Farms.com Home   Ag Industry News

Colorado invests in local ag businesses

Investments to help with a variety of initiatives

By Diego Flammini, Farms.com

In an effort to boost business and agricultural initiatives in Colorado, its Department of Agriculture is investing money into local agricultural businesses.

“We received 30 well written applications requesting nearly $400,000 for an array of innovative projects, ideas and concepts,” said Shaina Knight, Markets Division Business Development Specialist. “The Department is excited to make an investment in these companies to help them reach their goals.”

Grants

The “Enrich Colorado Ag Grant Program” will provide companies in Colorado the funds to conduct research and develop new strategies to market their food and agricultural products.

The grant program considers any applications looking for an investment of up to $15,000 per project. Applicants also need to match at least 50% of the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s contributions whether in cash or other resources.

Some of the projects scheduled to receive funding include:

  • $4,900 to Brink Inc., of Erie, Colorado to study whether or not using pre-consumer food waste as livestock feed or for composting is economically practical.
  • $12,610 to Kettelson Family Farms in Wray, Colorado. They’ll get help with some of their equipment to look at a way of harvesting and producing two new ornamental products.
  • $9,895 to Southwest Fresh Farm Cooperative from Cortez, Colorado to improve the sales of local farm products by soon introducing online shopping access.

“The Department takes great pride in the ability to support our local food and agricultural businesses,” said Tom Lipetzky, Markets Division Director.

Tell us your thoughts on the investments being made by the Colorado Department of Agriculture. What kind of projects would you propose for funding assistance?


Trending Video

Funds Ditch Ag Commodities, Chase Stocks Amid an End to Middle East War, & Trade Deal Buzz

Video: Funds Ditch Ag Commodities, Chase Stocks Amid an End to Middle East War, & Trade Deal Buzz


The 12-day war between Iran-Israel came to an end sending crude oil futures plunging as the big fund speculators removed the war risk premium.

The weather risk premium in the Ag complex is sending corn, wheat and soybean futures lower on month-end selling ahead of the market moving USDA quarterly grain stocks and acreage reports on June 30th.

Instead, funds were chasing and sending tech stocks higher with the S&P 500/NASDAQ indexes setting new all-time record highs!

June 1 USDA Hogs and pigs report was slightly bearish while the U.S. $ Index traded to new contract lows as the de-dollarization that began in 2014 continues.

Feed in the form of soybean meal futures for livestock producers got cheaper, trading to new contract lows.

The Stats Canada seeded acreage update was bullish canola and wheat.