In the field

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.

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.

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. 

Water was an important focus of our trip as it is a critical resource for agriculture. Part of the purpose of our visit to the San Luis Valley was to see irrigation projects and attend the Congreso de Acequias, an annual celebration of water, land, and community that shines a light on acequias as both irrigation ditches and forms of community self-governance. Throughout our visit, we were reminded that water plays an essential role in the communities of the Valley. 

In late May, Commissioner Greenberg, Ag Commission member George Whitten and Deputy Director of Outreach Bethany Howell - the latter two both San Luis Valley residents - were honored to spend concentrated time with producers in the hidden gem of Colorado, the San Luis Valley. 

Written by Bethany Howell, Deputy Director of Communications & Outreach