CSU Extension - Jefferson County

06/01/2026

Fruit tree pests, fermentation, and pollinators, oh my!
We're cooking up some great workshops this month and we hope to see you there.
Register today.

June 3: Fermentation: Making Kombucha🍵Sales Ended
June 12, 13, & 19: Native Plant Master: Centennial Cone🌱 Sold Out
June 16: Native Gardens at High Altitude col.st/yz9al
June 17: Gardening Through the Dog Days of Summer col.st/nbyoc
June 20: Common Diseases & Pests of Fruit Trees col.st/hx17q
June 23: Pollinator Week: Meet the Insects Who Make Your Garden Thrive col.st/va9ji
June 26: Cottage Food Safety Statewide Online Training col.st/zipdi

05/26/2026

From swarming bees to visiting alumni, it's been a busy spring here at CSU Extension Jeffco. Take a look back at the last few months — and thank you so much for being part of it.

🐝A honeybee swarm outside of our apiary.
☀Jeffco Parks and Open Space joining us for cyanotype printmaking.
🌱Springtime sprouts.
🥖A full sourdough class.
👨‍🎓A tour of our Plant Select Garden during Alumni Night at CSU Extension Jeffco.
🥾Collecting Samples for our "Pigments and Geology" workshop.
🐴Boots and BBQ 4-H Fundraiser.

05/22/2026

ENOR Environmental Discovery Camp is Hiring for Summer 2026! ✨🌲

Join our seasonal summer camp team as an educator and help create magical outdoor learning experiences for local youth! ENOR Environmental Discovery Day Camp has been inspiring outdoor discovery for 52 years, and we’re looking for dynamic, enthusiastic team members to help continue that tradition!

🌿 Camp Educators
We’re looking for energetic, supportive leaders who love working with kids outdoors. Educators help guide up to 10 campers each day through hiking, hands‑on learning activities, and exploration across local public lands. Responsibilities include:
• Ensuring camper safety and positive experiences
• Preparing daily activities based on camp curriculum
• Managing camper check‑in/out
• Organizing and caring for equipment

If you’re passionate about environmental education, teamwork, and spending your summer outdoors, we’d love to hear from you!

📌 Apply ASAP! Applications are reviewed each day, and this posting will close once all positions have been filled!

Outdoor Educators: https://col.st/da29q

05/21/2026

🌎 Create art rooted in the earth itself.

Our Art and Ecology series has been a hit! This series connects participants with Colorado’s geological and natural history through centuries-old artistic processes. So far, we've explored creating pigments from Jefferson County geology and cyanotype printmaking.

There’s still time to join the next workshop in the series: Pigments and Plant Chemistry. No chemistry background needed—just curiosity about the colorful chemistry of plants!

📅 This Saturday, 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
🔗 Register: https://col.st/pctxm

05/20/2026

Drought tolerant and gorgeous 🌷

Discover 20 of the best drought tolerant perennial flowers perfect for Colorado’s climate with hardy, low-maintenance picks spanning native flowers, cacti, succulents, garden classics, and more.

05/13/2026

Our 'Roots & Routes' agricultural exploration field trip was a hit! 750 youth from around the Denver metro got a look at how agriculture touches our daily lives, planted microgreens, took home artwork, learned about livestock, and followed food from farm to table.

A huge thank you our partners: CSU Spur Cal-Wood Education Center Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom Colorado Parks and Wildlife Vet Specialist Kathy Whitman Front Range Livestock Association Openenergi Colorado 4-H

05/06/2026

Have you heard the buzz? Learn the basics of bees in one of our FREE upcoming 'Beekeeping 101' sessions!

Tour our apiary while learning how to safely work with bees, understand their behavior, prevent common problems, and support healthy, productive colonies. Whether you’re interested in backyard beekeeping, supporting pollinators, or harvesting your own honey, this class provides the knowledge and confidence you need to get started.

May 14: https://col.st/faysu
May 16: https://col.st/rl4pq

05/05/2026

✍️Taking notes for planting in the next few weeks✍️

According to the Colorado State University (CSU) Extension and Colorado Master Gardener program, the best strategy for distributing compost is to incorporate it into the top 6 to 8 inches of soil to prevent shallow rooting.

Because Colorado soils are often heavy clay or compacted, simply leaving compost on the surface or mixing it shallowly can lead to poor plant vigor.

Application Rates by Site

New Vegetable/Flower Gardens: Apply a 3–4 inch layer of compost before tilling it to a depth of 8–12 inches.

Existing Gardens (Annual): Apply a thinner layer of 0.25 to 1 inch and work it into the top 8–12 inches.

New Lawns: Spread 1–2 inches of compost and incorporate into the top 6 inches of soil before seeding or sodding.

Established Lawns: Use a light top-dressing of 0.25 to 0.5 inches (approximately 1 cubic foot per 25 square feet).

⚠️ Critical Best Practices for Colorado Salt Management: Many commercial composts in Colorado (especially those with manure or biosolids) have high salt content. If the salt level is unknown, limit application to 1 inch or less. Avoid "Chunks": Thoroughly mix compost into the soil profile; leaving large chunks can interfere with water movement and root growth.

Soil Testing: Aim for a total soil organic matter (OM) content of 4–5%. Once you reach this level, reduce or stop annual applications to avoid excessive phosphorus or salt buildup.

Mineralization Timing: For agricultural or large-scale use, apply compost in the fall. This allows organic nitrogen time to mineralize and become available for spring crops.

Nitrogen Watch: Compost is a soil conditioner, not a primary fertilizer. In low-OM soils (

04/30/2026

We are thrilled to welcome Veronica Tucker to the team as Customer Service Representative, a position shared with our Jefferson County Fairgrounds neighbors.

Veronica will be answering your questions and concerns and helping to connect you with CSU Extension resources.

A little about Veronica:

"I am a Colorado native. Born and raised. I have 2 children. Alexa, 15 and Annie, 7 months. I enjoy everything outdoors. Paddle boarding, hiking, farmers markets, chips and salsa out on a patio, camping. All that good stuff. I love antiquing and a good thrift store. Music, podcasts and audiobooks are my go-to entertainment. I love a good RomCom. History movies and documentaries are a definite favorite. One of our long-term goals is to have land and do some homesteading. Away from the city noise.
Short term goals are just to enjoy life as it comes and work toward our long-term goals. Raise joyful children and create as many memories along the way as possible.
I have spent many years in the restaurant industry. I worked for a landscape company for a few years as their flower bed installer. I took care of smaller landscape projects. I was also the person that did nursery runs. I got to select plants and drop them off at work sites. I oversaw plant placement during projects."