With visits to seven farms across four counties and more than 150 attendees, Family To Farm, our Alliance’s 2024 farm tour series, has successfully concluded. And what a series it was! Our primary goal was to engage with the next generation of farmers, and with nearly half (49%) of attendees either being farmers with five or fewer years of experience, or those interested in starting a farm, we can confidently say: Mission accomplished!

A delightful new feature of our farm tour series was the sight of at least one stroller at each tour — young families introducing their babies to the freshest produce our valley has to offer.

These farm tours tie into our legislative efforts. Every farm we visited practices regenerative agriculture, which focuses on enhancing soil health and fostering a thriving ecosystem. This year, we’re reintroducing a bill that passed the State Senate but didn’t get a House vote last session. The bill aims to create incentives for restaurants to purchase from local regenerative farmers. Additionally, it will set up rule-making to establish our state as the first in the nation to officially define “Regenerative Agriculture.”

We believe that once more consumers experience the taste and quality difference in their food, they’ll be eager to support local farms. Just take a look at the beautiful photos from our tours — proof of Western Colorado’s vibrant local food movement!