Colorado Department of Agriculture

Under one bill, overtime pay for ag workers would have kicked in earlier. The other bill won out.

Agriculture officials have recently issued a warning to Coloradans: If you receive an unexpected package by mail that contains a packet of unidentified seeds – do NOT plant them. Learn more about the mysterious seeds showing up in mailboxes – and what to do if you get some.

The design features Indigenous elements, nods to agricultural pioneers like Frank Zybach and John Stulp, and iconic Colorado farm industry images like Cattle. The artwork is a visual narrative that starts with snowmelt from the Rocky Mountains.

Polis is also asking the legislature for $10 million as 600,000 Coloradans are about to lose food stamps in “crisis within a crisis." Listen to "Morning Edition" host Michael Lyle, Jr. discuss this story with Colorado Sun reporter Michael Booth and the read the entire article at the link below.

On August 14, the Palisade Insectary marked its 80th anniversary as heroes of the Colorado agricultural community.

If approved, the claims would deplete the Wolf Depredation Compensation Fund and force the agency to dip into the state’s general fund. Listen to "Morning Edition" host Michael Lyle, Jr. discuss this story with Colorado Sun reporter Tracy Ross and then read The Colorado Sun story at the link below.

Regenerative agriculture is a holistic approach to farming and ranching. It rebuilds depleted soils, improves ecosystems and mitigates climate change by putting carbon back in the ground. Farmers in Colorado are increasingly experimenting with those techniques. And a growing statewide program asks consumers in urban areas to help out too.

Last week, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack was in Denver to discuss significant federal funds coming to Colorado to support Climate-Smart Agriculture – an initial investment of $2.8 billion.With all that funding coming in, KUNC’s Rae Solomon wanted to get the low down on what Climate-Smart Agriculture means. She did some digging, and recently sat down with All Things Considered host Beau Baker to share what she found.

Smaller county populations are shrinking as bigger counties’ are growing. 2020 census data show that is as true in Colorado as it is nationally. Rural birth rates are dropping, death rates are rising and young people are moving away. Some leave behind multi-generational farming legacies and the land that comes with it. Others are coming back.

Farmers in parts of the West are experiencing some of the worst drought conditions in nearly two decades. The dryness presents challenges in keeping a farm or ranch viable, and in how farmers deal with mental health concerns.