From 2017 – 2019, UpDIG designed and managed a soil regeneration program on land at the vacant former Denver Post Printing Facility in West Globeville, which at 42 acres remains the largest undeveloped land parcel in the city of Denver. Activating a compost program at the site using food scraps from Northwest Denver area restaurants and using conservation agriculture techniques with solar-powered irrigation over two growing seasons, UpDIG increased soil organic matter from less than 1% to almost 4% by volume.
For Season 3, we partnered with NRCS Small Acreage Management Services and Colorado State University on a cover crop trial designed to further improve soil health and control weeds for organic, high-value horticultural practices. A second battery of soil tests at end of Season 3 provided final data on the trial.
The project’s overarching goal was to map this improved soil health, and model the program’s resultant carbon sequestration to Denver’s 80×50 Climate Action Plan through the site’s eventual development goals, as well as creating compliance mechanisms for the Paris Climate Agreement, UN 4 per 1000 Soil Initiative, Sustainable Development Goals, and/or ISO industry standards.
- Market Research
- Program Design
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Strategy
