About Us

Our Mission is to help communities build healthy sustainable food systems through effective systems planning and development (more on Goals page).

Brief History

Healthy Community Food Systems (HCFS) is a nonprofit formed in 2008 by Jenny Wrenn, Julie Hudak, and Jim Dyer to carry on much of the work that we had been doing under the Southwest Marketing Network – a collaborative of nonprofit, educational, and extension groups working on alternative marketing and healthy local food systems in the Four Corners states of AZ, CO, NM, UT, and WY. HCFS is currently focusing on healthy and deeply sustainable food systems and foodsheds in the Greater San Juan Mountain Ecosystem, the broader Four Corners region, and beyond.

Current & Recent Projects

Farm to School and Preschool in La Plata County and Southwest Colorado, our Getting Serious Now outreach campaign, Healthy Foodsheds work locally and regionally, a Looking Forward  and climate adaptation blueprint, Wild School Gardens Project, and more. More details.

See our Board of Directors page to see the cast of characters who keeps us on mission.

Principal Contractors

Jim Dyer

Director

Jim Dyer is the Director of Healthy Community Food Systems and was Project Director of the Southwest Marketing Network for many years. Jim has over 30 years experience working with Native American projects in the Southwest, 20 years in Farm to School work, and 40 years in sustainable agriculture in Colorado. Having been a meteorologist and college professor in past lives, he has come to focus more and more specifically on climate-friendly, wildlife-friendly, and deeply sustainable food systems and foodsheds. Jim and his wife Pam have raised sheep, poultry, children, and gardens for most of their five decades together. More at: https://jimdyer.wordpress.com

Kelsey Reeder

Communications & Program Manager

Kelsey Reeder is a farmer, fiber artist, sustainability advocate, and mother. With formal training as an archaeologist and geologist, she has experience in project management (from high-end custom home construction to archaeological surveys), technical editing, and firefighting. Working as a consultant, she has filled various roles, including publication production - such as the Colorado Farm to School Primer she co-authored with Jim Dyer - and has contracted with the Southwest Marketing Network and NM Farm to Table as well as HCFS. She and her family raise Shetland sheep for wool, keep heritage breed chickens for eggs, grow vegetables and fruit for home-consumption, and run a small family fiber shop.

For more information contact Jim Dyer