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Colorado Department of Agriculture approves 24 climate‑resilience grants for farms and ranches
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Summary
The commission approved 24 recommended climate‑resilience grants targeting drought, wildfire and extreme‑snow resilience across 34 counties; awards include equipment sharing projects and on‑farm infrastructure, with a maximum award of $30,000 and average requests near $25,000.
The Colorado Department of Agriculture Commission voted Jan. 21 to approve 24 recommended awards from the department’s climate‑resilience grants program, which funds on‑farm projects meant to help producers recover from and adapt to climate‑driven hazards.
Kristen Boysen, managing director of the Agricultural Drought and Climate Resilience Office, told commissioners the program received strong demand: the evaluation committee reviewed 64 applications from 34 counties and recommended funding for projects across the state. The department said average requests were about $25,000 and the program’s maximum award is $30,000.
The approved projects cover a range of resilience approaches, Kristen said: five projects address extreme snow events (for example, living snow fences and livestock shelters), three address wildfire mitigation (including portable corrals and a fuel‑load mitigation project), and the majority address drought resilience through soil‑health measures, grazing‑management plans, water tanks and shared equipment like no‑till drills. Rosie, the program assistant, highlighted two funded examples: a Kiowa County project that pairs a living snow fence with an on‑farm livestock shelter and a Community Ag Alliance proposal in Routt County that will install portable pig shelters and self‑filling water guzzlers and offer demonstrations to other producers.
Commissioner Colleen Peppler moved to approve the recommended awards and the commission carried the motion. Program staff said the grants will be offered annually going forward, with future application windows expected in October–November and awards announced in January.
The grant awards approved by the commission are intended for smaller, on‑farm resilience investments rather than large water‑infrastructure projects; staff said other grant programs are better suited for major water works.
