Drought-Impacted Farmers and Ranchers Work to Keep Resources From Running Dry

In partnership with: Colorado Department of Agriculture

The drought has impacted farmers and ranchers across the state in more ways than just affecting the crops and livestock.

“The most common ground of all is the ground we’re standing on.”

That’s fourth-generation cattle rancher Janie VanWinkle’s message for all Coloradans, not just her neighboring northwestern Colorado farmers and ranchers impacted by a decades-long drought and supply chain challenge exaggerated by the pandemic.

“We’re all in this together. We’ll find our way out, but it will mean leaving our comfort zones. It will mean advocating, educating and speaking outside agricultural circles,” VanWinkle says.

Commissioner of Agriculture Kate Greenberg says the drought illuminates what to expect in a drier future affected by climate change.

“Building resilience now is how Colorado will continue to have a viable and vibrant agriculture and economy,” Greenberg says.

Conservation Concerns

Greenberg’s department partnered with the Colorado Water Conservation Board and CSU Water Center to co-chair the Ag Impact Task Force, a subcommittee of the state’s Drought Task Force. The task force recently brought together farmers, ranchers and elected and appointed officials for a Yampa River Basin tour.

“It was beneficial because it brought together so many producers and local leaders of all jurisdictions,” Greenberg says. “Those leaders heard from the producers, saw the dusty soil and heard the brittleness of the grass under their feet. Those are images impossible to get across simply on a Zoom call, and that experience is likely to stay with those leaders.”

Moffat County rancher Mike Camblin, who shared his experiences as a producer during the tour, says he’s glad for the opportunity.

“It made the decision-makers more aware of what we’re going through,” he says. “I don’t know if they fully understood until they got their feet on the ground.” For Camblin, it also illustrated he’s not alone in his challenges.

“Hearing from others and seeing others’ ranches made me realize I’m not the only one hurting – everyone is,” he says.

But the tour was a source of hope, too. “It’s a testament to how strong our local community and agricultural network already is,” Greenberg says.

Finding Community

The Colorado Cattlemen’s Association (CCA), in which Camblin and VanWinkle are active, is another organization taking a proactive approach. Camblin serves as a board member, and VanWinkle is the immediate past president.

“Who you surround yourself with matters, and I want to hang around with people who are proactive, supportive and encouraging,” Camblin says.

He gets that from the CCA, he says, while having the chance to tell others about his extreme drought plan that helped him make some hard decisions.

“I culled my herd from 245 head to around 30 or 40 and sold some of the hay the ranch produced to other local producers who were looking to other states to fill that need,” Camblin says. The VanWinkle ranch’s upside is the sale of its ground beef to local customers. Pre-pandemic, the ranch sold about 1,000 pounds per year, but in 2020, it sold 12,000 pounds of beef to customers impacted by supply chain issues and curious about where their food comes from.

See more: What Do Farmers Do in the Winter? A Lot More Than You Might Think

Rural Mental Health

“Farmers and ranchers have always faced hardship, but there’s a lot of honor and dignity in feeding people, caring for our livestock and caring for the land,” VanWinkle says.

As only the third woman president in the history of the CCA, she says it’s important to her to be visible and approachable to both producers and consumers seeking information or resources.

The Colorado Department of Agriculture offers multiple resources to farmers struggling with mental health due to the drought and other risks that impact farming.

“Farmers and ranchers tend to be stoic, solution-oriented, strong-willed people, but part of our strength is in asking for help when we need it,” Greenberg says.

For additional resources and information concerning mental health, visit ag.colorado.gov/home/rural-mental-health or call the 24/7 Colorado Crisis Services hotline, 1-844-494-8255 (TALK).

See more: How Colorado Farmers Protect the Environment for Future Generations