tonight on studio 12.

From personal keepsakes to immersive recreations, Denver's Titanic exhibit takes visitors back to that fateful voyage.

More than a century ago.

Plus, with Colorado's special legislative session just days away, we hear from one of our state's policy minds on what's at stake for the budget and beyond.

And meet a Colorado artist who lost his sight, but not his passion.

Turning challenges into creative triumphs.

And then a film about a mountain West farm saving seeds for future generations.

All that and more right now on studio 12.

From the Five Points Media Center in the heart of Denver, Colorado.

This is studio 12.

Hi I'm Bob Canady and I'm Ryan Hare.

Welcome to studio 12.

More than a century after its tragic maiden voyage, the story of the Titanic still captures imaginations around the world.

And right now in Denver, visitors can step back in time, exploring artifacts, personal stories and immersive displays that bring the Titanic and its passengers to life.

We found out how this exhibit preserves history and honors those who were aboard the ship that was once believed to be unsinkable.

Take a look.

So we're at the Titanic Immersive Voyage, located in Denver.

It's a experience that kind of gives you a first hand experience on what it's like to be on the Titanic when it departed, when it was out at sea, encountering the icebergs.

And then we also have part of it where you can experience, when the ship hit the iceberg and started sinking itself.

So it's kind of a good, mostly hands on experience to see what it was like to be on the Titanic during that fateful day.

So our exhibit is, extremely immersive.

There's different parts of the different rooms that you can go through to experience different parts of the ship.

For example, we have, what it's like to be, at the Titanic other day of departure.

So you can stand outside of the whole of the ship and kind of see what it look like.

Boarding the ship from the first class entrance.

We also have another room where you can walk in and stand on the bridge and kind of just get that that view of what the captain saw when he was on that bridge on that day.

We can go to the crow's nest, and you can actually climb inside the crow's nest and kind of look around and scout out the area to see what they were scouting for that night.

What it looked like that night before they hit the iceberg.

And then you can also experience the boiler rooms where the, iceberg actually penetrated the ship and started filling up with water.

One of my favorite fun facts that I kind of like to share with everybody is actually about the grand staircase.

That's kind of behind me right now.

We actually have no known photos of the grand staircase.

Every photo that we see in pop culture, in the movies, in the books, it's all actually from the Olympic, which is Titanic's sister ship.

And the Olympic was, a one for one basically identical build of the Titanic.

So a lot of the pictures that we do see of, like, the first class dining room, the grand staircase, a lot of those photograph actually come from the Olympic and not the Titanic, or so.

Back in 1912, when it happened, very clear skies, very calm waters, not much was really taken into consideration about how they might run into an iceberg.

Because at the time, it wasn't really on their radar.

Figuratively speaking, it wasn't on their radar.

Some of the big issues that they didn't really take into consideration was just how calm the waters were that night.

There was almost no waves.

There was almost no wakes going on.

Conditions were a little bit too good for that night, and the conditions being too good made it a little bit harder for them to kind of see the iceberg and prepare for it.

And there was a lot of steps that were missed to kind of help identify the iceberg that night, for example.

One of the crew members ended up leaving the ship, when it departed, but they kept the key with them that they, used in the crow's nest for the binoculars.

So the people up in the crow's nest, didn't have the tools and the resources that they needed for the to, locate the iceberg that night when they spotted the iceberg.

It was kind of a last minute kind of deal.

So they sounded the alarms, and then they tried to turn the ship as sharp as they can to the left to avoid the iceberg.

Unfortunately, they were unable to avoid the iceberg.

And the iceberg ended up scraping the whole of the ship.

Once it didn't scrape the whole of the ship, it started to flood the two compartment, the front compartments of the ship.

The way that the ship was designed.

The compartments had openings at the top of the compartments, so when it started flooding, it ended up flooding into the other compartments for the top side of it.

They bragged about it being the unsinkable ship because of the way it was designed.

But part of the reason why ended up sinking was the way that it was designed.

So the way that they were bragging about how it was unsinkable actually ended up being the reason why it sank.

I think we're so fascinated with Titanic just because, it was one of the first of its kind.

You know, when it first happened, we had this expectations that, the ship was untouchable.

A lot of, high powered people were on that ship.

It shaped a lot of safety procedures that we have with naval today.

It was a gentleman named by Robert.

He actually found the Titanic by accident.

They were actually out there looking for, It was a top secret mission, and they were trying to find some lost submarines.

When they're out there looking for the submarines, they kind of accidentally stumbled on the Titanic.

So it wasn't even planned.

They weren't out there looking for the Titanic.

A lot of the feedback we've been getting is about how, educational was people have been coming in and just talking about how much new stuff they learned about the Titanic.

A lot of facts that they didn't know about the Titanic.

They love how serious we take everything.

So it is a huge tragedy and we take that into consideration.

So when you're out there being immersive and learning about everything, you get that first hand experience of what it was like being on the Titanic.

We take it very serious, but at the same time we also make it fun, very informative.

So you're not coming in here crying your eyes out or anything like that?

You're coming in, you're having a good time and you're walking away with a good piece of knowledge.

I think it's important for people to come and just kind of understand what happened that day.

How it affected the world.

But I think it's important to kind of come in and get that firsthand perspective about what happened on that day, what it was like for the passengers, what it was like for the crew members.

I think it's important to kind of come in and kind of understand how one night kind of shape the future, and then kind of put us on the path that we're on today.

The Titanic exhibit is here in Denver for a limited time only, giving visitors a rare look at history up close.

The exhibit is open now until September 21st.

For more information, you can go to expo-titanic.com/denver The special legislative session begins this Thursday morning at the state capitol.

At issue.

How to change up the state spending in order to deal with the nearly $800 million budget shortfall following the passage of the federal budget in Washington just a few weeks ago.

There's a lot at stake here and a lot to consider.

Lots of details, and of course, lots of dollar signs.

So Kyle Dyer turned to the self-described policy wonk on the Colorado Inside Out team for her thoughts on what awaits later this week.

This is Marianne Goodland, a familiar face in Colorado inside out.

You write for the Colorado Politics, Springs and Denver Gazette, but let everyone know just how long you've been a legislative reporter.

I started coming our legislature in 1998, so I am about to head into my 28th session.

And you are the Dean of the Capitol press corps.

Is that right?

That's correct.

And that's that's an honorific.

That just means I've been down there a really long time.

Yeah, but you know, the ins and outs and going into this special session, what is your hunch?

What are your how do you think it's going to play out?

I think it's going to be contentious.

There is a lot of, angst on both sides of the aisle and the reason that they're doing this now.

And this is something that you hear from Mark Farentino, who's the governor's budget director.

It's it's less painful.

I won't say it's easy, but it's less painful if you have to cut, what amounts to almost $800 million out of a budget when you have ten months to spread it out versus the normal process, which is that they would wait until the legislature reconvenes in January, and you're spreading those cuts out over, say, 5 or 6 months for every dollar that you need to save.

If you wait until January or February, you have to cut $3 in order to make that work.

So, you know, this is this is this is going to be hard for state agencies.

And they may be even hard for the public if you start to see changes in state services, because of the hiring freeze and because of programs that are going to be cut.

They cut programs in the, in this budget, that they passed back in April.

They're going to be cutting more, because the thing you have to realize, these budget cuts aren't temporary.

They're permanent unless the state comes up with a different way of funding services.

Well, thank you for explaining it to all the rest of us.

It's a huge asset.

You are a huge asset to Colorado.

Thank you so much and good luck.

Thank you.

Special session in August in the Capitol building with no air conditioning.

Yes, that is one of our one of our one of the things they're not spending money on is air conditioning the building.

Well, hang in there.

Thank you.

The CIO team is waiting to record the show so that we have the most up to date information for you on what happens during that special session this week.

And so that means, for those of you who like to listen to the podcast or watch the show on YouTube late on Thursdays this week, you'll have to wait until Friday afternoon.

And then, of course, the show will air on PBS 12 as usual on Friday night at For most of his life, Trevor Horn expressed his creativity through graphic design until the sudden loss of his eyesight in 2014 changed everything.

But instead of stepping away from art, Trevor found a new way forward to continue his passion.

Tonight, in our heart of the West series, we meet the Colorado artist who's proving that true creativity knows no limits.

Seem to have lost something I was working with.

Oh, here it is.

My name is Trevor Horn, and I'm an artist and sculptor.

I work under the name Trevor Horn's Art retouch.

Right now I'm working on a beehive.

The hive is made up of an lids that I like for cooking, creating a ton of bees for it.

So I used a nut like a nut for the for the head.

I start with something and then I build off of there, and I'm doing now just putting the front legs on the how I started art in my life.

My whole entire life was my grandfather, who was an exceptional artist before computers and all this that he was a commercial artist and he he painted science by hand.

I did do a little bit of sculpture and, in school, high school and college.

But then I got into metal and it, transformed into, me just drilling holes and fastening things together.

It's all metal work.

No welding.

I never learned how to weld.

It's all for sale.

I mean, I rescue a lot of things, and then just, upcycle them into something that is beautiful.

So I do a lot of outdoor activities.

Basically, I find inspiration for my subject matter on these travels in my climbs and and things.

I want to break through this whole thing where artists get paid before they die.

So.

Oh, God.

It was it was absolutely the worst possible thing I could have imagined.

And about 2014, I had, complications from a, thing called ankylosing spondylitis that caused, like, pressure in my eye and then my optic nerve was damaged.

I had a commercial art job and everything.

And then then basically in 2014, lights out and.

It was very hard to take.

I basically went into depression, didn't know what I was going to do.

I was, I was a graph.

I was a visual artist before.

I didn't know what to do.

And I, I remember this thing called sculpture.

So my mental state is much better when I'm doing sculpture and art and actually creating and making something useful out of nothing, rather than just, sitting around doing nothing and feeling sorry for myself.

I get out there and, and do a lot of, cool things with creating.

And.

As I hit my head on there, I love to hear that joy on people's, in their voices or whatever.

And I hear the joy and that that makes me happy.

And that basically makes me makes me happy.

I'm just trying to show people that if you do hit a barrier or whatever, you can continue on and it can be done and maybe other people will follow that are in the same situation.

Wow.

Just an incredible mix of passion and perseverance leading to some beautiful artwork.

Really impressive really inspiring and also really cool.

Many of the materials Trevor uses are recycled materials good for the planet and clearly very good for the art as well.

By the way, Trevor says as long as art brings him joy, he'll keep creating.

And now he hopes to share his art with others by selling his work.

This is just one of the many stories that captured the true spirit of our heart of the West series Colorado's congressional leaders have been home on summer recess, talking with constituents and attending local events and meetings.

They'll be back in D.C. two weeks from today.

Denver's longtime Democratic representative came up in the discussion and this week's Colorado Inside Out.

Let's check in with Kyle Dyer so she can bring us into that conversation.

Hi Ryan and Bosie in this time before the midterm elections next year.

People in all parties are saying there needs to be some kind of shake up in the Democratic Party on the national level.

If Democrats are going to regain any kind of control on Capitol Hill.

New blood is a term that keeps being talked about.

But will we see that in one particular Colorado House race?

Here's what our insiders are thinking from this week's Colorado Inside Out.

Speaking of Diana, the guy which David first brought up, it was back in 1996 when she was first elected to Congressional District one, and she's never had much of a challenge.

And now she's planning to go for her 16th term in office.

And there are some Gen Zers here in Denver who are going to run against her in the primary, saying it is time for some someone new to move in that position.

Jesse.

How do you think this will turn out?

Will she be truly challenged this time?

No, I mean, so she is fended off, person after person, primary challenger after primary challenger.

And it's just going to take a lot of money, a lot of name idea, a lot of effort.

She's going to be in that seat probably until, you know, she wants to leave.

That being said, I know there is pressure from Denver Democrats for her to maybe move on to let somebody, else, you know, take over that seat.

I don't think it's going to be a first time candidate.

I think, you know, there's a deep bench in Denver.

So I think this is like kind of the interesting perennial, you know, could it happen this cycle type of question.

But I don't think it's it's possible.

And I also think that, like heroes, her Democratic challenger is an interesting candidate.

Again, never held elected office before, but there are some interesting maybe political liabilities there.

She was fired from her law firm early on in her career for signing on to this, letter writing this, this thing about Palestine and kind of pushing back against her law firm.

So there's there's a little more to that story that's going on that could get kind of politically interesting if the if she stays in the race, if she even makes the primary ballot.

Yeah.

Alina, primaries are good because it forces candidates to answer questions.

It gives them opportunities to hear new ideas.

What you don't want is somebody seeing an office and not being challenged, because then they don't get the opportunity to explore new ideas and and new issues.

However, like I said, I don't think this is going to go anywhere, but I do want to mention she is the leading Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Health subcommittee, so she's a top Democrat there.

When people's health care are at risk right now with our federal administration trying to cut back on health care for folks, that's a huge risk that if she would lose that seat.

So I think it also goes with timing.

And when is the right time that you get a new comer in there?

I don't think right now is the right time.

There's too much to defend.

Okay.

All right.

You have to love that her two Democratic candidates opponents right now weren't even born when she was first elected to Congress.

I mean, that's pretty astonishing when you think about it.

And, of course, she's taking over for someone.

She's already taken over for someone who was also there for a very long time, Pat Schroeder.

And one of the things you have to remember is it's not just the longer you're there, the more power you may have gained, the more influence.

Assuming you still have your intelligence with you and you're not hiding out in some Texas infirmary.

But the other thing you get is you get really good home constituent care.

If they're running their office well, and you have to think about Pat Schroeder's office, which, as far as I know, has never been beaten for how much it was able to help people here in her district.

So that's one of the questions, too, which is it takes a lot of time to come up to speed that way.

So maybe what you need is to just let the newcomers get elected, give them the seniority, give them the good positions, let them take over the old offices and keep the competence when you've got it.

Okay.

All right.

David.

I, as viewers of this show, know, I will confess my prodded yet bias in my.

Our families have been friends for a long time.

So I watched her, Miss Caro's two minute, YouTube ad.

And I would say it's well-produced, and it's also very childish the way it says the Democrats never deliver on change.

If you look at the legislative record for bills where she was the lead sponsor and got something into law, it is a very long record of actually delivering.

And just a few would be on on violence against women, particularly, related to, women, on native women on reservations, insulin access, Colorado Wilderness protection.

She does it.

This other person talks about doing it in a very grandiose and very shallow way.

I'm going to ask you, since you're friends.

Yeah.

Do you ever talk to her about, like, when is the time or is.

No.

And she never calls me for advice about how should I vote on a bill or anything like that?

But if you go to my website, she gave a tremendous, beautiful speech at my mother's funeral.

Oh, really?

And nice.

We have a story this week on the two contenders and Diana to get to.

And she does address that question so you can find it online or on the street.

That is just one of the four topics we discussed on the latest Colorado Inside Out.

You can watch the full show any time at PBS 12.org, on the PBS passport app, or on our YouTube channel.

And CIO is also a podcast and can be found on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

And this week's insiders and I are already coming up with topics for this Friday show.

So tune in at eight here on PBS 12.

Next, in our Business of Colorado segment, Gina Sly owns, she grows a three acre flower farm in Arvada that specializes in European style gardens.

At this Colorado flower farm, Gina grows everything from double tulips and peonies to roses and lavender.

She grows also sells fresh flowers for special events and weddings.

In addition to offering garden design for homeowners who need a little inspiration.

And as if that's not enough, Gina also holds creative retreats and workshops at her flower farm.

For Gina, it was more than a career change to go from a corporate job to a flower farmer.

It's a tribute to her mom she lost as a toddler and a journey rooted in healing.

Here's more with Barbara Brooks for PBS 12.

I am more thrilled to have you here today because you are one of Colorado's top flower farmers.

So let's talk about this.

Gina, how did you what's your background?

What's your where?

Where'd you start?

I did not starting farming for one.

I definitely just started as a home gardener.

You know, I grew up in gardens in Ohio.

Always gardens.

And then it's just kind of came back into my life in my 40s.

So it was like in my blood, I think.

But I didn't have a background.

I didn't go to school for AG.

Nothing like that.

Can you tell us the name of it?

By the way, the flower farm was called She Grows.

So it's all about, you know, helping women grow, personally, but then also growing lots of flowers.

Love it.

Well, so what was your previous career?

Because you made the switch later in life to leave in corporate America.

Tell us about that.

You were in corporate doing what now was selling fiberglass insulation, to builders.

Architects like totally different.

I was in marketing and sales for them in Ohio.

They transferred me out here, and I loved doing that.

Like, I loved traveling and talking to people and marketing and sales.

But it wasn't until I started to have children that I kind of changed route.

Yeah.

You changed directions, change directions.

And why did you decide to change directions?

But what came to you was, did you have an moment or something?

Well, you know, I was a like a poster child for latchkey kid.

I grew up in the 80s.

My mother passed away when I was really young, so I grew up with a single dad and my brother.

And so I was always at home by myself.

And so once I started to have children, I just realized, like I wanted to I didn't want them to come home to an empty house.

And so I wanted to be there and do that.

So it was hard to leave my job, you know, my career, because I loved it and felt really independent, making my own money and all of those things, which is really, really great, you know?

But then you have children and it's like, I had to make this change.

I tried to do it part time, but traveling on the road, nursing, like all of those things, just did not work well together.

So I chose to stay at home, raise my kids, and that's when really my gardening kind of love took off as an adult and got me to where I am today.

But that was the first catalyst was like wanting this at home, doing them.

And then I realized I wanted my kids to be outside, not in front of a TV or computer.

You know, video games and all that.

So gardening is something that you can do outside when you have young kids or, you know, it's just it's really interactive.

I just love doing that.

And then it turned into the starting the community garden and starting the school farm, doing all of those things for free, and then realizing, like, I'm kind of good at this.

Like, I think I could do this for a career.

And then that's when I decided to give it a go.

You mentioned something and that was about your mother.

How old were you when you lost your mother?

And do you feel that the gardening just somehow came through her to you at whatever age it is that you had this experience?

Yes.

My so my mother, Barbara, her name is Barbara.

Yes.

Her name was Barbara.

But she died of cervical cancer when I was two years old.

And so.

But before she died, she planted a garden.

And so I feel like I grew up in her garden.

And I definitely feel like I connected with her through that because so many of my neighbors would tell me stories of my mom in the garden.

And so I kind of knew my guard or knew my mom through all of these stories.

And so I loved going to the garden.

I loved you know, I was too young to remember any goodbyes that she had with me, but I'm pretty sure she probably would have said, I'll be with you in the garden.

And so I started just talking a lot, talking to my neighbors, talking to whoever I could that liked gardening.

And we had the idea to propose a community garden to the city in this, like, empty lot.

And so we went in and they said yes, like it was amazing.

So they went.

And the garden is now 12 years old, I think.

And so it was.

Now it's 100 plots.

So that community garden has 115 by 15 plots.

And everyone, you know, the water is there, the tools there.

People know how to garden so you can learn from people.

Let's talk about the flower farm.

You are then moved from that home where the community garden in Arvada.

You just moved pretty much a few a few streets over my question is originally, what kind of flowers did you want to grow, which is now become something that seems to be a lot more?

Yeah, a lot more than I had originally the original thought.

Yes.

So I originally wanted to do all lavender.

Because I've always loved natural skincare, I've always made my own products, and we actually went in an RV trip around Washington state, and we just randomly stayed on a lavender farm, and it was like there lavender Festival.

And all of these lavender farms had big, like retail shops, little gift shops filled with lavender products, and they all just grew one type of plant, just lavender.

And then just dawned on me that I could do that in Colorado because lavender loves dry, arid, sunny conditions, grows great in Colorado.

And so that's how I started.

I want to just be lavender, but lavender takes a while to get going.

And you know, it's when you slow growing.

It's a perennial.

Yeah.

When you say slow going, how long are we talking for lavender.

I mean three years.

Oh.

Where you get your first big flush that you can harvest.

So in the meantime, I started, I took a flower farming workshop online and started to learn cut flowers.

And I love cut flowers because you can design for weddings.

I have an art background in college, so I love just the beauty of cut flowers and being able to create beautiful things for events.

So I started doing all the cut flowers and so now I do both.

So now I have flowers from April all the way through October.

Okay.

You're going to laugh at me.

Is this lavender?

Yes.

Good job.

Barbara.

Yeah, I get it.

Yes.

You're going to A-plus.

Go.

So that is lavender.

So this is lavender.

Yeah.

And because I.

It's just so beautiful how you brought some of the plants from your flower farm.

Can you tell us what we're looking at?

Yeah.

And you said this one has seeds in it.

It's kind of creepy looking to me, but.

Nigella pod, this is a beautiful I get wants to eat me.

I know it's a little scary, but.

So all of these are actually herbs, so they're all.

Or I can smell them.

Can you smell them?

They have very fragrance in the middle of the summer when it's so hot.

Right.

And we as humans are like dying of the heat.

Right?

We're just overwhelm and and it's a beautiful thing.

The herbs come at this moment when we need them the most.

So lavender yarrow.

This is Monada Dara, sage.

Mint in there.

Echinacea.

So all of these are herbs that can be used for medicinal purposes from whether it's distilling, drying, drinking tea, lots of different things that you can use them making the transition or transformation in that sense, from corporate to being an entrepreneur, because women in particular, over a certain age are starting more companies today.

But it's a big fear.

It's it's a oh my goodness, I'm going from, you know, corporate America to doing my own thing.

Can you share with us about that that decision you made knowing you have a family, you've got mouths to feed the whole bit.

Tell us more about that decision between yourself and your family.

Yes.

So it's hard decision.

You know, the corporate America gives so many securities, right?

It's like you just have the security this consistent income.

And when you go out on your own, it's so risky.

And you don't have that consistent income.

And so it's scary and it's hard to do.

And I didn't do it like directing.

It was like a slow process for me.

But I feel like everything that I learned doing my corporate job, I'm doing it now, but I have so much more passion and purpose because of something that I love to do.

So it's like all those skills that I gained, I'm not wasting those skills.

I'm just using the marketing, the sales, the distribution, the pricing, the all of the stuff that goes into that.

I learned from doing that for someone else's business.

Now I do it for my own business, you know, and I'm so invested in it.

And I think what gave me the push was knowing that I am the biggest model for my children.

Like, if I want my kids to go after their dreams, I have to go after mine because they're watching me like a hawk.

I know it, and it's like I can feel it and I just know that I have to live so authentically.

And I'm hoping that that will rub off on my own kids.

And I can just live my life to the fullest and have no regrets, you know?

But it's not easy, you know, it's like I didn't make money for a long time, you know?

So it's like we had two incomes in our homes.

That was helpful.

And it was just like bare bones for a while.

And even now, I mean, it's hard to make money in farming.

And so you have to be creative.

You have to do other things like online classes or products or all of these.

You think that you're just going to be gardening and selling flowers.

That is like so far from the truth.

You know, it's it's like any business, you have multiple distribution channels and so many things that you have to do.

You never really get to rest because you're always thinking about your business.

So it's different.

It's like I probably work more hours now, but I love doing it.

So it's like it doesn't feel like work.

It's like I'm constantly be I'm able to be creative, whether it's on the marketing side or the design side or the business and finance side.

I see it all.

What if I say, would you give a human who decides?

Especially in this time of life, this is little lessons to go for it.

Gosh, that's a lightweight.

It's a hard one.

But life is short, you know?

I mean, especially when you hit 40s, like we're talking about like in my 40s.

This is when all of this happened, right?

Like my 40s.

But I feel like I had this new shift of energy that I had all this experience from my corporate life, you know, career to then being a mother and, like, balancing all these different balls and just multitasking, too.

Now, my children were a little bit older.

I had this new wave of energy, and I felt like even my friends, I feel like every single one of my friends hits 40 and they want to run a marathon.

I don't know what it is about women, but it's like something there's this energy that we get and I feel like that is, so beneficial to put that into your next phase, whether it's running a new business or whatever it is.

But we have so much, so much to give and so many life experiences to pull from.

So don't think that your corporate experience is like to waste.

You just use all of those things and just shift it into a new perspective and it just like takes off.

But thank you so much for today.

This has been so wonderful.

I can't wait for people to experience your flower farm.

Thank you so much.

Thank you Barbara, I loved being here with you.

For more information on Gina's business, you can go to she grows.com.

And stay tuned for more of our Business of Colorado series right here on studio 12.

Seeds are where plants begin.

And many seeds carry traits from the land where they grow.

In Colorado, one farm is preserving heirloom varieties, providing food for local pantries and is offering education on seed saving practices.

The film growing culture takes us inside that Colorado farm.

We're proud to share this short documentary with our PBS 12 viewers in partnership with the Colorado Environmental Film Festival, where it was first featured.

It beautifully captures the process of growing, harvesting and storing seeds adapted to the Mountain West.

Take a look.

Yeah, culture is such a big word in farming, agriculture, permaculture, horticulture, tissue culture, everything culture and then people, culture of all kinds, etc.

could say, yeah, all right, enjoy it.

All right.

Careful.

You're cultivating, cultivating the earth, which is the very ground we walk on.

And you're cultivating the earth to feed people and to feed yourself, to work out your stuff.

Yeah, you got to get away from it, because you gotta be talking about getting the word across, or the feeling is bringing people closer to the fact that when we are doing farming, interesting thing.

You're building culture.

It's a pretty long time in my life of different endeavors that had names and farms, but as a foundation, the seeds are at the core of the mission, meaning growing seed farm, breeding seed being an information and supply for general public and growers of seed.

So it's quite messy at first, and I trust that the way will separate all the chaff.

But as a foundation, the goal and the mission is to ground in, to establish a resource.

So this used to be 100 years ago.

This is what every farm would do.

They would save a section of their of their crop, the best of their crop, let it go to seed and save that back and not eat it and let it let it mature and go to seed and save that for the following season.

What we do is we grow heirloom seeds, open pollinated seeds, and we established and solidified a seed bank of these locally adapted seeds.

And our purpose with those are for preservation, but also to find the seeds that grow in the mountain West.

The seeds that grow in this bio region.

So what happens is that seeds are taking on personality wherever they're grow the same seed, they take on traits.

So in these characteristics and in these quote traits is this adaptation that occurs and it slowly occurs.

Some say it takes ten rounds or ten generations.

Which ten generations is a long time to pay attention to a seed.

The seed cycle ten times one doesn't develop it in one round of growing seeds.

It has to battle.

Don't get any better than that high pressure farming.

And you get in the car and you got a little jazz roll and.

He always settles me down a little bit.

Because there's so much to do on a farm.

These are young cows.

These are what we call the juvenile cattle and teenagers.

Right.

And they're just coming in to play.

But kale is a biennial plant.

It goes for two years, not one in its second years when it blooms.

So these plants need to make it through a Colorado winter.

This is part of the challenge.

How do we overwinter cabbages to bloom next year when they're going to freeze.

So we're constantly looking at ways we're going to have to transition plants from one year to the next to maintain their health through their dormancy so that they can bloom.

The second season.

Oh yeah.

So one of the qualities that we select is for vigor, rate and resilience.

We're trying to go through and propagate or plant seeds to grow all these things.

Like the basil, it will grow throughout the whole season.

And we may not collect seed from every basil or tomato plant, but we're going to try to find the hardy ones that maybe struggled and then did well.

Or we select all of our seeds from the qualities that we want.

Again, something like that high.

Yeah, I'm not sure.

So when you're bringing in a crop, it's very economical.

You're storing it for the future.

It's like, wow, that is a crap.

You put that away, you're going to protect that.

And when we clean it, you clean it like it's gold, like it's jewels.

There you go, Baba.

Okay.

Yeah.

Just people get it in there.

So on this acreage, we grow a few hundred tons of produce and we'd like to be bringing and we are bringing about half of it, about 100 tons to the food pantry.

So it's a farm to food bank program that goes along with our mission.

One of our more long term goal is to continue to educate and inspire people to grow seeds like we do.

It's a demonstration farm.

A lot of people don't make the of connecting a seed to their food, and there needs to be that moment sometimes because they love food and they might even love the plants.

But to see where the seed seeds originate from.

And so what zero footprint has done is, collected funds from the beverage and food industry, from people who are really interested in regenerative farming, and they're taking those funds to farms like ours so that we can do cover crop rotation like we're doing this year, which will restore the land.

You know, our dancing seed is it is an age old tradition, right?

In cultures.

The like red ones, you kind of see them in their they'll probably be light and fly away and those will be lower germination.

So even by looks, I can tell generally the percentage of good seed that'll be in the seed lot.

So I would say we're in the 90s clarifications all about the rigor of year in and year out trials and errors.

And one can't really see the seed until we go ahead and fan.

It's a stretch for many to understand the depth of the relationship that a farmer and a family, their relationship to the seed that they actually grow, that variety and then save it again.

And it's so exciting because what seed what does a good seed give you?

Hope.

Everybody wants hope.

The seed is one very, very big story.

But it's real.

The seed means everything to people.

So what does everything mean?

It's deep rooted social, cultural, spiritual connection.

The farm grows and collects seeds each season, storing them for future planting.

They also distribute produce to community food programs and share seed preservation techniques with the public.

For more information on Masa Seed Foundation's work and how you can get involved, go to Masa Seed Foundation.

Dawg.

We close tonight with a performance from Denver native Lady Lopes, bringing her soothing R&B melodies to the famed Skylark Lounge.

For this live performance, she's joined on stage by some special guests.

Thanks for joining us for this episode of studio 12.

Follow us on social media and you can catch more stories on YouTube.

We'll see you next Tuesday night at eight right here on PBS 12.

I'm Bosie Kanani and I'm Ryan Hare.

Thanks for joining us.

See you soon.

Oh.

Boom boom boom.

It's like magic.

I'm just trying to catch your eye.

I'm just going to in and drive.

And you're never out of my sight.

Just like magic.

I'm just trying to get your body.

Just go to bed and drive.

I'm just gonna ride my bike.

I'm a cultivator.

I'm an educator, so I'll step up.

If you reach, I'll have to educate you.

I will pass the dance and show it around you.

Says.

Let me get to know me as a guide, as some demon slayer.

Some sensing systems.

And I need it in my life.

Circle around.

And I know that they don't.

Right.

I gotta just go directly by the vibe.

I gotta just go directly by them.

Life is like magic.

I'm just trying to get your vibe.

I'm just go to bed and trying.

I'm just trying to wrap my mind.

Just like magic.

I'm just trying to get your mind on.

Just go to bed.

I was younger and my bike used to catch me out on the floor playing sports.

Running.

Caught crossing of your man in them.

Gripping the number four.

I'm known to score the deep threes with the wrong kind of strain.

Well, nowadays you still see me balling out.

But in the studio.

Violent with the blood in my mouth.

This ain't the old days I'll scream now.

Ain't no fish.

My steady payment with the pout I broke away so I can focus on me.

No fear is I.

Let's baby got me I feel the vibe.

So it's not surprising.

Bust out my case so that I can sing I saw my truth and what I'm all about I got a smile.

Juice my ass swirl around my lance.

My fans be all ten toes.

They're flexing with my ass and even got my tits out.

Magic.

I'm just trying to catch your eye.

But I'm gonna go to rain and shine.

I'm just trying to ride my bike.

Just like magic.

I'm just trying to catch a ride on this court awaiting trial.

I'm just trying to run my bike.

Ain't no fear feeling.

Then let the sun touch on irritating the literal sun.

Telling you when I made you.

You might be catching me on black sand beaches.

With my boobies out.

Here.

Ain't nothin wrong with it.

Y'all totally grace.

Embrace it is beauty is love for yourself, for your body.

Let the sun kiss you now.

Lady love's point guard turned singer.

That's me all right in 29 seconds.

Tell me who the best point guard of all time is.

Ooh.

That's tough of all time.

People would argue that it's stiff.

Probably.

But for me, it was always Steve Nash.

I felt like I found affinity in him, watching him because I was undersized.

Even though I was the point guard.

I didn't have the longest arms, I wasn't getting the fastest sprint times, but I was savvy and I could handle the rock.

I knew how to shoot.

I knew how to make decisions.

So he inspired me for him.

For me, he is the greatest point guard.

All right.

Okay.

All right, 29 seconds, then.

Best R&B singer.

Ooh.

That's tough.

Okay.

Again for me.

I just had to go with shady.

Sadie is.

She's the best for me.

I've.

Her band is just her vocal control.

Songs like what they're about content.

Like, just how they hit those lyrics are real.

Like, they really got me through a lot.

And they've inspired me a lot.

So that's what it is for me.

That deep, deep, deep love.

I in love.

Trippin over my words I feel love, I love that the way in which we love, I'm in and out of love.

And there's no one else for me.

Love.

Oh, my love, I love you.

That I could feel like.

Oh my you my I, you that I can feel it.

Yeah I'm in love.

That deep, deep, deep love.

And I know I should that you are to.

Yeah I'm in love that in we you is we love, love, love I know you love me too.

I got you wrapped around my finger.

You for real, though?

Oh, oh, right.

Now let me tell.

Oh, you know what?

That's enough for you.

Oh, love.

Right now, my honey, tell.

Oh, now I pass it all to you.

Oh baby, you check out every single one.

Know you checked out every single one.

Yeah, you checked out every single one.

Oh, yeah.

Check it out.

Hey you.

Oh, right now my love is all I want I said I'll tell you.

Right now let me tell love.

Oh, you know what I said I'll to you.

Oh.

Is there anything about Steve Nash?

His approach to basketball that matches your approach to your music?

I'd say repetitions, repetitions, getting in there, practicing a lot.

Working on your vocals.

Like, for me, what kind of got me back was that approach because, I was playing basketball a lot.

I was teaching coaching.

So I was using my voice a lot.

And I actually formed system, my vocal chords and was not able to sing, not really able to talk.

And so getting those reps in is really after I was cleared to sing again, use my voice again.

Those reps are really what got me back, because without my voice like, it's not like without basketball, like without my voice, it's it's almost like it's not me, you know?

All right.

So music's in your family.

It's in your culture.

It's all around you.

What about your pen game?

How did you discover that you were a writer as well?

That was with the encouragement of my cousin Joshua mosley.

Because I was really interested in what he was doing when I was younger.

We were really close, kind of that sports and music connection was came through strong for us, but he's considered he's 12 years older than me, so I was able to, like, look up to him and see things that he was doing and moving in a space in a way that I couldn't because I was a kid.

And so basically he was, you know, approaching rap in different stuff at that time.

And so I would kind of follow him around and notice like, oh, this is how he's writing, this is what he's doing.

I would follow him around.

We would had a he had a friend that lived down the street and kind of had like a basement recording studio, and we would go hang out there and I would just see how they would flow.

And then I would hear beats all day.

So I'm hearing all these instrumentals and I would, you know, try to try to do my own thing to it.

And it was stuff that they're older than me, so it wasn't stuff that they're like, oh, we got to do that right now, you know?

But it gave me practice and it helped me get confident in like what I'm saying, how I wanted to say, hearing other people do it and then being like, okay, this is how I want to do it.

Like that's how they did it and I'm learning from it.

But then this is how I'm adapting it towards mine.

And oh, Debbie.

Yeah, I while right and we spoke a nice wow and find there.

Oh you know I got here oh wherever I go, wherever I go.

You know I love to slow things down cause I, I connect with the world around me.

Oh I'm in this baby.

I'm this kid I paint with all the colors I know.

And for my soul is grown day.

Oh, oh yeah I love to slow things down.

Cause my bike around without love my whole face.

Oh, say, do you remember when I tried to hop that curve with my bike?

Do you remember when I tried to hop that curve with my bike?

Don't you remember when I tried to break up with my bike?

Do you remember said.

Do you remember?

Oh, it's been a long time.

But the version that I'm singing, you know, try it.

When I left a ring instrument price.

I'm a shiny man.

I love no cry when I left the ring.

True.

Do you remember?

Do you, do you, do you remember?

Do you, do you, do you remember.

Do you, do you do you remember?

So do you remember.

So do you remember?

Do you, do you remember?

I remember we rode out, right?

We on the street.

We shot our lives just in memory.

Do you remember?

Do you remember?

We rode these bikes?

We shot it last week.

All right.

From the street.

Do you.

Do you remember?

Remember?

Remember?

Hey, I'm telling you, you have to have to take those times to really please our inner child riding my bike.

That's how I do.

Yeah.

You know.