Colorado Dept. of Agriculture to receive US$25M from USDA to expand research on the benefits of regenerative agriculture, scale the model nationwide, and continue building markets for producers deploying climate-smart agricultural practices

Sample article from our Consumer packaged goods (CPG)

October 24, 2022 (press release) –

The Colorado Department of Agriculture has finalized the grant agreement to significantly invest in Colorado's STAR program for soil health. CDA's STAR program was one of the 70 projects selected for funding by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Project. This marks an historic investment in Colorado agriculture that will advance farmer- and rancher-led soil and climate solutions.

CDA will receive $25 million to more than double participation in the STAR (Saving Tomorrow's Agricultural Resources) program across Colorado, expand research on the benefits of regenerative agriculture across eight Intermountain West states, scale the model nationwide, and continue building markets for producers deploying climate-smart agricultural practices.

This historic investment for Colorado's farmers, ranchers, and agricultural communities means a significant influx of funds to help producers absorb the financial risks of adopting new cropping and rangeland practices that advance soil health and climate resilience. This program has always been, and will remain, completely voluntary. The funds will expand the STAR Plus program to work with Colorado's diverse producers, from small farms to large production scale operations. In addition to expanding the capacity to offer financial and technical support to STAR participants, Colorado's ambitious soil health pilot program will be scaled up nationwide to establish a trusted market signal that will offer producers new and diverse market opportunities that pay them for their stewardship.

"This unprecedented funding for Colorado agriculture will allow CDA and our partners to put its full force behind the soil health initiatives we've been piloting for the past two years," said Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture Kate Greenberg. "This major investment from the USDA will allow us to show consumers the strides Colorado farmers and ranchers are making in deploying climate-smart agricultural practices by developing market signals that assure customers of our commitment to combating climate change. This funding will show the nation and the world that Colorado agriculture is on the leading edge of innovative production and stewardship in a changing world."

Farmers and ranchers are experiencing first hand the impacts of climate change and healthy soils are key to mitigating these effects in agricultural landscapes. Improving soil health can increase carbon sequestration, reduce agricultural runoff, decrease erosion, and support more productive, higher-yielding crops.

The USDA and CDA have been working in partnership to advance agricultural solutions to climate change and the funding of STAR is a direct testament to that.

"This funding illustrates USDA's commitment to natural resource conservation partnerships," said Clint Evans, Colorado State Conservationist for USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service. "The STAR program leverages federal dollars, with state and local planning and action to directly benefit soil and other natural resources, as well as agricultural climate-smart efforts."

STAR was shaped from the ground up by farmers, ranchers, conservation districts, and other partners who helped CDA tailor it to work for different crops, range, and different ways of farming and ranching across the state.

"Our community might be behind the times in terms of some farming measures, but we are on the cutting edge in terms of sustainability and it's all because our traditional practices have been preserved for hundreds of years," said Steven Romero, a rancher and Costilla County Commissioner who is a board member of the Sangre de Cristo Acequia Association, a key partner in this grant. "It's amazing to see a program like this come to fruition. We as a society are finally putting a dollar amount on sustainability and on the way that people have been practicing for ages."

The STAR program was built to serve everyone from the smallest producer to the largest, across all production types. This commitment to soil health has also been a key priority for a number of commodity groups across Colorado.

"Farmers have been ahead of the curve when it comes to sustainability, as evidenced by the incredible environmental improvements in many areas since 1980. This grant is a great opportunity that will help producers find innovative practices to build our soil's health, which is the very foundation of what we do, and build resiliency into our agricultural systems," said Nick Colglazier, Executive Director of Colorado Corn Administrative Committee. "It will continue agriculture's journey of sustainability, so consumers can continue to be confident that the food, fiber, and fuel they buy is ensuring a sustainable future for all."

The Saving Tomorrow's Agriculture Resources (STAR) program is an innovative and simple framework that allows farmers and ranchers to evaluate their current production system, identify areas for improved management, document their progress, and share their successes. In Colorado, STAR evaluates 11 different cropping systems and grazing lands for soil health and serves as a complementary tool to the more robust STAR Plus program. STAR Plus is a three year program that provides financial and technical assistance to producers and is implemented in partnership with local experts from conservation districts.

"We believe that the expansion of this soil health program is an important step to creating a better future for our industry," said Jim Erlich, Executive DIrector of the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee in a support letter submitted with the CSC grant application. "Recent struggles with a prolonged drought have put tremendous pressure on our groundwater aquifer. Our growers believe this program may help them continue their adoption of cover crop strategies to save water and soil, and build organic matter on their farms."

The grant funding will also help develop new markets for items produced using regenerative agricultural practices. CDA will work to develop and implement a strategy to establish the STAR rating as a market signal for buyers and consumers who care about supporting climate-smart ag practices. CDA will also work to directly connect Colorado STAR participants with supply chain partners and to incorporate STAR with the Colorado Proud program, CDA's highly successful marketing program that Colorado consumers already associate with high quality, locally produced food.

The 2022 growing season was the first year operating the STAR+ pilot program. There are currently 16 conservation districts, three eligible entities, and 130 farmers and ranchers shaping this program with us as we grow. The program is expected to more than double in the next application period which will cover the 2024 growing season.

CDA's proposal received 60 letters of support, including from conservation districts, local and national nonprofits, agricultural commodity groups, and food buyers and processors. CDA will work closely with project partners to increase participation in STAR and conduct research that quantifies the benefits of soil health. The program will include research sites in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Washington in order to understand the carbon, water, and economic benefits of healthy soil practices. Incentive payments through STAR will be targeted toward historically underserved farmer populations.

List of Project Partners and their Roles:

Colorado Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) continues its long standing conservation partnership with CDA and will locally administer the CSC Agreement.

Colorado State University (CSU) Department of Soil and Crop Sciences will quantify and verify climate outcomes across the program and study the soil heath, soil moisture, and carbon impacts of new practices. This will include use of COMET tools, soil sampling, soil moisture probes, economic analysis, and sociological analysis. Subcontractors include Montana State University, New Mexico State University, Utah State University, University of Idaho, and University of Wyoming.

CSU Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) and CSU Extension will provide technical assistance to producers enrolled in STAR Plus.

CSU Dept of Sociology will study the impacts of variation in STAR program participation on the adoption of soil health practices.

Champaign County Soil and Water Conservation District (Illinois), which originated the STAR program, will create STAR National, set up a uniform market signal for STAR, and support expansion of STAR into other western states.

Conservation Districts and other eligible entities will enroll farmers and support the adoption of climate-smart practices across Colorado.

National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) will facilitate peer-to-peer learning meetings in which farmers and ranchers can share lessons learned and best practices as they implement soil health practices.

Colorado Open Lands and the Sangre de Cristo Association of Acequias will facilitate peer-to-peer learning within the Acequia community, and enroll STAR Plus participants.

* All content is copyrighted by Industry Intelligence, or the original respective author or source. You may not recirculate, redistrubte or publish the analysis and presentation included in the service without Industry Intelligence's prior written consent. Please review our terms of use.

See our dashboard in action - schedule an demo
Chelsey Quick
Chelsey Quick
- VP Client Success -

We offer built-to-order consumer packaged goods (cpg) coverage for our clients. Contact us for a free consultation.

About Us

We deliver market news & information relevant to your business.

We monitor all your market drivers.

We aggregate, curate, filter and map your specific needs.

We deliver the right information to the right person at the right time.

Our Contacts

1990 S Bundy Dr. Suite #380,
Los Angeles, CA 90025

+1 (310) 553 0008

About Cookies On This Site

We collect data, including through use of cookies and similar technology ("cookies") that enchance the online experience. By clicking "I agree", you agree to our cookies, agree to bound by our Terms of Use, and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. For more information on our data practices and how to exercise your privacy rights, please see our Privacy Policy.