Wrapping Up AmeriCorps & Looking Ahead with Mariposa Ascendente

As I wrap up my AmeriCorps service term with the Colorado Farm and Food Alliance, I’ve been reflecting on the many conversations and stories that shaped this work. My service position came through the Mountain Roots Healthy Futures project out of Gunnison, Colorado.  Many thanks to Mountain Roots for supporting stronger food networks and farms in the Gunnison region. The interviewing and listening process was central to my role. One truth surfaced again and again: farmers and rural communities are deeply resilient, yet often navigate systems that do not adequately support their well-being.

Across these conversations, farmers spoke to a wide range of challenges, including isolation, financial pressure, labor shortages, affordable land use, and limited access to flexible or relevant resources. Within this broader context, behavioral health emerged as a particularly urgent and potent concern. Farming remains one of the professions with the highest suicide rates, highlighting the need for accessible, culturally responsive mental and emotional health support.

These insights reinforced the importance of building bridges—between farmers and resources, organizations and communities, and people and the land. That understanding is guiding me into an exciting next chapter.

Alongside my co-founder, Amber Van Cleave, I’m thrilled to be moving forward with the Mariposa Ascendante project. Informed by the themes that emerged during my AmeriCorps Mountain Roots service, Mariposa Ascendante is envisioned as a community classroom and garden space rooted in connection, learning, and care. We are especially excited about creating programming that supports behavioral health and helps farmers navigate the growing opportunities, both programmatic and financial, available in this area.

 However, our vision extends beyond any single focus. We hope to co-create offerings that include regenerative farming education, storytelling, shared meals, resource navigation, and pathways to deeper learning and funding opportunities for farmers.  We want Mariposa Ascendante to be a space that listens, shaped by what the community identifies as most beneficial.

We are committed to collaborating with local organizations that already care deeply about these issues, ensuring our work is complementary and rooted in shared values. As one chapter closes and another begins, I’m grateful for the lessons learned through my service term, and excited to continue this work alongside farmers, partners, and community members invested in rural resilience, regenerative land stewardship, and collective well-being.

With so much gratitude and appreciation to serve a greater good-

Sarsa Buck

Program Director, Mariposa Ascendente Garden Project