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What's New with the Soil Health Program?

Upcoming Events 

Marketing Series with the Good Meat Project and Quivira Coalition
March 7th | Virtual Webinar

Attend the 11th annual conference put on by the CO Fruit & Veg Growers for networking and learning. This year's theme is: Growing Resources, Cultivating Success.

The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program funding through the Colorado Department of Agriculture enables CFVGA to offer beginning farmer (10 years or less farming commercially) members a FREE conference registration. Complete your membership here first, then register for conference. We are limited to 35 free beginning farmer registrations, so don't delay. 

The Colorado Grain Summit
March 8th, 8am - 5:30pm | Salida, CO

Put on by the Colorado Grain Chain, this conference is for anyone that grows grain, produces, or handles grain products with an aspiring interest in increasing local grain sourcing in Colorado. There will be networking sessions, expert panels, and keynotes highlighting innovative success stories across the grain supply chain.

2025 Colorado Food Summit Regional Convenings
March 5th-14th | Multiple Dates and Locations

This year, CSU is hosting multiple Regional Food Convening across the state. The goal of the regional gatherings is to raise awareness of and lift regional voices in statewide food and agricultural visioning processes. Click the links below to learn more about each event:

 
Email cda_soil@state.co.us to have your event featured here!

 

Grants & Other Soil Health Engagement Opportunities

Colorado Farm Fresh Directory Listing Form | Open Now, Due March 14th

Each year, the Colorado Department of Agriculture and the Colorado Proud program produce a Colorado Farm Fresh Directory. If you want to be included in this year's directory, you can submit a form online.

Over 90,000 copies of the directory are distributed statewide and the directory is also housed online on CDA's website.

Agricultural producers listed must produce agricultural products/fruits/vegetables/meat/raise livestock as well as sell products directly to the public or offer agritourism activities in Colorado to be included in the directory. A listing costs $25. The deadline to submit is March 14, 2025.


New Agrarian Wellness Training Program | Applications Accepted on a Rolling Basis 

Quivira Coalition and AgWell (an initiative of the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union) have partnered to offer a peer-to-peer wellness training program and support network. Participants will gain the ability to recognize, understand, and address behavioral health challenges, which will then prepare them to implement supportive measures within their own networks and facilitate sessions that support their own communities.

Good Farmer Award | Apply by March 22nd 11pm ET

The inaugural Good Farmer Award U.S. is dedicated to celebrating an exemplary ‘Beginning Farmer’ who advances ecologically sound agricultural practices, builds biodiversity on-farm, and fosters resilience, sustainability, and social equity. The award is funded by the Rodale Institute and the DAVINES Group and consists of $10k and a fully paid trip to the European Regenerative Organic Center (EROC) in Parma, Italy. 

Zero Foodprint 

The Zero Foodprint logo is a circle with a hand carrying a serving tray that holds a globe.

Winner of the James Beard "Humanitarian of the Year" Award, Zero Foodprint (ZFP) is a nonprofit mobilizing the food world around agricultural climate solutions. Learn about their work and apply for the Restore Grant here.


Watch: Restore Colorado Producer Webinar
Watch: Restore Program Webinar June 2023

 

Hold Your Ground logo which features a pair of hands holding a sprouting plant and the CDA logo which features a red barn.Soil Health at Work

Hold Our Ground Film Series

The first episode in a three-part documentary film series highlighting the innovative work of Colorado producers in building healthy soil and more resilient agricultural systems. 
Watch here: 

E1: Farmers on Soil Heath 

E2: Ranchers on Soil Health

E3: Hold Our Ground
 

Audubon Rockies 

With funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Audubon Conservation Ranching staff helped enhance soil and reseed native plants on a degraded pasture of the Rafter W Ranch, an Audubon-certified ranch in eastern Colorado. These restoration techniques help the ranch retain water, which should increase its drought resilience and long-term biodiversity. Monitoring during the first growing season found increased plant growth and reduced soil compaction. 
Learn about a soil restoration project through the Conservation Ranching Initiative: Rafter W Ranch Article & Video