Agriculture and politics have something in common. When they’re working right, they’re flying under the radar. When there are bumps in the road, everyone is very aware of just how much they impact our daily lives.
In rural areas, the lines blur even more often between the two as producers are used to doing what needs to be done - whether that’s on their operations or in their community.
This work ethic was the catalyst behind Commissioner Greenberg’s recent trip to Las Animas County in southeast Colorado. At the invitation of county commissioners Felix Lopez, Luis Lopez (no relation), and Tony Hass, Commissioner Greenberg got a firsthand look at the challenges and opportunities facing Las Animas County producers and community members.
The trip kicked off with civic duty and pride at the Las Animas county courthouse the day before Election Day. Commissioner Hass guided us through the refurbished original marble halls and into chambers with hand carved wooden accents, all the while explaining his journey from rancher to commissioner.
We continued the conversation on the Walking Y Ranch, Hass’ family operation where he runs cattle and employs beneficial soil health practices like range management. As the other commissioners joined us, the discussion dug into all the complex, challenging, frustrating, and empowering aspects of county commissioner leadership.
The County Commissioners guided us through each stop, introducing their fellow community members who represented the agricultural community in multiple ways.
The Nicols family runs a small nursery off the highway in Hoehne, next door to their farming operation. While they’re renovating the inside space to become a coffee shop and bakery, they’re also growing pumpkins across the road and have hay fields with horses catty-corner to the nursery.
Mary and Allen Nicols are well known to their county leadership - they’ve all been in the area a long time and have all worked alongside one another repairing livestock fencing for each other and attending football games at the adjacent stadium. The Nicolses are invested in their community for the long run, despite the risks of running a small business and the uncertainties tied to agriculture.
The Yoder Family Farm nearby is another example. Jeremy Yoder and his brothers operate a dairy goat and poultry farm, along with growing corn and beans on 1300 acres.
They’ve struggled with making a profit and finding markets close by, not to mention the headaches and fear surrounding the outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza across the country (note: CDA prioritizes biosecurity and does not visit poultry operations as HPAI continues to be an issue in many parts of the country).
It’s not realistic to haul goods several hours north on I-25, so they’re not giving up on local opportunities. Their self-serve honor system store offers fresh eggs, delicious varieties of goat cheese, bulk beans, and the best homemade molasses crinkle cookies ever baked (this is not a paid endorsement, just simple facts).
The Yoder Family Farm employs a few local people to help the family with cheesemaking and farming to ensure supply stays proportional to demand. The Yoders love what they do, hard work doesn’t bother them, but struggling to find their market does.
Commissioners Lopez, Lopez, and Hass (yes, they’re aware they might sound like a law firm) recognize the need to support these smaller, family-run businesses vital to the economic well-being of the community.
But the economy is just one part of a thriving county. While county leadership needs to support businesses, they also need to ensure the county provides opportunities for families with children who need safe, happy places to learn and play.
The Las Animas County Fairgrounds has a vision to be just that. Supported by county dollars, the CSU Extension Office offers education classes for adults and children, runs the county livestock show each year, and acts as home base for the next generation of agricultural producers. CDA’s departmental goals also include supporting the next generation of agriculturalists, so we love hearing about other efforts.
When the fairgrounds aren’t being used for livestock shows or auctions, the newly built KaBoom playground gives young children a place to run, jump, climb, and imagine. The local food bank stores supplies here for their monthly Care and Share operation and has plans to renovate the fairgrounds building to include a commercial kitchen.
Last year, the fairgrounds received funding from CDA’s Agricultural Events grant, part of the state’s 2021 ag stimulus package. The grant funding enabled the county to install cooling systems to offset the summer heat of county fair time and hire a programs coordinator to keep the community engaged.
As we toured the fairgrounds, the commissioners and 4-H staff Lorri Arnhold and Kim Peters talked about their goals of creating even more community spots, such as walking trails and pavilions. Their fortunate placement in the city of Trinidad provides flexibility to work with many partners from across the area.
They know the county fairgrounds, one of the oldest in the state with buildings still standing from their original construction date in 1928, are more than just a historic site. They are a gathering place, a junction, where paths cross and people interact, connect, and work to maintain their community.
The leaders of Las Animas County are already bringing their vision of community spaces to life. Our final stop was at Earth Mountain Farm, which started and maintains a community garden site not too far from the fairgrounds. Even heading into winter, the garden was bustling as volunteers shifted soil and built the infrastructure needed to prepare for next spring’s planting.
Located in the heart of the neighborhood, the less than an acre garden site produced more than 700 pounds of produce for CSA members and neighbors in 2022 alone. The garden employed high school students to help sort and pack the produce which offered local students a steady job and the chance to get their hands dirty.
Another Earth Mountain farm located near Westcliffe offers educational programs for kids of all ages. As the commissioners talked with the site supervisor, the conversation quickly moved to finding other ways to involve the garden with community food programs and local stores.
It wasn’t planned, but our tour stops all touched on what keeps agriculture so important and beloved: community.
Whether you’re a kid who eats a lunch that includes vegetables from the Earth Mountain garden after spending the morning playing at the fairgrounds, a traveler stopping through to pick up a dozen molasses crinkle cookies and freshly made goat cheese from Yoder Farms, a football fan who admires the amazing garden outside Nicol’s Cottonwood Corner, or a rancher who happened into public service because he believes his livestock’s future depended on it, agriculture made all the difference.
