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SUNNY BUG FARMETTE FUND

in memory of Sunia Baker-Breningstall

About Sunia

Sunia was an artist and a passionate advocate for nature and gardening. Inspired by her mother, a Colorado Master Gardener, she delighted in studying and painting plants and insects, even co-creating a pollinator garden at Denver Academy. Despite facing significant health challenges, she delighted in studying plants and insects, even contributing to a pollinator garden at Denver Academy. Sunia’s kindness shone through as she shared her knowledge of art & nature with others, encouraging them to appreciate the beauty of the natural world. She gave herself the nickname Sunny Bug, which is now the name of her parent’s beautiful gardens today. 

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About the Fund

Starting in 2025, Slow Food Denver received a donation for a scholarship fund from Orvin & Donna Baker-Breningstall in honor and memory of their daughter Sunia. This annual gift will allow Slow Food Denver to continue to grow and develop programming in Seed to Plate and our Food Ethos Denver (FED) workshops to expand offerings to children and adults of all abilities. Sunia's legacy will live on through the Sunny Bug Farmette Fund that will provide classes to children with developmental differences in classrooms and by providing more inclusive services and opportunities through the FED program for adults of all abilities.

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How is the
fund being used?

Seed to Plate Classes
for Children with developmental
& adaptive differences

Through the Seed to Plate program, youth of all abilities are empowered and inspired by their relationship to food, becoming self-assured young chefs and gardeners with lifelong eating habits that are healthy and informed.

As of 2025, Seed to Plate classes were offered in the following schools to the classes that support youth with development & adaptive differences:

  • Rocky Mountain Prep Noel Middle school students

  • Rocky Mountain Prep SMART High school students

  • Kepner Beacon Middle School Combination of Multi-intensive with Multi-intensive severe programs

  • Northeast Early College Students 18-21 in transitional programs, working on job & self-sufficiency skills 

  • South High School Students from 9-12th grade in a combined Multi-intensive and Multi-intensive severe program

For 2025, South High School has been selected to receive the Sunny Bug Farmette grant of $5,000 for three 6-week terms of Seed to Plate programming

Food Ethos Denver (FED Workshops)
for Adults of all abilities 

The goal of the FED Workshops is to create more conscious consumers and active participants for a more sustainable food system. The FED Workshops are a series of adult education classes with a focus on local food & beverages in the Denver food system. 

  • FED Workshops include panel discussions, culturally meaningful cooking classes, ‘how to’ classes on everything from foraging to fermenting and beyond

  • The Sunny Bug Fund will expand Slow Food Denver's FED Workshop program to promote deeper inclusivity and accessibility for individuals from diverse backgrounds and abilities who are interested in sustainable food

  • Funds from this program will allow SFD to pay for ADA & translation services, sign language interpreters, and other accommodations that will open the program up to the greater community

If you’re interested in receiving a scholarship to a specific FED class or you want to be included on a list for future classes simply fill out the form through the link above. 

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