Colorado Proud produce tour events to highlight Larimer County ag

FORT COLLINS — Larimer County produce will take center stage at Colorado Proud’s Follow Your Fruits & Veggies Journey at two events in Fort Collins on Sunday, Aug. 28, to celebrate the community’s local farmers and agriculture.

The first event will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Fort Collins Farmers’ Market at the corner of Harmony Road and Lemay Avenue in the Fort Collins Shopping Center. The second event will be from 4 to 6 p.m., at Safeway, 1426 E. Harmony Road.

Fort Collins is one of 19 stops on the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s month-long tour that includes statewide visits to farms, grocery stores, farmers’ markets, agricultural events, festivals and schools to provide information about Colorado-grown fruits and vegetables.

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A Colorado Proud booth will feature costumed “fruits and veggies;” educational information and produce facts; recipe cards featuring locally grown ingredients; representatives of Colorado Proud; Colorado seed packets; and other “agri-fun” experiences.

The tour was created to educate Coloradans about how and where their food is grown, and to celebrate farmers.

In 2012, the most recent data gathered by the Department of Agriculture, Colorado had more than 36,000 farms encompassing nearly 32 million acres. The agriculture industry in the state at that time provided 173,000 jobs; contributed more than $40 billion to the state’s annual economy and exported nearly $2 billion of products.

In 2012, Larimer County had 1,625 farms covering 450,389 acres that produced products with a market value of $128.6 million, ranking it 11th among Colorado’s 63 counties. Livestock sales were $71.3 million, and crop sales totaled $57.4 million. The average farm was 277 acres and sold $79,167 in goods.

Neighboring Weld County’s 3,525 farms covering nearly 2 million acres generated products that sold for $1.9 billion, tops among Colorado counties. Livestock sales were $1.5 billion, and crop sales totaled $374 million. The average farm was 555 acres and sold $527,863 of products.

Boulder County’s 3,525 farms covering 132,948 acres generated products that sold for $33.8 million, 31st among Colorado counties. The state’s census did not break out livestock and crops sales figures. The average farm was 155 acres and sold $39,630 of products.

Broomfield County’s 25 farms covering 11,158 acres generated products that sold for $1.5 million, 56th among Colorado counties. Livestock sales were $140,000, crop sales totaled $1.4 million. The average farm was 446 acres and sold $61,460 of products.