Colo. Gov. Jared Polis Joins Industry Pioneers to Break Ground on New Feinblum Herb Garden
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (April 27, 2026) — Colorado State University (CSU) marked a major milestone in bringing the Julie and Barney Feinblum Herb Garden to life with a successful groundbreaking ceremony on April 24 at its Fort Collins campus. The event celebrated the launch of a new living classroom rooted in plants, purpose, and Colorado’s legacy of natural products innovation.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis delivered the keynote welcoming remarks before grabbing a shovel to participate in the official groundbreaking. He was joined at the event by James Thompson, Regional Director for U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, alongside CSU faculty, staff, and students. Following an address to the audience by garden benefactor Barney Feinblum, attendees enjoyed a celebratory tour of CSU's famous Annual Flower Trial Gardens, which sit directly adjacent to the future herb garden site.
From left: Chad Miller (CSU Trial Gardens director), Colorado Governor Jared Polis, Julie Feinblum, Barney Feinblum.
During his remarks, Governor Polis highlighted the intersection of the state's agricultural heritage and its booming natural products sector.
“This new herb garden is a living laboratory. It will give students really valuable hands-on experience learning about so many applications plants can have to support our health, our well-being, support science and raise awareness,” said Governor Polis. “We are so proud in Colorado of our organic and natural foods industry of which [the Feinblums] were founding icons. I want to thank both of you for this really remarkable gift to the entire state of Colorado. People will come here from all over to see this herb garden.”
Funded by natural foods pioneer Barney Feinblum, former CEO of Celestial Seasonings and Horizon Organic, and his wife, Julie (Jules), this new living classroom will feature a diverse collection of medicinal, culinary, and tea herbs. It is designed to bridge classroom theory with real-world application, giving students hands-on experience with the plants that launched entire industries.
The garden serves as a permanent tribute to Colorado’s status as the “Silicon Valley of natural foods,” tracing its roots back to 1969 when Celestial Seasonings founders Mo Siegel and John Hay began hand-foraging wild herbs in the Rockies.
“Barney’s contributions to advancing natural foods in America are legendary," noted Celestial Seasonings co-founder Mo Siegel in a statement surrounding the dedication. “Imagining and funding an herb garden at CSU is another gift Barney and Jules have given to our state.”
For the Feinblums, the garden represents a way to pass forward what plants have given them: curiosity, purpose, and the confidence to build something meaningful.
“I really believe you can change the world with a few simple plants,” said Feinblum. “That’s why this herb garden at CSU will be a living classroom. Colorado changed our lives, and this is our way of giving back.”
With the site officially dedicated, planting will soon begin, with plans to expand the botanical collections and student impact over time. To learn more or to support the garden’s growth, visit agsci.colostate.edu/hortla/feinblum-herb-garden/.
About Julie & Barney Feinblum
For Barney and Julie Feinblum, the Herb Garden at CSU is both deeply personal and forward-looking. Throughout their lives, plants—and the values they represent—have shaped their family, work and connection to Colorado. Herbs, in particular, played a defining role in Barney’s career in the natural products industry, where, as former CEO of Celestial Seasonings (and also as former CEO of Horizon Organic), he helped lead organizations that changed how Americans think about food, wellness, and the relationship between business and values. By creating a living herb garden for students, the Feinblums hope to pass forward what plants have given them: curiosity, purpose and the confidence to build something meaningful. Their gift reflects a belief that education should be tangible, values-driven, and rooted in the natural world.
About Colorado State University
Colorado State University is Colorado’s land-grant public research university, recognized nationally for excellence in teaching, research, and community engagement. Based in Fort Collins with statewide and urban reach through initiatives such as CSU Spur in Denver and CSU Extension offices across Colorado, the university advances solutions in agriculture, food systems, environmental stewardship, and sustainability. CSU is also known for its award- winning educational landscapes, including the internationally recognized Annual Flower Trial Gardens and the CSU Campus Arboretum and Botanical Garden, which together serve as living laboratories supporting horticultural research, hands-on learning, and public engagement. Through nearly 300 academic programs and a deep commitment to access, innovation, and impact, CSU prepares students to lead with science, values, and purpose in Colorado and beyond. Visit the CSU Flower Trial Gardens' website for more information and follow on Instagram and Facebook.
Media Contact
Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, steve@compassnatural.com, tel: 303.807.1042