Written by Mendy Stewart, Education Coordinator for the Shavano Conservation District
In October 2022, despite snow and cold, local farmers and soil health enthusiasts gathered to see Rick Strait’s demonstration on water infiltration.
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.
The beautiful bright fall colors were starting to spot the mountainside. It was mid-September, along the Arkansas River into Salida, Colorado where the inaugural Behavioral Health and Wellness in Agriculture Summit would be held. Organized by AgWell, a program of the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, the summit had been a long time coming.
There are only two Seed Survivor trailers and both travel throughout Canada and the United States all year long to give children the chance to learn about the building blocks of agriculture. Over the past several weeks, the Seed Survivor trailers have traveled from Weld and Larimer counties to the San Luis Valley and Walsenburg, engaging hundreds of elementary school students.
On a hot September afternoon, a mix of government and tribal partners gathered to celebrate a hydropower plant project that will support the daily operations of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe’s Farm & Ranch Enterprise. Staff and board directors from the Colorado Water Conservation Board, Department of Natural Resources, and project participants from the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe gathered to view the latest tool in the climate change mitigation toolbox - a recently installed hydroelectric turbine.
During the 2022 legislative session, the Colorado Department of Agriculture received an appropriation of $200,000 to dedicate to mental health programs.
CDA will create a grant program that will be available to organizations serving rural communities in Colorado. CDA is working on establishing the requirements of the grants and will hold a listening session in mid-September to consider input from rural communities and other stakeholders. Applications will open up in early October and will be open for 30 calendar days.
If you’re a hemp farmer in Colorado getting ready for harvest, make sure you’ve contacted an authorized sampler to collect the samples from your lot(s) and submit for THC testing at a certified laboratory.
All hemp program registrants must complete sampling before they can begin harvesting their lot(s).
Regenerating the land to produce food for their community is the main goal of Grama Grass and Livestock, a grass farming business that utilizes ruminant animals, specifically cattle, to improve soil health and boost forage capacity. Andy Breiter, owner of Grama Grass and Livestock, is himself an internship success story, as he began his career as an intern at the neighboring Golden Hoof Farm.
Colorado’s Eastern Plains are known for bountiful agriculture and temperamental weather, and last week I experienced both as I traveled with Governor Polis along the High Plains Highway to visit with ag producers across the region.