YOUR AD HERE »

State officials, farmers convene in Greeley for Colorado Farm Bureau meeting

Eric Brown
Greeley, Colo.

Convening in what Colorado Farm Bureau officials describe as one of the most agriculturally diverse parts of the state, the organization will conduct its Mid-Summer Meeting in Greeley starting today and provide a platform for state officials, politicians, ranchers and farmers to discuss the most important issues facing agriculture today.

Most of the action during the four-day event will take place at the downtown Clarion Hotel and Conference Center, although today the group will be on a tour that includes stops at the JBS 5 River Feedlot located near Kersey, Harper Livestock in Eaton, Hungenberg Farms near Lucerne and the Greeley Freight Station Museum.

Starting with a general session beginning at 8:30 a.m. Monday, the group will discuss a variety of issues during the week. Rep. Cory Gardner of Colorado’s 4th District and Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture John Salazar will be among the presenters speaking at the Monday morning event.



Rachel Boxer, a spokesperson for Gardner, said the congressman plans to give updates on U.S. debt ceiling talks during his presentation, and discuss the 2012 Farm Bill and the Environmental Protection Agency’s effects on agriculture.

Salazar noted that the focus of talks would be on the importance of agriculture to the state’s economy recovering.



“The USDA has a very positive forecast for agriculture over the next 10 years … and a lot of the talks we’ll have this week and on into the future will be about how Colorado can capitalize on that,” Salazar said.

Advisory committees comprised of Farm Bureau members will meet during the Mid-Summer Meeting in the areas of water, wildlife, specialty agriculture, crops and animal agriculture. The information discussed within the committees will help Farm Bureau initiate policy to be voted on by delegates at the Annual Meeting in November, Carlyle Currier, Colorado Farm Bureau vice president and chairman of the meeting, said in a press release.

“We’re excited to be in Greeley this year,” Currier said in the release. “Mid-Summer is an important step for Colorado producers to identify and learn about the new issues facing agriculture.”

And according to Nick Colglazier, director of state affairs for Colorado Farm Bureau, there’s “probably no better place to be doing it than Greeley.”

“Greeley is historically an ag town in an area that shows the diversity of Colorado agriculture probably as well as anywhere,” Colglazier said. “We’re looking forward to being there.”


[placeholder]