Colorado’s Root Shoot Malting asks for donations to protect crucial land around its farm

This fall, Root Shoot Malting debuted its short film 100 Year Lease. This documentary film, produced by Traverse Image, is dedicated to the education about and preservation of the American family farm. It tells the story of the 5th generation Olander Farm, the family farm that Root Shoot stems from. 

“We’re rooted in Colorado; that’s where the name Root Shoot came from,” says Root Shoot Malting co-owner Todd Olander. “This is where we want to be, and we’ll do whatever we can to stay here.” 

Along with the film premiere, Root Shoot launched a crowdfunding campaign through the agriculture-centric platform Steward to generate contributions toward a conservation easement on their farm. As of this week, Steward has streamlined the donation process to make contributing to 100 Year Lease that much easier. Here’s a summation of why this matters, from the Steward page:

 Farmers in Colorado have especially seen an increase in pressure from subdivision development, water depletion, falling commodity prices, and oil and gas expansion.

For the past three years, Olander Farms and Root Shoot Malting have been together pursuing a conservation easement to preserve and protect the beloved and crucial land around us. We’re campaigning to keep farmers on farms.

This agreement, in partnership with Colorado Open Lands, will permanently limit the use of our farm, 112 acres, to agriculture production and will ensure the continued pace, quality, and permanence of protected farmland in our region. We’re protecting our farmland from the most important issues facing our state of Colorado: subdivision and water rights.

We’re partnering with Colorado Open Lands, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust that exists to protect and conserve Colorado’s natural lands, water resources, and agricultural values. Founded in 1981, Colorado Open Lands holds 479 easements in 46 Colorado counties, protecting over 560,000 acres. They’ve funded over 45 Fellowships statewide, leveraged over $321,000,000 of donated land value, and protected over 358 miles of Colorado’s waterways.

Donate to Root Shoot Malting’s conservation easement here, and watch 100 Year Lease on Root Shoot’s YouTube channel.

Root Shoot Malting’s family of farmers grow, harvest and malt the finest grains to give brewers and distillers high-quality taste in every glass. Opened in 2016 on 1,500 acres of Olander Farms’ irrigated land in Loveland, Colorado, Root Shoot harvests alfalfa, wheat, corn, rye, and barley. Root Shoot gives breweries and distilleries the ability to procure local, consistent and high quality craft products. Find this craft maltster online at rootshootmalting.com.