Journal-Advocate (Sterling)

AGRICULTUR­E ADAPTED TO CHANGING TIMES IN 2023

- By Jeff Rice jerice @prairiemou­ntainmedia.com

Logan County continued its leadership role in Colorado’s agricultur­al economy, seeing another “favorite son” inducted into the Ag Hall of Fame, a fulltime safety and health expert assigned to Sterling, and the revival of a livestock contest once thought moribund.

Ag producers opened 2023 with the news that Coloradans overwhelmi­ngly support the state’s massive agricultur­al industry, although there are some mispercept­ions about farmers and ranchers.

A public opinion survey conducted by the Colorado Department of Agricultur­e and Colorado State University was released in January showing that 98% of respondent­s agreed that Colorado’s food and ag industry is important to the state’s future economic developmen­t; that the presence of ranches, farms, and agricultur­e is important to the quality of life in Colorado; and that it is important to maintain land and water in Colorado for agricultur­al purposes.

Colorado Agricultur­e Commission­er Kate Greenberg said the survey results show Coloradans

want to buy local products and that they care about where their food comes from.

On the other hand, mispercept­ions, especially about livestock and geneticall­y modified organisms, persist among the largely urban Colorado population

In February, former state senator Jerry Sonnenberg became the 12th Logan County person to be named to the Colorado Agricultur­e Hall of Fame, sponsored by Premier Farm Credit.

Sonnenberg earned the honor with 16 years of leadership in the state legislatur­e as a constant advocate for ag producers, and for his work in rebuilding and maintainin­g the Colorado Agricultur­e Leadership Program. An alumnus of the program himself, Sonnenberg redesigned and found sustaining funding for the program in 2010, and now serves as president of its board of directors.

Colorado State University and the U.S. Department of Agricultur­e demonstrat­ed the importance of farm safety and rural mental health when the USDA’S Agrability program made a CSU staffer the first full-time Agrability representa­tive in northeast Colorado.

Ellis Vidmar, a member of the CSU Regional Engagement Center team in Sterling, was assigned that job in February. Agrability has become increasing­ly important because the number of farmers and ranchers facing physical and behavioral health challenges has grown as the producer population ages. According to the U.S. Department of Agricultur­e, 37% of American farmers and ranchers are over the age of 65, compared with 14% of other small business owners, and the average producer is just under 59 years of age. The Colorado Department of Agricultur­e’s statistics are almost identical to the national numbers.

Because of that, mental health in the rural communitie­s has been getting more attention from the health community in recent years and Vidmar said that’s increasing­ly important to her program.

“We need to make ourselves known, we need to erase the stigma (attached to mental health issues) and let people know it’s OK to reach out,” she said. “You can’t be expected to do this without help, and that’s why we’re here. It’s OK to not be OK.”

Ag producers scored a legislativ­e victory in April when Gov. Jared Polis signed the Consumer Right to Repair Agricultur­al Equipment bill.

Starting in January 2024, the new law requires a manufactur­er to provide parts, embedded software, firmware, tools, or documentat­ion, such as diagnostic, maintenanc­e, or repair manuals, diagrams, or similar informatio­n to independen­t repair providers and owners of the manufactur­er’s agricultur­al equipment to allow an independen­t repair provider or owner to conduct diagnostic, maintenanc­e, or repair services on the owner’s agricultur­al equipment.

Surprising­ly, Republican­s in the Legislatur­e, who represent nearly all of rural Colorado, mostly opposed the bill while Democrats, who are largely representa­tive of the urban corridor, supported it. When the bill was passed on the floor of the House of Representa­tives in March, only two of the 19 Republican­s in the chamber voted for it.

Most of those opposed to the bill claimed it wasn’t as necessary as proponents claimed, and they had reservatio­ns about violating copyright and patent rights of manufactur­ers.

Closer to home, Logan County Cattlewoma­n raised more than $12,000 for scholarshi­ps and other educationa­l programs during their first heifer feeding contest.

Fifty-six young heifers were kept in Pen 22 at Mcendaffer Feedlot near Merino and fed identical rations for 220 days. Winner of the contest was determined by a combinatio­n of daily rate of gain and carcass value.

It was the first time a cattle feeding contest had been held in Logan County since the end of the Great Western Beef Expo in 2009.

 ?? JEFF RICE — JOURNAL-ADVOCATE ?? Corn is transferre­d from the combine into the corn wagon, which already is unloading corn from a previous load. Manufactur­ers are reluctant to allow anyone but factory-authorized technician­s work on the increasing­ly complex machines.
JEFF RICE — JOURNAL-ADVOCATE Corn is transferre­d from the combine into the corn wagon, which already is unloading corn from a previous load. Manufactur­ers are reluctant to allow anyone but factory-authorized technician­s work on the increasing­ly complex machines.
 ?? JEFF RICE — JOURNAL-ADVOCATE ?? Photos of the heifers entered in the feeding contest are displayed for bidders to examine.
JEFF RICE — JOURNAL-ADVOCATE Photos of the heifers entered in the feeding contest are displayed for bidders to examine.
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