Colorado Proud Allows Farmers, Chefs, Processors and Retailers to Keep It Local
In partnership with: Colorado Department of Agriculture
Leaders in Colorado’s ag sector are embracing the Colorado Proud slogan, “from our state to your plate.”
For Chef Jason Morse, the founder and executive chef at 5280 Culinary, it’s important to use ingredients and products from local farmers. That includes sourcing beef, lamb, pork and potatoes exclusively from Colorado producers for almost two decades.
“I’m a chef. I serve our community. I serve people. I cook food,” he says. “It’s not a sales pitch. It’s what I believe in because I live it every day.”
Spreading the Word
As the culinary national spokesperson for Ace Hardware, Morse often uses local products in the recipes he fires up on the grill. As a BBQ and grilling expert, he also partners with the Colorado Department of Agriculture to make cooking videos and help consumers connect to Colorado Proud agricultural products.
Especially in the past two years, the Colorado Proud program has focused on creating social media campaigns and recipes to spread the word, including Super Simple Saturdays featuring easy-to-follow recipes, Facebook Live sessions with the Colorado Beef Council and Zoom cooking classes with the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee.
Back to Basics
The Colorado Grain Chain is a nonprofit membership organization founded in 2019 by a group of farmers, millers, bakers, brewers, distillers and chefs with the common goal to bring the “grain chain” back to the state. More than 40 business members across different sectors are part of the collective.
Andy Clark, the board chair of Colorado Grain Chain and the owner and founder of Moxie Bread Co. in Louisville and Boulder, shares that farmers delivering grain to his bakery used to be conventional wheat growers, but now they’re making the switch to organic and looking into heirloom varieties. With many farmers themselves struggling with food security, the chain helps to promote local grain producers and makers through centralized marketing strategies, leading to increased demand and adding value to what the organization offers.
“These connections – and the support the Colorado Grain Chain offers small growers – make it feasible for farmers to grow heritage and rare grains not available through conventional sources,” says Nels Wroe, a Colorado Grain Chain board member and co-founder of Dry Land Distillers in Longmont. “This helps to ensure the health and sustainability of our local agriculture systems.”
See more: Pandemic Partnerships: Coloradans Serve Their Communities With Fresh, Local Food
Supporting Small Businesses
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chef Morse noticed an increased interest in supporting local farmers and producers. Customers were no longer afraid to purchase “ugly produce” and were looking into where they could buy their meats locally. A friend of Morse’s used to raise bison primarily for restaurants, but once the pandemic hit, he pivoted to selling to consumers.
“He not only survived, but grew and expanded and now is a major force in direct-to-consumer bison,” he says.
Colorado Proud member LoCo Food Distribution supports local businesses and bridges the gap between producers and consumers. Working with more than 150 Colorado vendors, the company’s goal is to make it easier for customers to purchase locally made products – everything from salsas and hot sauces to CBD-infused products, vegan jerky, local meat and seasonal vegetables. Thanks to LoCo, these items can be purchased at Whole Foods, Sprouts, Natural Grocers and Safeway, and at independent grocers, taprooms, coffee shops and other retailers.
Not only are almost all vendors small and locally owned, but about 50% of customers are also small business owners.
“I think there is a growing interest in sustainability,” founder and CEO Elizabeth Mozer says of the interest in buying local. “We all are realizing that the resources on our planet are limited, and at LoCo, we are aiming to shorten supply chains by connecting local vendors to local customers.”
See more: 9 Colorado Agritourism Experiences You Don’t Want to Miss