The Heart of Earth’s Table
It started with a garden, a parish, and a simple question: how can we help feed our neighbors? From the very beginning, Earth’s Table has operated under its guiding motto: “The end of hunger begins here.” Today, Bert, the founder of Earth’s Table, works hand-in-hand with Community Food Share, providing fresh vegetables and vital support to families across Boulder and Broomfield Counties.
In 1984, Bert came to Boulder County without any intention of becoming a community leader or tackling hunger. But sometimes, passion finds you when you least expect it. For Bert, that moment came through his local Catholic parish, where in 1999, a call to “help the poor, help the hungry” sparked a journey that would change his life and the lives of thousands of people in Boulder and Broomfield counties.
“It started out as a Catholic adventure,” Bert recalls. “There were just three of us who wanted to start a garden. We had no intention of expanding. We thought maybe it would last a couple of years. None of us dreamed about what it would become.”
That first plot, known as Jubilee Garden, measured 240 feet long by 40 feet wide. The small group planted, nurtured, and harvested with no expectations, but the community took notice. Media coverage and word of mouth brought more volunteers than they could handle. As his fellow founders stepped back due to family commitments, Bert found himself in an unexpected leadership role.
“I was just trying to keep up,” he says. “I didn’t want to be the boss, I just wanted to help.”
Earth’s Table, the organization Bert and his wife would go on to establish, grew out of this humble beginning. The name came from a quiet moment over a peach orchard trip. Bert reflects, “The earth is the table of food. Everything we eat comes from it. The name just fit our mission.”
From day one, the focus was on growing fresh vegetables for those in need. Bert emphasizes the importance of access to fresh produce. “Food banks are known for giving canned food, but that’s not enough. Fresh vegetables are about health, dignity, and giving people a choice. That’s our whole purpose.”
Over the years, Earth’s Table expanded from one garden to multiple sites across the county, donating tens of thousands of pounds of produce each year. Over the past 26 years, their generosity has added up to 190 tons of food donated to Community Food Share. Even the pandemic couldn’t stop the mission, though it did bring challenges: lost volunteers and garden sites, closed meeting spaces, and the need for social distancing in the gardens.
Despite the obstacles, Bert remains committed to keeping the gardens thriving. Earth’s Table now operates six main gardens, including the unique “Plum Bumpy” garden in Longmont. Volunteers manage the beds, using innovative techniques like drip irrigation, carpeted walkways to prevent mud, and “weed guard” to maximize productivity. Each year they grow and donate a wide variety of fresh produce—tomatoes, peppers, squash, garlic, onions, and many more—directly to local food banks, including Community Food Share, Sister Carmen, Harvest of Hope, Our Center and EFAA.
Bert’s approach is entirely volunteer-driven. “None of our volunteers take any produce for themselves,” he says. “100% goes to the food banks. That’s our commitment.” He also emphasizes the importance of year-round access to fresh, healthy food. “There’s a need in the wintertime,” he explains. “We focus locally. Our goal has always been to feed people in our community.”
Looking ahead, Bert hopes Earth’s Table continues to grow and adapt. “If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing once,” he says, “but I hope we keep going. We can’t just do things the way we’ve always done them. We have to be open to change, to new ideas, and to more volunteers joining in.” For Bert, the volunteers are the heart of Earth’s Table. Without their dedication and effort, the gardens wouldn’t thrive and the mission couldn’t continue. He is endlessly thankful for all they do.
His advice to anyone in Boulder interested in helping is simple: every contribution matters. “Even if you think an hour is too small to make a difference, it isn’t. Five people giving an hour each adds up. It’s a huge gift of time, and a real gift to those in need.”
For Bert, Earth’s Table isn’t just about gardening, it’s about community, resilience, and the belief that everyone deserves access to fresh, healthy food. What started as a small parish garden has grown into a network of gardens, volunteers, and donors feeding thousands, proving that sometimes the smallest seeds can grow into the biggest impact.
