Western Colorado Food and Ag Council

Dr. Edward Page
Colorado State University Extension
Small Acreage Management Agent

CSU Extension collaborates with many other organizations and individuals who share our desire to make Colorado a better place to live. The Western Colorado Food and Ag Council (WCFAC) is the product of one of those partnership efforts with the Rocky Mountain Farmer's Union and the Southwest Marketing Network. The WCFAC functions across the mid part of the West Slope to: "Enhance the Community Food System to Make It More Responsive to Local People, the Environment, & the Economy."

The WCFAC is part of a national movement of state and regional councils to make food and food production responsive to local needs. There are four primary aspects to this work: 1) making a business in agriculture satisfying, secure, and profitable; 2) assuring that all sectors of the populous have access to adequate amounts of healthy, nutritious food; 3) designing agricultural practices that support or build the natural environment and resource base; and 4) seeing that wealth produced by agriculture primarily benefits the local communities from which it comes.

Programs and Projects Being Developed by the WCFAC and Partners

Gleaning is an important effort to prevent waste and feed people who otherwise might not have ready access to enough healthful and nutritious food. A gleaning project is being initiated with the collaboration of WCFAC; Retired Senior Volunteers Project (RSVP) of Montrose, Delta, and Gunnison Counties; and Sharing Ministries of Montrose.
The central purpose of this effort is to build an organization on the West Slope that will collect healthful and nutritious food, which was missed during commercial harvest or that is in excess of market demand and see that it is used to meet human need that otherwise would go unmet. Any food can be accepted that meets public health standards for sale in the market.
Though the concept is simple, the logistics of implementation can be quite complicated. Creating a process and training people to carry it out will be the major challenge in the first year. Bringing food to people in need, at no cost to them, will be well worth the effort.
The program will be run under the auspices of a tax-exempt charitable organization, so any donations to that organization will be tax deductible. This will make an added incentive for growers, packers, and businesspeople to participate in the gleaning program.

Community Gardens will be the next project that this partnership takes on. Though specific objectives and priorities have not yet been set, some general needs and possibilities are clear:

Create an awareness and understanding of how food is grown
Allow access for those who desire to grow part of their own food
Create opportunities for intergenerational communication and enrichment

Service for senior citizens
Learning and productive activity for youth

Create community partnerships that unites people
Produce food for distribution through food pantries
Develop micro enterprises in food production

Direct Marketing of locally grown foods or value-added products is another project that the WCFAC is very interested in pursuing. When local growers or producers sell directly to the end user, everyone benefits. The producer because of taking on additional food system functions is able to increase his or her share of the food dollar. The buyers, whether individuals or institutions, receive the freshest, highest quality food possible because it comes directly from the farmers field to the buyers kitchen. The community as a whole benefits because more money is retained in the local community, rather than going to distant financial centers as corporate profit, increasing general prosperity in the local community.
There are many opportunities to sell local products to local consumers. Seasonal sales can be made to restaurants, hospitals, schools, and individuals to name a few. Value added products may be sold during every month of the year. These can include a wide range of food products including: juices, jams, and jellies; wine; meat products and cheeses; sauces and entrees; and virtually anything you could imagine.
Local production and sales of food and food products is one good measure of the security and prosperity that a community enjoys. As fuel prices increase and other considerations make the long distance transportation of food less attractive, locally produced foods will be a more viable alternative for local communities.

WCFAC is Open to All Interested People

Anyone interested in the community food system and how it functions is welcome to join the WCFAC. It is currently composed of area citizens who are farmers, health workers, business people, agency employees, and many others. This regional organization is a part of a statewide organization, tentatively called the Colorado Food and Ag Policy Council. Anyone interested in becoming a part of these groups or simply learning more can call Ed Page at 970-249-3935.

Colorado Food and Ag Policy Council is Open to All Interested People Across the State

Information on the Colorado Food and Ag Policy Council can be found at the Oakhaven Permaculture Center's web site. Click Food Ag Policy on the left side menu. Information is available on the site about what has happened around the state and how to contact people in your area that are involved and active.

Placed on the Internet: January 1, 2006 22:21

WebMaster
Colorado State Extension
Tri River Area
2775 US Hwy 50, Grand Junction, CO. 81503
voice: 970-244-1834
fax: 970-244-1700