Innovative Colorado Programs Help Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
In partnership with: Colorado Department of Agriculture
Land access is one of the top issues facing young farmers, and several Colorado organizations are working to overcome this barrier.
See more: Colorado Organizations Address Food Accessibility Issues Created by Food Deserts
The Perfect Match
Guidestone Colorado’s Land Link Program works to provide innovative solutions to the challenges of agricultural land access. The program maintains a database designed to match landowners and land-seeking producers to facilitate land transfer, long-term lease agreements, land succession and mentorship.
It also connects farmers and ranchers to business planning resources, hosts farm visioning courses, helps farmers and ranchers navigate agricultural water rights and lease agreements, and advertises funding opportunities.
Landowners can find resources and technical assistance providers to help evaluate the conservation, financial and community benefits of supporting land access for the next generation of producers.
“Our goal is to support the often complex process of securing fair and affordable land access for producers,” says Emma Lietz Bilecky, Colorado Land Link director. “We want to help create a vibrant future for agriculture and working lands across our state.”
Money Matters
In partnership with the Colorado Department of Agriculture, First Southwest Bank created the First Southwest Community Fund (FSWCF) to foster opportunities for Coloradans. Kristy Esquibel, chief credit officer, explains lack of capital and access to credit are often barriers for beginning producers.
In addition to low interest loans, which are difficult for underserved or beginning farmers and ranchers to access through more traditional channels, the nonprofit provides education on all aspects of running a business, from human resources to accounting.
FSWCF executive director Rosy Aburto McDonough calls it, “the technical assistance and support that will help them develop as business owners.”
This program has deployed more than $20 million since August 2022 to ag operations across the state.
See more: Focusing on Soil Health Helps Colorado Farmers Adapt to Climate Changes
Ag Legislation
As farmland values have soared, beginning farmers must overcome yet another hurdle in their access to land. Tyler Garrett, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union (RMFU) director of government relations, cites competition from corporations and developers as key barriers to land access in Colorado.
Some of RMFU’s recent efforts have been aimed at passing agricultural tax credit bills. These tax credits could benefit beginning or underrepresented farmers or ranchers and allow them to use money that would otherwise have gone to taxes on improving and expanding their operations.
“It’s another way for a beginning farmer or rancher to access land and build equity,” Garrett says. “It could really help them start or expand their business.”