Markets

Grant Funding Available to Farms, Ranches, Ag Businesses for Hiring Interns in 2026

Starting today, the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) is accepting applications from Colorado farms, ranches, and other agricultural businesses looking to hire interns in 2026. Through the Agricultural Workforce Development Program (AWDP), businesses may be reimbursed for up to 50 percent of the actual cost to employ an intern, up to $5,000, in exchange for providing a hands-on experience needed to begin a career in agriculture.

Ag Workforce Development Program: Sowing the Seeds of a Career

For Natalie Ross, a Greenhouse Production intern for the City of Fort Collins, the path to her dream job in a botanic garden greenhouse became clearer with each seedling she transplanted. On a cloudy day in late April, Natalie was transplanting lettuce varieties into sixpack flats, readying them for the annual seedling sale at the Gardens on Spring Creek.

Colorado Climate Smart Food and Beverage Businesses to be Featured at Newtopia Now

The Colorado Department of Agriculture is sponsoring six local food and beverage companies and one regional buyer-grower coalition to exhibit at Newtopia Now, a major natural products trade show taking place August 20-22, 2025, in Denver. Selected through a competitive application process, these businesses source—and help promote the unique benefits associated with—high-quality agricultural products raised using climate smart practices. 

Seven NextGen Projects Receive Grants to Cultivate Colorado’s Ag Leadership

The Colorado Department Agriculture (CDA) has selected four organizations and three educational institutions to receive NextGen Ag Leadership Grants for projects supporting educational, training, and leadership development opportunities for Colorado’s emerging food and agriculture leaders.

This year, CDA awarded more than $156,000 to seven grantees serving diverse populations across the state. Overall, the NextGen Ag Leadership Grant Program received 72 applications requesting nearly $1.5 million in funding.

Rustic Spinach Pasta: May Colorado Proud Recipe of the Month  

As the snow melts and gardens bloom, May in Colorado ushers in the lush, green glory of spinach season. These cool spring days are prime time for harvesting fresh, tender spinach loaded with flavor and nutrients. Colorado spinach is a seasonal gem that offers more than just a pop of color. It’s rich in vitamins A, C, and K, packed with folate, iron, and fiber, and full of the antioxidants your body craves as you shake off winter and step into spring.

Community Food Consortium Addresses Distribution Challenges for Small Colorado Food Retailers 

Small food retailers in Colorado - both urban and rural - face common challenges in stocking their stores with fresh foods. Retailers such as grocery stores, corner stores, carnicerias, and small mercantiles often struggle with high minimum order requirements, fees for not reaching an order minimum, delivery fees that can exceed $20,000 per year, fees for not having a loading dock, or all of the above.

Roots to Revenue: It's Farmers’ Market Season!

Spring is here and that means the Farmers’ Markets will get started very soon! This season is always busy, but welcomed as our weather is getting warmer, the days are longer and we know summer is on its way.