The Farm Park’s Greenhouse was constructed in 2023 thanks to the generosity of various community donors. It was designed and built by Smart Greenhouses LLC based in Westcliffe, Colorado.

Since its creation, the Greenhouse has served as a vital space for seed-starting, chick-hatching, and year-round growing. Farm Park staff and volunteers use organic methods for everything from soil health and maintenance to pest mitigation.

The Greenhouse is also used as an education space for some of our youth-centered programming — such as the Rising Stewards internship in the summer and garden lessons for fifth-day students in the fall.

How Does the Greenhouse Work?

History of the RGFP Greenhouse

Ours is a passive solar greenhouse, which means it is a self-sufficient structure that utilizes sunlight for heating and growing. The windows on the south wall allow sun light and heat to enter the building. That heat is then collected in black water barrels stored on the north wall. When the sun goes down, stored thermal energy is slowly released so that temperatures remain warm and stable for plants to grow year-round. The building also features automatic window vents made with temperature-sensitive wax, which opens the windows for ventilation and closes the windows to preserve heat when it reaches certain temperature thresholds.