More than a dozen Masters of Public Health students spent a beautiful Friday working alongside other community members at On the Vine at Richmond Farms as part of the nation-wide Make A Difference Day. Sponsored by the United Way, Make A Difference Day brings together millions of volunteers across America, matching them with local projects. And Fort Collins, where the United Way of Larimer County is  a mainstay of the non-profit scene, was no exception. Projects around the county included one the March of Dimes, one at a local children’s center, and one helping residents with flood repair.

On the Vine, a local organic farm with a popular Community Supported Agriculture  (CSA) program, needed help putting some of the gardens to bed for the winter. Students and other community members aided the farm staff by pulling old tomato plants, removing staking equipment, cleaning up the pumpkin patch, and planting garlic, among the other activities. The many volunteers at On the Vine completed several projects in a couple of hours that would have taken the regular farm staff a couple of days!

For information about how to get involved with the United Way, visit http://uwaylc.org/. For more information about the CSA program at On the Vine at Richmond Farms, visit http://onthevineatrichmondfarms.com/.

Photo Credit: Tavia Wolf