Press Release

For the second year in a row, the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) awarded $500,000 through the Agrivoltaics Research and Demonstration grant, funding six projects that demonstrate the technology and benefits of agrivoltaics in Colorado. 

By growing food and developing energy on the same parcel of land, agrivoltaics is an important component of both the state’s renewable energy goals and fostering a resilient agricultural system in Colorado.

The Colorado Department of Agriculture’s new Division of Animal Welfare is seeking input from people with expertise on horse, donkey and mule welfare to help shape the new Equine Welfare Assistance Grant program. Stakeholders can provide comments by taking a brief survey to help inform how to develop the grant program, which will award a total of $200,000 to projects that promote the well-being of Colorado’s domestic equines. The survey closes on September 18.

This year’s Collection expands to 14 wines due to the overall high quality of entries. All winning wines will be available for sampling at Colorado Uncorked.

The Colorado Wine Industry Development Board (CWIDB), part of the Colorado Department of Agriculture, proudly announces the 14 wines selected to represent the Colorado wine industry as the 2024 Governor’s Cup Wine Collection. This year’s competition included 302 wine submissions from 52 Colorado wineries.

Nestled in the fertile valleys of western Colorado, the town of Palisade and its neighbors have earned a well-deserved reputation for producing some of the finest peaches in the world. These sun-kissed fruits, known for their exceptional sweetness, juiciness, and vibrant flavor, have become a summertime staple and a source of Colorado pride.

The Colorado Department of Agriculture welcomes Joe Stafford as its first director of the new Division of Animal Welfare. Bringing with him more than 23 years dedicated to animal welfare, Stafford will manage the operations of the newly formed division that houses both of CDA’s animal welfare programs: the Bureau of Animal Protection (BAP) and the Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act (PACFA) Program.

The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) is searching for its next Director of the Conservation Services Division. The position is open after current director Les Owen announced he will be joining the New Mexico Department of Agriculture as Deputy Secretary.

The 2024 Colorado’s Electric Cooperatives Junior Livestock Sale held yesterday at the Colorado State Fair brought in more than $476,000 in the auction of 105 animals raised and shown by young people from across the state.

Proto Taste won the coveted Golden Plate, selected by Governor Polis as the winner of the Governor’s Plate competition at the Colorado State Fair. Meanwhile, the voters selected Stoke Pizza to receive the 2024 People’s Choice Award.

The trucks competed with five other food trucks from Pueblo, Wheat Ridge, Arvada, and Denver to win the awards. The rules were simple: each dish had to include either Palisade peaches or San Luis Valley potatoes, as interpreted by the competing chefs. Submissions this year ranged from pizza to sliders to ice cream.

Recall of the herbicide known as Dacthal, also known as Dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA), a pesticide registered to control weeds in both agricultural and non-agricultural settings, continues.

The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) have developed a grant program to assist communities with implementing nonlethal wolf conflict reduction measures. The Non-lethal Wolf Conflict Reduction Grant Program will be administered by CDA staff with support from CPW.