biggest stage in entrepreneurship!

Register for the Denver watch party here, and for the Boulder watch party here.

Exciting update about our 2026 Colorado Organic Grains Microgrant Program: Mad Agriculture is generously adding $2,000 to each winning proposal from their 2024 Regenerative Catalyst Fund. That means a total of $7,000 for our microgrant winners this year.

Now entering its third year, our USDA-funded microgrant program is dedicated to bringing more certified organic Colorado grain products to market. In the past, we've supported distributors and retailers, and this year, it's all about the growers.

With Mad Agriculture’s support, we’re thrilled to offer even more substantial grants to our winners.

Learn more about eligibility and the project timeline here. 

Six years ago, Todd Olander, a fifth-generation farmer and founder of Root Shoot in Loveland said he saw the writing on the wall: “We needed to make sure our soil was resilient.”

Olander’s solution was to turn to regenerative practices such as planting cover crops, not tilling the soil, and more recently, he started growing several new varieties of winter barley, an ancient grain. These were not small nor inexpensive changes to make, but, “I've always wanted to prove that what we are doing is actually making a difference,” he said. 

Read the full article about Colorado Grain Chain Member, Root Shoot on CPR News.

West Coast Bread Fest is an all-day celebration of bread and community in Petaluma, California. One ticket includes one 60–90 minute class, but attendees are encouraged to arrive in the morning and stay for the full day. Between classes, connect with instructors during casual Q&As, enjoy food from local bakeries, grab coffee, enter the raffle, and take in the festival atmosphere.

Read more at westcostbreadfest.com.

Calling all grain buyers, sellers & distributors! Are you looking to source Colorado grown grains or grain products? Want to connect with local farmers, millers, pasta makers, bakers, and more? Are you a distributor interested in expanding markets for local grain products?

Join our "Matches in the Making" networking session at the Colorado Grain Summit on March 7th in Salida. This curated session connects buyers with suppliers across Colorado's grain supply chain—from heritage wheat and gluten free grains to finished products like flour, pasta, crackers, and baked goods.

Whether you're looking to buy, sell, or distribute—let's make it happen!

Register for the Summit & complete the Matches form by Feb 17

Questions? Reach out to audrey@coloradograinchain.com 

The Colorado Grain Chain (CGC), a nonprofit organization that seeks to grow and connect a vibrant community-centered grain economy in the state of Colorado, is excited to announce a new round of Microgrant funding available to stakeholders in the Colorado organic grain chain. Applicants will be considered if they meet the below criteria, provide a project narrative, project budget, and agree to participate in our data collection efforts. We are also able to provide free product development support and free technical assistance (this cannot be used for help with transitioning to an organic certification) for those who reach out. These services are available to any applicant, not just those selected as 2026 Microgrant winners. 

Although grains make up an average of 30-50% of dietary intake, the organic grain market for human consumption is relatively limited, with little emphasis on local sourcing. Since the inception of the CGC in 2019, our nonprofit’s mission has been to grow and connect a vibrant community-centered grain economy in our state. This work involves connecting our membership base of 100+ Business and Consumer Members to educational and marketing resources, partners, and technical assistance. CGC’s membership base ranges from farmers, processors (millers and maltsters), to artisanal makers (bakers, brewers, distillers, chefs), food hubs, and institutions. 

In January 2024, we received an Organic Market Development Grant (OMDG) through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In our three-year project proposal, we planned to distribute six $5,000 Microgrants each year and focus on different parts of the Colorado organic grain supply chain. With this funding, the CGC is working to enhance market opportunities for producers, processors, and value-added product makers of organic grains for human consumption. 

Through analysis of the grain supply chain and conversations with Colorado grain stakeholders, we’ve determined that the primary issues to address in working to make organic grains more accessible are currently storage, marketing, and distribution. We’re curious if this is true for your business as well. We’d love to have your business apply for a CGC Microgrant, so please continue reading to see if you qualify and reach out with any and all questions. microgrant@coloradograinchain.com

Who Can Apply:
This year’s microgrants are open to Colorado-based grain growers of all sizes working on projects that help get certified organic grain products to market.

The CGC would like to see the selected projects showcase their plan to form at least three new partnerships within the grain value chain. As one of our core values, the CGC is committed to creating links between those working in the value chain and we truly believe that the stronger our networks, connections, and collaborations, the stronger all of our businesses will become. 

The Conscious Business Pitch Competition is an annual pitch event hosted by Naturally Colorado that highlights purpose-driven, emerging CPG and conscious product brands. Formerly known as the “Pitch Slam,” founders get the chance to present their business to a panel of industry experts, gain exposure, connect with mentors and peers, and compete for valuable prizes that can help accelerate growth and visibility.

Finalists are selected to pitch live (Wednesday, April 22, 2026 ), where each gets a few minutes to share their story and vision. Winners receive opportunities like a complimentary booth at New Hope’s Newtopia Now, business support services, and further networking possibilities with retailers and industry leaders.

This event also includes community networking, product sampling in the Innovation Showcase, and chances for established brands to exhibit new products. Applications to the Naturally Rising pitch competition are due February 6th.

Read about River Valley Community Grains, a fledgling grain hub operating in an old tractor repair building in Blairstown, NJ in this Dirt Magazine article by Becca Tucker.

UCCS Grain School Online 2026 begins February 2, 2026 and offers a flexible, year-long learning experience exploring grains from farming and processing to nutrition, health, and community. Designed for farmers, bakers, makers, educators, and grain-curious community members, the online course includes a live kickoff orientation on February 3 and self-paced content through April with self-paced access until the end of the year. Sign up here!

How do you highlight the things that you care about? That’s the question from Zuni Street Brewing’s lead brewer, Riley O’Connor, who is heading up a new brewing project called Still Here, a collaborative effort from over a dozen Denver-area breweries. 

Still Here partnered with Chris Schooley from Troubadour Maltings to use a pilsner malt grown by Eric Pfannenstiel at Rocky Mountain Hay Farms. Both unmalted and malted India Jammu wheat was provided by Boulder’s Dry Storage. Matthew Peetz of Propagate Labs also joined the project, providing a blended saison strain comprising two famed Belgian breweries, as well as a French brewery... [Read More Here]