What is Sproutin’ Up?
Empowering youth to develop skills, hope, optimism and self-efficacy for a brighter future.
About Us
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Our mission is to improve the lives of children, teens and families living in under-resourced Fort Collins neighborhoods through sustainable farming education and job-skills while fostering community collaborations.
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Our vision is to build skills, hope, optimism and self-efficacy in youth to help them become the best version of themselves.
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Perseverance
Endurance
Teamwork
Responsibility
Why we do it
More than 50% of the nation’s young workforce has never held a basic, paying job.
We aim to change that - all while having a blast on the farm!
In Larimer County, almost 10% of the population may be facing food insecurity.
That’s more than 40,000 people—a number equal to the population of an entire city.
Our Team
Executive Director
Anne Genson
Anne Genson, founder and executive director of Sproutin' Up, is a dedicated advocate for healthy food access and youth empowerment through agricultural experiences. With over 15 years of farming and gardening experience, Anne has navigated shifts in farming practices, adopting regenerative farming methods to promote environmental health. Under her leadership, Sproutin' Up operates a one-acre vegetable farm offering youth programs, food for families in need, and a community-supported agriculture (CSA) farm that donates memberships to underprivileged families. In addition to her role at Sproutin' Up, Anne is also a PSD teacher with over 15 years of experience.
“We have kids that return every year. Being able to provide a safe space for them, that they feel is their farm, is exactly what we wanted to do from the very beginning ”
Anne Genson
Outreach Coordinator
Nicole Fortuno-SIzemore
Nicole Fortuño Sizemore graduated from the University of Miami, FL with a Bachelor's in Business Administration majoring in Marketing and minoring in Computer Information Systems. Feeling a huge draw to education, she enrolled in the University of Central Florida, where she earned her Master of Arts in Elementary Education.
Nicole’s focus is in content writing, advertising, and market research. She has worked in this capacity for universities, local government, and private industry clients. Her real passion though has always been volunteering for local non-profits.
Upon moving to Fort Collins in 2013, she started volunteering at Sproutin’ Up, the ‘random volunteer’. Her first experience was biking from Poudre Mobile Home Park to the Food Bank and teaching kids about squash bugs! It has been amazing to watch Anne grow Sproutin’ Up into what it is today and now Nicole has had the opportunity to step into a staff role as the Outreach Coordinator, while also volunteering on volunteer days!
Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors is an integral part of our programming. Each person brings expertise which helps guide the development of our programs, budget and events.
