As climate change continues to increase the severity of weather related disasters like drought, severe storms and extreme wildfires, the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) is helping fund 15 projects for Colorado farmers and ranchers who are thinking outside the box to keep their operations profitable and adaptable through the new Climate Resilience Grant Program.
“The agricultural community is often the first to feel the impact of our changing climate and there is clearly a need for increased funding to help recover from and prepare for these potential disasters,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Kate Greenberg. “The inaugural round of applications for the Climate Resilience grant demonstrated a high degree of interest and innovation from our producers.”
This program, managed by CDA’s Agricultural Drought & Climate Resilience Office (ADCRO), was designed specifically to support farmers and ranchers who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing a climate-change induced disaster.
For the first year of the program, applicants were encouraged to submit proposals for projects that would increase their operations’ ability to adapt and thrive in the face of drought, wildfires, or extreme winter storms. CDA received 100 applications, totaling more than $2,520,000 in funding requests. Grant applications came from 40 different counties, and spanned a wide diversity of ideas. Through a competitive review process, CDA’s evaluation committee selected 15 projects for a total of $338,000 in funding.
Among the funded projects across Colorado, is a project by a farmer in Saguache County.
"As a farmer in the San Luis Valley, I am no stranger to the reality that lack of water is forcing many farmers to irrigate less land, often leaving land fallow,” said Benjamin Schmidt, one of the grant recipients. “The funding from the Climate Resilience grant will allow us to revegetate a dewatered crop circle, using a new seed mix and a minimum till drill, and use it for grazing. We hope that this project will not just be a success for our field, but an example that we and our neighbors can use on other fields as we have to continue drying up more irrigated land."
Other projects selected for include a new water line and tank for a rancher in Washington County, slash pile removal on a ranch in Lake County, irrigation audits and equipment upgrades for multiple producers served by the Mancos Conservation District, seeds and technical assistance for a farmer in Conejos County switching to dryland hay, and many more. These projects will be installed throughout the year, and grantees will report on project outcomes, challenges to implementation, and how the grant funding impacted their operation’s resilience.
This program will have annual funding cycles, with the next opportunity open in early 2026. A complete list of funded projects can be found on CDA’s website.
Environmental Stewardship and Climate Resilience are part of CDA's Strategic Initiatives to advance voluntary stewardship and the adoption of climate resilience practices. This includes providing grant funding, technical assistance, and research to support farm and ranch resiliency, on-farm energy generation, and other climate resilience strategies. The Agricultural Drought and Climate Resilience Office (ADCRO), helps CDA create a sustainable and resilient food supply system for all Coloradans.