SAVE THE DATE
Sunday, July 12, 2026
Photo by Nolan Blunck
FEAST IN THE FIELD 2026
Get Ready for a Magical Evening at Feast in the Field
. . .
We’re getting ready for Feast in the Field on Sunday, July 12, 2026 at Red Dog Ranch in Crested Butte. Feast in the Field is Mountain Roots Food Project’s signature summer gathering celebrating the land, the people who grow our food, and the many hands that make a local harvest possible. From farmers and ranchers in the soil to volunteers packing food boxes, chefs at the stove, and the neighbors whose generosity helps ensure families across our valley have access to fresh, healthy meals.
Join Mountain Roots for a candlelit farm-to-table dinner under a summer sky at Red Dog Ranch, featuring seasonal dishes, regional libations, and stories from the people building a stronger local food system – one harvest at a time.
This year’s Feast honors the shared work that keeps local food growing and helps ensure every household in our valley has access to fresh, nourishing meals.
To learn more about table hosting or business sponsorship opportunites, email matt@mountainrootsfoodproject.org
Honoring sally hensley
2026 Feast in the Field Community Honoree
Food has a unique way of bringing learning to life. A school garden can become a science lesson, a shared meal can build community, and a child pulling a carrot from the ground for the first time can begin to understand their connection to the land, their health, and the people around them.
For decades, Sally Hensley has helped create the conditions for those kinds of experiences to flourish for children and families across the
Gunnison Valley.
Mountain Roots Food Project is honored to recognize Sally Hensley as the 2026 Feast in the Field Community Honoree for her extraordinary leadership in youth education and for the lasting impact she has had on generations of local students.
Throughout her career - from her early work in childhood education to her years serving as principal at both Gunnison and Crested Butte Elementary Schools - Sally helped create learning environments where children could thrive not only academically, but as whole people. She understood that meaningful education grows from curiosity, belonging, encouragement, and care.
That philosophy made Sally a natural partner in the work of Mountain Roots.
Sally understood that hands-on learning can leave a lasting impression on young people. By fostering partnerships with organizations like Mountain Roots, she helped support opportunities for students to garden, cook, explore outdoors, and learn by doing.
She has also long understood the connection between healthy food, student wellbeing, and a child’s ability to learn. Sally recognized that food insecurity is often quiet and deeply personal, and she consistently led with compassion, dignity, and genuine care for students and families navigating those challenges.
In school gardens and outdoor classrooms, Sally saw more than educational tools. She saw places where children could build confidence, discover responsibility, experience joy, and begin to understand their relationship to the natural world and the community around them.
Reflecting on the future she hopes for young people in this valley, Sally shared, “I want these students to value themselves and value their natural environment, and take care of both.”
Because of Sally’s leadership, generations of students in the Gunnison Valley have grown up with a stronger connection to food, community, and the natural world around them.
2025 PHOTO GALLERY
““Eating and drinking delicious local food and wine alfresco, with friends old and new in our amazing town is an incredible gift. Biking home from the Feast under a twinkling blanket of starlight is like a second dessert.”
”
Seeking Volunteers
Mountain Roots needs your help this year at Feast in the Field. Volunteering at Feast in the Field is the most impact you can make by donating your time to our non-profit organization. Feast raises a significant portion of the Mountain Roots annual budget and relies on volunteers to execute the event and ensure the organization is able to fulfill its mission in the coming year. Mountain Roots is seeking volunteers for: event setup, bartending, check-in, decor, waitstaff, service staff, break down, dishwashing, and transportation.
ALL VOLUNTEERS WILL GET DINNER, BEVERAGES THAT NIGHT AND 2 FREE TICKETS TO HARVEST HOEDOWN IN SEPTEMBER!
Email jennifer@mountainrootsfoodproject.org for more info
THE FEAST IN THE FIELD IS OUR BIGGEST FUNDRAISER OF THE YEAR
Your Support Contributes To…
4+ acres of land converted into growing spaces
Producing over 12,000 pounds of food every year
The Farm to School program: helping to teach math, science, and nutrition through growing food
The Cooking Matters Program: teaching adults to cook from scratch on a budget
Growing and collecting backyard harvests for families in need
Donating more than 3,500 pounds of fresh organic food to families in need all year long
Training 20+ young adults each year to enter careers in agriculture, food systems, and education
A multi-farmer CSA, connecting farmers with consumers, increasing demand for local food and generating $120,000 in revenues for local farmers