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.
For decades, we’ve coped with either drought, hail storms, snow drifts or record temperatures. Sometimes all four within just a few weeks. There is no doubt these weather events are getting worse and are happening more often, and sometimes the ways we’ve always dealt with them just don’t work any more.
For me, I’ve seen first-hand how the impacts of extreme weather can be devastating. In 2002, we were aware that we were most likely entering into a seven-year drought and my dad always said that he didn’t know if we would survive a seven-year drought. In fact, that seven-year drought lasted for about 20 years and we were able to survive – but it wasn’t easy. Once we were partially out of that drought, we then suffered from a catastrophic wildfire on our ranch that started on a day when wind gusts were 70 miles per hour-plus.
This was a fear that we had lived with since we have been on the property. There was a very small chance that we could have controlled it if we were there immediately, but once the flames started growing they blew out of control quickly. The fire fundamentally changed our operations, but the verdict is out on whether or not we will be able to sustain this impact. If that wasn’t enough, we endured blizzards and snowstorms in 1997 and, in 2007, we had massive amounts of snow and wind that created its own micro climate, leading to bitter cold and fog for months.
The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) has made it a point to listen to stories like these from across the state and is working to do something to help Colorado farmers and ranchers like me deal with the worsening effects of climate change. As one of CDA’s four Assistant Regional Commissioners, I am grateful CDA is responding to a need I see all around me.
It is no longer enough to build back. We must be prepared to innovate, knowing that next season is once again going to be full of extraordinary climate-driven weather events.
To prepare for this changing future, CDA is offering its inaugural round of Climate Resiliency grants to farmers and ranchers who have experienced disasters or are at elevated risk of climate disasters. This ongoing funding is intended to help Colorado agricultural producers build strong operations that can withstand adverse weather events or recover from them quickly. In this grant round, CDA is looking to fund projects that address snow, drought, and fire impacts. Applications are being accepted until May 30.
Colorado is a leader in climate response, because it knows that it’s right for the Earth and good for a farmer’s bottom line. Colorado understands how important our agricultural communities are to our state. Adapting to climate change is critical to preserving and advancing agriculture. In addition, the state needs innovation from the agriculture community to find the best solutions.
Not only does agriculture produce sustainable crops and livestock that are essential for feeding people here at home and across the world, farms and ranches also provide wildlife habitat, reduce heat island effects, improve soil health and water retention, and more. Making sure our agricultural operations are better prepared to deal with a changing climate will help the resilience of the entire state.
This grant aligns with CDA’s strategic plan, especially the agency’s focus on farmer- and rancher-led environmental stewardship and climate resilience. Across its different programs, CDA is prioritizing partnerships that will lead to a sustainable and resilient future for our food supply and our agricultural producers.
With the help of CDA, our state’s agricultural community has the financial and technical support to innovate and be prepared for what is an uncertain future. I am hopeful that this funding will make a real difference on the ground and will help ag producers across Colorado learn from the forward-looking farmers and ranchers who take this opportunity to strengthen their operations.
Riley May is a fifth-generation rancher from Prowers County and a conservation advocate. He is a Regional Assistant Commissioner at the Colorado Department of Agriculture as well as an active member of Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Colorado Farm Bureau, and Rocky Mountain Farmers Union.