Press Release

The Colorado State Fair is cranking up the nostalgia and throwing in country charm with its latest concert announcements for the Southwest Motors Events Center lineup.

The iconic "My Generation Tour" stars longtime crowd-pleasers Lovin' Spoonful, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, and The Hollies Greatest Hits, starring Terry Sylvester, on Thursday, Aug. 28. Showstopper Russell Dickerson will bring his unique brand of country music on Saturday, August 30. Tickets for both go on sale on Thursday, May 22.

By Riley May, CDA Regional Assistant Commissioner
Originally published in the Kiowa County Independent (May 9, 2025)

Colorado farmers and ranchers are resilient. We never see a “normal” year.

One of our favorite lines around our operation is that we like to work in a climate-controlled environment because our environment is truly controlled by the climate.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), in partnership with Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA), now has a fully staffed Range Rider Program ready to deploy to reduce wolf conflicts in Colorado. The program is one component of CPW’s overall Livestock Conflict Minimization Program and is featured in CPW’s Wolf-Livestock Conflict Minimization Program Guide.

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.

The Colorado State Fair adds even more excitement to its lineup by announcing a Fiesta Day performance by the iconic Los Huracanes del Norte. 

“At the Colorado State Fair, we’re getting ready to dance, sing, and experience great food and fabulous culture,” said Andrea Wiesenmeyer, general manager of the Colorado State Fair. “We’re embracing the longstanding tradition of the Fair’s Fiesta Day and turning up the fun in 2025!”

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.

Today, Governor Polis and the Colorado Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Drought and Climate Resilience Office (ADCRO) announced new grant opportunities to support climate resilience projects within the state's agricultural sector.

“In Colorado we are committed to mitigating the risk associated with climate change, by investing in innovative clean energy technologies, and providing economic avenues for our farmers and ranchers to continue to provide healthy and fresh produce to all Coloradans for generations to come,” said Governor Polis. 

Two horses in Colorado have been diagnosed with Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA). The Colorado State Veterinarian’s Office received reports of two different horses with presumptive positive results of EIA, an incurable disease that impacts equines such as horses, mules, and donkeys. In both cases, the owners have made the difficult decision to euthanize the positive horses. The risk to the general equine population in Colorado is considered low at this time.

The Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Services Division is hosting “Growing Urban Ag in Colorado,” an event designed to provide space to build connections while learning about available resources, commenting on future urban agriculture programming, and exploring our expo hall. 

The event will take place on Thursday, May 1, from 8:30 am - 3:30 pm, at the CSU Spur campus, which brings together diverse research, demonstration and education programs to promote lifelong agricultural literacy and foster agribusiness entrepreneurship.

Applications are open for this year’s cycle of the Equine Welfare Assistance Grants, offered by the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Division of Animal Welfare. 

"The Division of Animal Welfare is committed to enhancing the welfare of all animals in the state of Colorado," said Joe Stafford, Director of the Division of Animal Welfare. "This grant allows us to enhance equine welfare throughout Colorado by funding projects and programs led by members of the equine community."