As people who make their living off the land, Colorado’s farmers and ranchers are on the front lines of climate impacts and climate solutions. The majority of farms and ranches in Colorado have been in production for several generations. This gives agriculture producers a keen insight into the importance of protecting and stewarding our state’s […]
Colorado Farm Bureau
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
Farmers hit with most disruptive price hikes, supply shortages in decades as pandemic slowdowns catch up to Colorado
From being nestled under soil, piled into trucks, sent down conveyor belts and driven on to Walmart, Kroger and Aldi stores, the potatoes from Reid Mattive’s San Luis Valley farm have never been more expensive to grow. Tires and machinery are hard to locate. The prices for fertilizer, fuel and fungicides are spiking. Mattive, a […]
Posted inNews
How is Colorado’s new farmworkers’ rights bill being received by migrant farmworkers? With a shrug.
OLATHE — Erasmo Cano downs a bottled drink and dumps the dregs of packaged cookies into his mouth before he climbs out of the van where he and his coworkers have been taking a 15-minute shade break. It was a brief escape from pulling weeds in a 14-acre field where his crew has been toiling […]
Posted inClimate, Environment, News
River ecologists are eager to show how beavers are critical to improving watersheds in the West
Beavers, known for their work ethic, tenacity and sometimes destructive instincts, are making a comeback in the worlds of science and water as researchers look for natural ways to restore rivers and wetlands and improve the health of drought-stressed aquifers. “The concept of beavers and their ability to restore streams is not new,” said Sarah […]
Posted inEnvironment, News, Politics and Government
Western Colorado is wary of gray wolf reintroduction. Will they have to pay for it, too?
When Colorado voters in November narrowly passed a ballot initiative to reintroduce gray wolves in western Colorado, detractors said it was a prime example of the state’s deepening rural-urban divide. It was urban voters on the Front Range who pushed the measure to passage, over the objections of rural and ranching Colorado. Now a bipartisan […]
Posted inColoradans, Economy, News, Politics and Government
Animal cruelty initiative aggravates Colorado ranchers fresh off MeatOut Day controversy
Coloradans who participated in the great, governor-inspired meat battle of 2021 either tore into a juicy steak Saturday or opted for a vegan burger and a side of veggies. But last weekend’s fight, prompted by Gov. Jared Polis’ proclamation of MeatOut Day, was nothing compared to a brewing battle over what ranchers are calling the […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Diana DeGette’s Colorado wilderness bill goes too far
Spring is usually an exciting time for ranchers. Baby calves hop around and the land begins to thaw with the promise of food for the cattle we have cared for and fed all winter. Soon, it will be time to move those cattle out to graze. In western Colorado, many ranchers rely on some of […]
Posted inBusiness, COVID, News
Here’s where the jobs are in Colorado as unemployment surges during coronavirus’ economic meltdown
On Wednesday, the Mesa County Workforce Center job hotline shared nine new jobs, including one for a full-time engineer earning $6,322 a month. A day earlier, there were five new ones, including a part-time youth services specialist paying $22.62 an hour. There’s been a steady flow of new job listings as the shutdown to slow […]
Posted inBusiness, Environment, Growth, News
Feed the world in 2050? National Western-based consortium tackles food, workforce challenges
When it comes to a grassroots effort to figure out how to feed the world’s future population, the massive food company Archer Daniels Midland Co. may not be the first –– or last –– advocate to come to mind. The Chicago conglomerate seems to prefer it that way. It’s been quietly creating a consortium focused […]
Posted inBusiness, News, Politics and Government
It’s not just China: The United States’ global trade war has Colorado companies seeking — and finding — workarounds
BROOMFIELD — Colorful spools of thread made and imported from Germany will soon leave this Broomfield warehouse and head to Mexico, skipping any payment of U.S. tariffs. It’s not a random loophole. Part of Amann USA’s facility is located in a Foreign Trade Zone, a property designation that allows manufacturers to defer import taxes until […]