Agricultural Management
 Since 1978, Colorado farmland has decreased by about 90,000 acres per
year; equivalent to a swath of land, one acre wide, stretching from Fort
Collins to Colorado Springs. The greatest factors discouraging continued
agriculture are commodity prices, increased property taxes and impacts
from urbanization. Preserving
significant agricultural land is a growing priority. Of the almost 70,000 acres of county open space,
about 24,000 acres are preserved farm and ranch land. Through purchase,
conservation easements and transferable development rights, farm families
have an alternative to selling their land for development.
A true comprehension and appreciation of farming life - understanding
where food comes from, what it takes to get it to the grocery store and
how much of a bargain it is - are missing today. Small farmers are
disappearing almost as fast as their land; with the rise of huge corporate
farms and their children opting for high-paying, high-tech jobs in the
cities. In addition, local residents often object to farm smells and
sounds.
Boulder County's Parks and Open Space Agricultural Management Division,
begun in 1995, has two essential elements for a successful agricultural
program: sound land management and a large pool of competent operators
willing to lease open-space agricultural
properties. They oversee 120 leases with 75 tenants. Staff time is spent
negotiating lease terms and tracking rent and crop production, as well as:
- Evaluating and exercising water
rights, lining and maintaining irrigation
ditches and reservoirs on County open space
- Installing center-pivot irrigation systems to cut water use in half
and reduce soil erosion by 95%
- Fencing cropland and riparian areas to reduce damage from grazing
livestock
- Re-vegetating lands taken out of production and converting marginal
cropland back to grassland
- Mapping properties using GIS
to track and compare farm yields and efficiencies
- Combating noxious weeds
on open space and throughout the County.
The agricultural division also works cooperatively with the Colorado
State University Extension Office on agricultural issues,
master
gardening, beekeeping, composting, food preserving, and small
acreage management.
For more information, contact the Boulder County Parks and Open Space
Agricultural Resources Manager Luke Stromquist at 303-678-6234, or
lstromquist@bouldercounty.org.
You can also contact the Natural
Resources Conservation Service, a division of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture for additional information.
Both the
Ditch and
Reservoir Map and the Directory are also available in hardcopy for purchase at the Boulder County Parks and Open Space
Office in Longmont. Call 303-678-6200 for details.
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