Healthy communities depend on sustainable and thriving family farms, ranches, and food production. Western Colorado’s economy, land, and people are able to thrive through good LOCAL FOOD AND AGRICULTURE systems.
Promoting Healthy, Self-Reliant Communities with Agriculture
Western Colorado Alliance supports food systems that promote regional self-reliance through sustainable agriculture that is environmentally sound, economically viable, socially responsible and does not exploit farm workers or farmers.
We support the creation of robust and diverse local marketplaces into which to sell food raised by family farmers. We believe that all individuals should be able to make informed choices and give input regarding how their food is raised, processed, and labeled. We believe American trade policy should strengthen the health, environment, food sovereignty, working conditions, labor rights, and transparent, competitive market principles of this country and all countries.
We believe industrial hemp is a valuable, renewable, and sustainable agricultural crop and support it as a part of our regional economy.
Building soil health through the use of regenerative agriculture practices is critical to current and future agricultural production on the Western Slope. After completing our organizational assessment in 2017, our Alliance reaffirmed its commitment to working on local food and agriculture issues. We now plan around these main areas:
Colorado Cottage Food Act
From 2012 through 2015, our Alliance succeeded in passing the Colorado Cottage Foods Act in the state legislature, ensuring that farmers and home producers have safe and fair opportunities to sell their produce and homemade foods. We also passed a follow-up bill to expand the Cottage Foods Act to include products like pickles and salsa so small producers have more ways to market their fruit and vegetable crops.
Local Food Procurement
We continue to research and identify local food procurement opportunities, including the possibility of a local food hub in Mesa County.
National Policies
We deliver Colorado support at the national level to influence the re-negotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Country Of Origin Labeling (COOL), and the Farm Bill to better support family farmers and ranchers. Our Alliance is a member organization of the Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC), which organizes regionally to revitalize sustainable agriculture.