Larimer County reaches out to aspiring agriculturalists

LARIMER COUNTY – Larimer County Commissioner Kathay Rennels grew up on a ranch and continues to raise cattle on her 3,000 acres near Livermore. That agricultural background is a big part of her commitment to keep ag alive in a county that’s faced tremendous pressure to develop in recent decades.

For Rennels, one of three Larimer County commissioners, her support of agriculture is much more than a friendly nudge.

“I’m more than nudging it because if we don’t push it now, it could disappear, because only 2 percent of people still have a relationship to a farm,” she said. “I want to see it continue forever.”

The county recently embarked on a mission to revitalize agriculture by focusing on how to help young want-to-be farmers carve out a niche for an agricultural enterprise. Through its Economic Development Project, the county will be offering family business classes in January and is hosting a Web site – www.lcbe.org – that gives those interested in a rural occupation some ideas on how to go about finding something that might work, and be affordable, on a small piece of ground.

Small-parcel living

Rennels said the key to success in today’s farming world – if you didn’t grow up on a family farm and inherit it – is to be innovative and find a way to make a living on a plot of land much smaller than in the past.

Ideas for consideration include wind farms, organic herb gardens, raising goats for meat and cheese, starting a winery, horse boarding and training – ag operations not usually associated with farming. But with the right kind of innovation, Rennels believes those kinds of operations can be successful and contribute to the county’s agricultural heritage.

“We’re now taking another look at what is an ag venture,” she said. “Young farmers are saying, ‘I can make a living on 40 acres.’ This is an attempt to retool what we have and to continue to allow the next generation of these folks to continue in agriculture.

“I am so excited because the younger generation is looking at the innovation of what can you do,” Rennels said.

Unlike its agriculturally focused neighbor to the east – Weld County – Larimer County’s agricultural base has been on the downswing for decades. In fact, the Larimer County chapter of Future Farmers of America disbanded in the early 1980s, according to the county Cooperative Extension office.

Land prices soar

Skyrocketing prices for land development – particularly in the southern part of the county – have shut down many former farming operations. But over the last decade, the county has fostered the continuation of farming through its Rural Land Use Process, which offers landowners the opportunity to develop part of their land while retaining a portion for open space and ag operations.

Jon Slutsky, chairman of Larimer County’s Agricultural Advisory Board, praises the work of the RLUP but admits it’s not been easy to maintain agriculture in the county. “It’s certainly a challenge,” he said. “There’s so many pressures on agriculture and pressures to develop. We’re in a beautiful location with lots of infrastructure so it is an uphill battle.”

Slutsky has some experience in getting started in farming, scraping together money in 1981 to start the La Luna Dairy near Wellington. Obtaining the money to begin farming is the biggest obstacle, he said, but renting land and buying used equipment is one possible way to break through that.

Expensive business

“Then, if you do well, you can apply for loans and who knows what can happen,” he said. “But it’s an expensive business to get into.”

Geniphyr Ponce-Pore, director of the county’s Economic Development Project, said the county is partnering with the Small Business Development Corp. to help aspiring farmers “create a business plan they can take to the bank.”

“What we’ve heard is getting into a large farm is just too expensive, so this gives them an ‘in’ in getting started in farming in Larimer County,” she said.

Ponce-Pore said she hopes the county can facilitate the continuation of agriculture through its efforts with business classes, online information and strong commissioner support.

“We’d like to be a resource so they can go to one place and find out the opportunities available to them,” she said. “If we can soften that learning curve, it helps them get started.”

Rennels said even counties like Weld will sooner or later face challenges to the future of their agricultural economy.

“Hopefully, we can set a template so when another county needs it, we have a path,” she said.

Steve Porter covers agribusiness for the Northern Colorado Business Report. He can be reached at 970-221-5400, ext. 225, or at sporter@ncbr.com.

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