Continued on Page 3

LIVESTOCK DAIRY INDUSTRY DRIVING FORCES OF

WELD AGRICULTUREBY ERIC BROWN

Keith Maxey canrsquot help but give off a slight laugh while admitting his opinion may be a little biased However the 56-year-old - who grew up on a dairy farm east of Greeley and has held various positions across the country with groups like the National Holstein Midland United Dairy Industry and American Dairy Goat associations - has been around enough to have a good idea of how Weld Countyrsquos livestock and dairy operations compare to those in other parts of the US and why theyrsquore so successful on his home turf

ldquoWeld County is definitely a special placerdquo said Maxey who - after years of working elsewhere - returned home and worked at the Weld County office of Colorado State University Extension as a 4-H agent and dairy specialist for 15 years before taking over as the officersquos director earlier this year ldquoAs far as livestock and dairy operations go this is about as good as it getsrdquo

We really have it all here Wersquore very blessedldquo

ldquo

Keith Maxey

(970) 330-4071 or (800) 799-6545

Loans | Leases | Appraisal | Insurance | wwwifeedtheworldcom

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Donrsquot judge us byhellip (well you know)

Impact4HaY6WELD RaNKS 6 BEEtS7

WHEat8REcORDS9

BEaNS 10cORN 11 DaIRY 12 SmaLL GRaINS 14

VEGEtaBLES 14aGRItOuRISm 15

according to maxey numerous factors play into Weld countyrsquos success the high plains of northern colorado provide an ideal climate for livestock - plenty of sunshine not overly hot in the summer cool at night and moderate winters as he described

Weld county also has plenty of open space for the animals smart and savvy agriculture producers outstanding 4-H and other youth development programs a variety of good leaders and policy makers - at the local state and national levels - who come from the area and ldquotherersquos a recognition of the importance of agriculture from the communityrdquo

ldquoWe really have it all hererdquo maxey added ldquoWersquore very blessedrdquoIf maxeyrsquos comments arenrsquot convincing enough the numbers that place Weld county among

the nationrsquos elite in livestock production certainly areaccording to the most recent census of agriculture which was released in 2007 Weld

county was ranked No 8 in the nation in overall market value of agriculture production according to that census Weld countyrsquos market value of production was $154 billion with $126 billion of that - more than 80 percent - in livestock operations

Weld was ranked No 1 in the nation in the value of sheep goats and their products No 1 in the number of sheep and lambs No 2 in the value of cattle and calves and No 3 in the value of all livestock poultry and their products

In the state the county was ranked No 1 in 16 of the 27 categories surveyed by the census additionally coloradorsquos total value of receipts for dairy products in the state exceeded $457

million in 2010 - one of the top in the state for leading agricultural commodities - and half of the dairy cows in the state are located in Weld County According to the Colorado office for the National agricultural Statistics Service there were about 66000 dairy cattle in Weld county at the beginning of the year with about 123000 statewide

And Weld County can expect those numbers to grow significantly during the next few years as anywhere from 50000 to 70000 additional dairy cows will be needed to meet the demand of the new Leprino Foodsrsquo cheese plant in Greeley expected to begin operations this year

Just 50 years ago large-scale livestock feeding was in its infancy in Weld county and it was at about the same time that the county moved into its lofty national ranking moving up to fifth in the nation as determined by the Census of Agriculture in terms of annual receipts of agricultural production

according to the census of agriculture which dates back to the 1820 decennial census Weld has been as high second in the nation since the 1964 census and has never dropped out of the top 10 since then In most census years it has been the only county in the top 10 outside of california

the county remains home to two of the largest cattle feeding operations in the nation operated by JBS uSa Five Rivers cattle Feeding that cattle-feeding operation which has four if its 11 feedlots in colorado has a one-time feeding capacity of close to 1 million head In Weld county it operates feedlots near Gilcrest and Kersey as well as one in Yuma and another near Lamar in southern colorado those four lots have a one-time capacity of about 365000 head

According to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service at the start of this year there were 545000 cattle and calves in Weld county 48000 beef cows on ranches - all increases from the previous year

While the present and future look bright for livestock and dairy operations in Weld county Bill Hammerich chief executive officer with the Colorado Livestock Association in Greeley said much of that success is owed to Weldrsquos pioneers of the past

ldquoWersquore very fortunate here in Weld county to be surrounded in history that features such true visionariesrdquo said Hammerich who has worked for the colorado Livestock association since 2002 and whose professional career has centered around livestock feeding operations in northern colorado

according to Hammerich as well as the colorado Department of agriculture the current concept of feedlots in the west began with two Weld county icons WD Farr and Warren Monfort who first fed sheep in pens because the sheep coming in off pasture in the fall reduced the price By feeding them they could avoid fall price drops and have product to sell year-round

monfort started what is now JBS Five Rivers by feeding 18 head of cattle in the early 1930s on his farm north of Greeley monfortrsquos other innovations include bringing the packinghouse to the feedlot and the Greeley beef-packing plant now operated by JBS uSa that plant began operation in may 1960 under the direction of Kenny monfort who pioneered the concept of boxed beef - slicing various cuts of beef that would fit in a box that could then be shipped to wholesale and retail outlets previously cattle carcasses had been shipped by truck to those operations which then processed them into specific cuts of beef

Weld county is home to large lamb-feeding operations family hog and equine operations and cattle ranching operations Lamb-feeding operations in Weld stretch from Windsor to Eaton to the Fort Lupton area Lambs are fed 60-90 days coming into those feedlots at 70 pounds or more many of those lambs are processed by the JBS plant which is near its beef packing plant as well as another processor in Denver

Weld is a leader in the state for numbers of equine animals - horses donkey and mules according to the 2007 agriculture census there were more than 10000 horses in Weld county and combined with ponies mules donkeys and burros while there was a value of more than $5 million in ldquoother animals and animal productsrdquo which ranked the county No 1 in the state

CoverphotobyJIm RYDBOmjrydbomgreeleytribunecom

ContinuedfromCover 3 RaISEDIN WELD

Weld County ranges from fertile irrigated farmlands around Greeley to extensive rangeland to the north and east with dryland areas coming in above the valley fl oors The county according to the latest Census of Agriculture released in 2007 ranks eighth in the nation in value of agricultural products sold which includes almost $273 million in crops and $126 billion in livestock In Weld the market value of agricultural products sold increased 36 percent from 2002 to 2007 to more than $15 billion up from $11 billion in 2002 - the year the previous census came out Weld is home to two JBS USA Five Rivers Cattle Feeding feedlots which are among the nationrsquos largest JBS averages about 180000 cattle on feed at its Gilcrest and Kuner locations Overall the cattle and calves inventory in Weld County for 2010 was 545000 head according to the Colorado offi ce of the National Agricultural Statistics Service which ranks fi rst in the state Yuma County at 255000 head and Morgan County at 220000 head are second and third in the state In addition Weld is also a large lamb feeding county with feedlots containing in excess of 300000 head on a one-time basis JBS USA operates lamb as well as beef packing plants in Greeley The majority of the statersquos dairy cows are also located in Weld with 66000 head this year according to the statistics offi ce Of the statersquos 123000 dairy cows 104600 of them are in Weld Morgan and Larimer counties Weld encompasses more than 257 million acres of land It is the third largest county in Colorado and is the third most populous area outside the Denver metropolitan area with a population of 260185 according to 2010 census fi gures which represents a44 percent increase since 2000

About 85 percent of Weld County is privately owned with the other 15 percent held almost equally by the federal and state governments About 75 percent of the countyrsquos total acres - a little more than 2 million - are in agriculture and looking only at the privately held land nearly 90 percent of those acres are in agriculture During the 1980s and 1990s Weld County saw an explosion in population and several thousand acres of land were taken out of production to be replaced by new homes But in 2007 the latest Census of Agriculture indicated that trend had changed dramatically as the number of farms increased by 26 percent and the land in farms went up 15 percent from 3121 farms to 3921 farms in Weld County with 208 million acres up from 18 million acres The average size of the farms in the county however decreased from 581 acres in the 2002 census to 533 acres in the 2007 census The history of most of Weld County is inseparably bound to the development of irrigation In 1870 one of the fi rst agriculture colonies in Colorado was established where the Poudre River meets the South Platte River Originally it was known as the Union Colony but was later renamed Greeley The colonists pooled their resources and moved quickly to build irrigation ditches Ten miles of ditch were completed the fi rst summer with 27 more miles the following year irrigating 25000 acres Today there are nearly 1000 miles of irrigation canals irrigating close to 400000 acres which contributes to Weld County being ranked fi rst in the state for agricultural products sold andeighth in the nation in recent years

The production of agricultural products on farms and ranches is how many people think of agriculture The economic contribution of farms and ranches is often referred to as ldquofarm productionrdquo or ldquoproduction at the farm gaterdquo However the impact of agriculture on the economy is much broader than just the production from farms and ranches Agribusiness encompasses the traditional farm production of commodities such as wheat corn livestock green and horse industries with linkages to the agricultural inputs necessary for their growth Agribusiness also includes the processing and marketing necessary to bring the fi nal goods to the consumer The agricultural inputs sector includes chemicals seeds fertilizers feed fuel machinery and veterinary services The processing and marketing sectors include businesses such as grain elevators meat packinghouses warehousing and transportation of food products

4RAISEDIN WELD

IMPACT OF AGRICULTUREIS FELT THROUGHOUT WELD

ERIC BELLAMYebellamygreeleytribunecom

the fi rst agriculture colonies in Colorado was established where the Poudre River meets the South Platte River Originally it was known as the Union Colony but was later renamed Greeley The colonists pooled their resources and moved quickly to build irrigation ditches Ten miles of ditch were completed the fi rst summer with 27 more miles the following year irrigating 25000

Today there are nearly 1000 miles of irrigation canals irrigating close to 400000 acres which contributes to Weld County being ranked fi rst in the

Delivering excellent

health care in Weld County for over 100 years

A Spirit of Women hospital

This year has been an interesting one for hay growers everywhere including Weld County Weather conditions for the crop locally have been good but that wasnrsquot at all the case in many other parts of the state and country especially where historic drought made growing forage for livestock a difficult task As a result of the dry conditions in southeast Colorado New Mexico Texas and other areas of the South and Midwest hay prices shot through the roof for farmers where the crop was growing places like Weld County This summer hay prices across the board in northeast Colorado have been about $50 to $75 more per ton than they were a year ago Because of its large livestock operations hay is an important aspect of agriculture in Weld and in most years it is the No 1 crop harvested in the county in terms of acreage - although there are years when it is surpassed by corn and wheat With this yearrsquos hay harvest still under way numbers were not available for the 2011 crop However according to the Colorado office of National Agriculture

Statistics Service Weld County harvested 106000 acres of alfalfa and 38000 acres of other hay in 2010 ranking the county No 1 in the state for hay production last year Those 144000 total acres were down slightly from 2009 when Weld County farmers harvested 151000 acres In comparison to Weld Countyrsquos other major crops 129500 acres of wheat were harvested in 2010 while 93700 acres of corn for grain were harvested Corn for silage numbers in 2010 werenrsquot available in the NASS 2010 report to determine the total amount of corn acres harvested last year The value of hay produced in the state in 2010 was placed at $492 million down from $625 million in 2009 The alfalfa crop alone was valued at $451 million in 2009 and that went down to $362 million in 2010 according to the statistics office Alfalfa hay farmers will get three or four cuttings of alfalfa hay per year depending on weather conditions They will average about 1-2 tons to the on each cutting In 2010 Weld produced 590000 tons of alfalfa hay and

69300 tons of other hay which includes grass and other forage hay crops Alfalfa hay can be ground as a feed source or baled and stored to be added to a feed ration The harvest of that crop can begin as early as the first week of June and can continue through the end of September to early October but that depends on weather conditions and the condition of the crop The cutting of other hay crops begins in early July and is usually completed by the end of September The yield of those crops are typically only a percentage of irrigated alfalfa but again wet years can produce a bumper crop In most cases that crop is baled and used as winterfeed for ranch cattle when pasture grass in dormant Hay is swathed and put in windrows in a field allowed to dry and then is baled and moved to storage Some green alfalfa is chopped and used in the feed ration for both dairy and beef animals Typically the first cutting of alfalfa hay goes to dairy operations because of its high quality

2011 unique for hay farmers Weld leads state in production for 2010

6raisedin Weld

hoW Weld countyranKs in colorado

total value of products sold 1Value of crops including nursery and greenhouses 1Value of livestock poultry and their products 1Grains oilseeds dry beans and dry peas 3Vegetables melons potatoes and sweet potatoes 3Nursery greenhouse floriculture and sold 2cut christmas trees short rotation woody crops 5other crops and hay 1poultry and eggs 1cattle and calves 1milk and other products from cows 1hogs and pigs 10sheep goats and their products 1horses ponies mules burros and donkeys 2aguaculture 8other animals and animal products 1

top crop itemsforage crops (hay grass silage greenchop) 1Wheat for grain all 11corn for grain 4corn for silage 1Vegetables harvested for sale 4

top liVestocK inVentorylayers 1turkeys 1cattle and calves 1Pullet for laying flock replacement 1sheep and lambs 1

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Hesston series offers bale sizes of 3X3-3X4 or 4X4bullPowerful fuel effi cient engines available in engine HP of 240-320 wclean air technologyLargest roomiest cab in itrsquos classDyna-VT transmissions the most effi cient in the industryVisionary control arm technology gives fi nger tip control of all functions

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Sugar beets have been a part of the agricultural scene in northern Colorado for more than 100 years - said to have bought and paid for more farms in the region than any other crop

Despite seeing a statewide decrease in significance over the years Weld County continues to be a solid producer of sugar beets leading Colorado in total production by a long shot In 2010 10100 acres of sugar beets were harvested in Weld County producing 322000 tons Yuma County was second last year with 5400 acres producing about 155000 tons followed by Logan County with 3400 acres harvested and 93000 tons produced and then Larimer County with 2700 acres and 79500 tons according to the Colorado office of National Agriculture Statistics Service

Statewide total production numbers were down a little bit in 2010 compared to the previous year Last year there were 27900 acres harvested that produced 823000 tons while in 2009 there were 35000 acres harvested that produced 963000 tons The 2009 sugar beet total production numbers represented the best in the state in more than a decade

While total production was down last

year yield per acre was at an all-time high in 2010 for Colorado farmers as they got 295 tons per acre topping the previous mark of 275 tons in 2009

Sugar beets were introduced to northern Colorado in the early 1900s and sugar beet processing plants dotted the landscape from Longmont to Fort Collins from Brighton to Eaton and east to Fort Morgan Sterling and Ovid

Now however only the Fort Morgan processing plant remains and it processes the majority of the regionrsquos beets The Greeley plant was razed to make room for Leprino Foodsrsquo new cheese processing plant which will begin operations in November

Greeley and Eaton opened the first two sugar factories in Weld in 1902 and others followed in Windsor (1904) Fort Lupton (1920) and Johnstown (1926) At one time there were 13 factories operating in northern Colorado

According to the NASS the record-high acreage for sugar beets was 242000 in 1930 and the record low was 2500 in 1985 It has been tracking sugar beet production in the state since 1905 The low came during a time when the former Great Western Sugar Co was in bankruptcy It

was purchased out of bankruptcy by Tate amp Lyle - a British company that renamed it the Western Sugar Co

In the late 1990s Tate amp Lyle began looking for a buyer because of the volatile sugar market in the US and in April 2002 the sale to the Western Sugar Cooperative a group of more than 1000 sugar beet growers in Colorado Nebraska Wyoming and Montana was finalized The cooperative which is based in Denver contracts beets to growers in the four states

Sugar beets are usually the first crop planted and the last harvested They are planted as early as late March to early April depending on soil temperatures Harvest usually starts in late September with enough beets going to processing facilities to get them up and going That harvest can continue into November but it will be February or March of the following year before all of them are processed into sugar

The Western Sugar Cooperative according to its website produces

retail lines of sugar products under the

label as well as several private labels Products include fine granulated sugar in

sizes from 110-ounce

packets to25-pound

bags as well as powdered sugar and

light and dark brown sugar

The cooperative also ships sugar to

industrial customers For that market Western

packages sugar into bags ranging in size from 1 pound to 100 pounds and packages super sacks with weight up

to 2300 pounds The sugar is transported by truck and rail

and sugar produced byWestern can be found in all 50 states

A Century lAter beets remAin signifiCAnt to weld AgriCulture

7 rAisedin weld

It was a catastrophe avoided area farmers said In 2009 the state produced about 98 million bushels of winter wheat ranking behind only Kansas Although Colorado produced 105 million bushels in 2010 the state dropped to No 5 in the national rankings (Crop failures in Texas and Oklahoma had helped move Colorado up in the national standings two years ago)On an average during the past 10 years Colorado is eighth in US winter wheat production Coloradorsquos 2010 winter wheat production was the statersquos largest since 1985 before farmers started entering a federal program encouraging them to take some land out of production In addition to historic total production Coloradorsquos wheat farmers also recorded the best yields in the state history at 455 bushels per acre topping the 1999 standard of 438 Weld County ranked 10th in the state last year in total production of winter wheat with the 129500 acres harvested producing 58 million bushels Kit Carson County led the way for Colorado harvesting 252500 acres of winter wheat and producing 138 million bushels Yields in Kit Carson County were 546 bushels per acre The estimated value of Coloradorsquos winter wheat crop in 2010 was $592 million with spring wheat adding another $14 million for a grand total of $606 million in overall wheat value Winter wheat is grown on dryland regions of the country ranging from one end of the nation to the other Itrsquos planted in early fall and emerges hopefully then goes into dormancy over the winter months In the spring once the soil temperatures warm the crop begins growing depending on rain for moisture and traditionally in Weld County harvest starts around July 4 and can continue into early August

After a couple record-breaking years Coloradorsquos wheat farmers were relieved just to get 2011rsquos crop harvested mdash let alone record above-average yields Colorado ranked No 2 in the nation for total winter wheat production in 2009 mdash the statersquos highest ranking ever in that category mdash and followed that up with recording the best total production in state history in 2010 But this yearrsquos crop got off to a much rockier start A lack of moisture last fall that lasted

into the spring had farmers in the region anticipating a poor harvest mdash that is until May rains revived the crop and then some According to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the winter wheat harvested in Colorado this summer recorded yields of 40 bushels per acre mdash well above the 10-year average for 316 mdash with total production of about 80 million bushels mdash topping the 10-year average of 67 million bushels in that category

JIM RYDBOMjrydbomgreeleytribunecom

8RAISEDIN WELD RECORDS COLORADO CROp RECORD HIgH AND LOWS

fOR ACREAgE YIELD AND pRODuCtION

BARLEYAcres Harvested 971000 1945 4000 197980 1879Yield per Acre 135 bushels 2009 15 bushels 1925 1879production (bushels) 2254 million 1945 104000 1879 1879

CORNAcres Harvested 1527 million 1933 23000 1879 1879Yield per Acre 160 bushels 1988 66 bushels 1934 1879production (bushels) 159 million 1999 400000 1881 1879

CORN fOR SILAgEAcres Harvested 299000 1972 30000 1928 1919Yield per Acre 245 tons 2010 25 tons 1934 1919production (tons) 523 million 1972 127000 1925 1919

ALL DRY BEANSAcres Harvested 460000 1943 5000 1909 1909Yield per Acre 2170 pounds 2002 174 pounds 1932 1909production (pounds) 4725 million 1990 29 million 1909 1909

ALL HAYAcres Harvested 168 million 1923 117 million 1910 1909Yield per Acre 326 tons 1998 116 tons 1934 1909production (tons) 478 million 2001 145 million 1934 1909

ONIONSAcres Harvested 17800 1995 700 1918 1918Yield per Acre 50000 pounds 2004 12000 pounds 1934 1918production (pounds) 6141 million 1995 97 million 1918 1918

ALL pOtAtOESAcres Harvested 136000 1922 6000 187980 1879Yield per Acre 4000 pounds 2009 3330 pounds 1889 1879production (pounds) 325 billion 1996 216 million 1880 1879

SugAR BEEtSAcres Harvested 242000 1930 2500 1985 1905Yield per Acre 295 tons 2010 93 tons 19081934 1905production (tons) 33 million 1930 46000 1985 1905

ALL WHEAtAcres Harvested 352 million 1985 11000 1869 1869Yield per Acre 455 bushels 2010 88 bushels 1934 1869production (bushels) 1393 million 1985 275000 1869 1869

COLORADO LIvEStOCk RECORD HIgHS AND LOWS

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

CAttLEAll Cattle 375 million head 1973 47000 head 1867 1867Beef Cows 112 million head 1974 406000 head 1927 1920Milk Cows 300000 head 1934 2000 head 1867 1867Calf Crop 112 million head 1973 482000 head 1927 1924Cattle on feed 12 million head 2001 87000 head 1935 1928

HOgSAll Hogs 910000 head 1999 2000 head 1866 1866Breeding Hogs 210000 head 1999 20000 head 1984 1963Market Hogs 705000 head 2005 143000 head 1965 1963pig Crop 29 million head 2000 377000 head 1988 1988

SHEEp AND LAMBSAll 375 million head 1930 360000 head 2004 1920Market 335000 head 1998 165000 head 2002 1994Breeding 19 million head 1942 180000 head 2004-05 1920Lamb Crop 1375 million head 1943 175000 head 2003 1924

COLORADO WHEAt CROp BREAkINgRECORDS SuRpRISINg fARMERS

It was a catastrophe avoided area farmers said In 2009 the state produced about 98 million bushels of winter wheat ranking behind only Kansas Although Colorado produced 105 million bushels in 2010 the state dropped to No 5 in the national rankings (Crop failures in Texas and Oklahoma had helped move Colorado up in the national standings two years ago)On an average during the past 10 years Colorado is eighth in US winter wheat production Coloradorsquos 2010 winter wheat production was the statersquos largest since 1985 before farmers started entering a federal program encouraging them to take some land out of production In addition to historic total production Coloradorsquos wheat farmers also recorded the best yields in the state history at 455 bushels per acre topping the 1999 standard of 438 Weld County ranked 10th in the state last year in total production of winter wheat with the 129500 acres harvested producing 58 million bushels Kit Carson County led the way for Colorado harvesting 252500 acres of winter wheat and producing 138 million bushels Yields in Kit Carson County were 546 bushels per acre The estimated value of Coloradorsquos winter wheat crop in 2010 was $592 million with spring wheat adding another $14 million for a grand total of $606 million in overall wheat value Winter wheat is grown on dryland regions of the country ranging from one end of the nation to the other Itrsquos planted in early fall and emerges hopefully then goes into dormancy over the winter months In the spring once the soil temperatures warm the crop begins growing depending on rain for moisture and traditionally in Weld County harvest starts around July 4 and can continue into early August

After a couple record-breaking years Coloradorsquos wheat farmers were relieved just to get 2011rsquos crop harvested mdash let alone record above-average yields Colorado ranked No 2 in the nation for total winter wheat production in 2009 mdash the statersquos highest ranking ever in that category mdash and followed that up with recording the best total production in state history in 2010 But this yearrsquos crop got off to a much rockier start A lack of moisture last fall that lasted

into the spring had farmers in the region anticipating a poor harvest mdash that is until May rains revived the crop and then some According to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the winter wheat harvested in Colorado this summer recorded yields of 40 bushels per acre mdash well above the 10-year average for 316 mdash with total production of about 80 million bushels mdash topping the 10-year average of 67 million bushels in that category

JIM RYDBOMjrydbomgreeleytribunecom

8RAISEDIN WELD RECORDS COLORADO CROp RECORD HIgH AND LOWS

fOR ACREAgE YIELD AND pRODuCtION

BARLEYAcres Harvested 971000 1945 4000 197980 1879Yield per Acre 135 bushels 2009 15 bushels 1925 1879production (bushels) 2254 million 1945 104000 1879 1879

CORNAcres Harvested 1527 million 1933 23000 1879 1879Yield per Acre 160 bushels 1988 66 bushels 1934 1879production (bushels) 159 million 1999 400000 1881 1879

CORN fOR SILAgEAcres Harvested 299000 1972 30000 1928 1919Yield per Acre 245 tons 2010 25 tons 1934 1919production (tons) 523 million 1972 127000 1925 1919

ALL DRY BEANSAcres Harvested 460000 1943 5000 1909 1909Yield per Acre 2170 pounds 2002 174 pounds 1932 1909production (pounds) 4725 million 1990 29 million 1909 1909

ALL HAYAcres Harvested 168 million 1923 117 million 1910 1909Yield per Acre 326 tons 1998 116 tons 1934 1909production (tons) 478 million 2001 145 million 1934 1909

ONIONSAcres Harvested 17800 1995 700 1918 1918Yield per Acre 50000 pounds 2004 12000 pounds 1934 1918production (pounds) 6141 million 1995 97 million 1918 1918

ALL pOtAtOESAcres Harvested 136000 1922 6000 187980 1879Yield per Acre 4000 pounds 2009 3330 pounds 1889 1879production (pounds) 325 billion 1996 216 million 1880 1879

SugAR BEEtSAcres Harvested 242000 1930 2500 1985 1905Yield per Acre 295 tons 2010 93 tons 19081934 1905production (tons) 33 million 1930 46000 1985 1905

ALL WHEAtAcres Harvested 352 million 1985 11000 1869 1869Yield per Acre 455 bushels 2010 88 bushels 1934 1869production (bushels) 1393 million 1985 275000 1869 1869

COLORADO LIvEStOCk RECORD HIgHS AND LOWS

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

CAttLEAll Cattle 375 million head 1973 47000 head 1867 1867Beef Cows 112 million head 1974 406000 head 1927 1920Milk Cows 300000 head 1934 2000 head 1867 1867Calf Crop 112 million head 1973 482000 head 1927 1924Cattle on feed 12 million head 2001 87000 head 1935 1928

HOgSAll Hogs 910000 head 1999 2000 head 1866 1866Breeding Hogs 210000 head 1999 20000 head 1984 1963Market Hogs 705000 head 2005 143000 head 1965 1963pig Crop 29 million head 2000 377000 head 1988 1988

SHEEp AND LAMBSAll 375 million head 1930 360000 head 2004 1920Market 335000 head 1998 165000 head 2002 1994Breeding 19 million head 1942 180000 head 2004-05 1920Lamb Crop 1375 million head 1943 175000 head 2003 1924

COLORADO WHEAt CROp BREAkINgRECORDS SuRpRISINg fARMERS

The increase in dry bean production in Colorado during recent years continued its steady climb upward in 2010 According to the Colorado office of the National Agriculture Statistics Service Colorado farmers harvested 66000 acres of dry beans for a total production of 1254 million pounds up from the 53000 acres harvested in 2009 and the 848 million pounds producedThe state ranked eighth in the nation in dry bean production in 2010 Also last year Coloradorsquos beans were valued at a total of $301 million up from $257 million in 2009 A decline in dry beans began in 1998 and was attributed to a variety of factors including the drought years of the early 2000s and higher prices for other crops The acreage of dry beans - primarily pinto beans in Colorado but including light red kidney great northern black or turtle beans Anasazi garbanzo navy pink yellow and small red beans - was as low as 44000 after there were 155000 acres of dry beans harvested in the state back in 1998 Weld Countyrsquos dry bean production numbers werenrsquot included in the 2010 NASS report but in 2009 there were 6400 acres of beans harvested

in Weld ranking it fourth in the state behind Yuma Dolores and Montezuma counties Before the late 1990s decline upwards of 20000 acres of the crop had been grown in Weld The recent rebound in acreage is due in part to a return of irrigation water availability and improved prices driven by export markets The majority of beans produced in Weld are exported to Mexico The pinto bean is a staple of Mexican cooking and is widely available dried and canned Red kidney beans are commonly used in making chili while the other beans are used in salads and a variety of other dishes Weld farmers usually plant their crop between May 20 and July 1 depending on weather conditions Harvesting starts in late August and wraps up in September or early October Beans grow on vines which at harvest are cut at the ground The vines are then put in windrows to dry before farmers move through the fields with a combine The combine with a head designed specifically for beans gathers the vines and shakes the beans out of their pods into a hopper The combine then ejects the remaining debris back on the field

Bean production on the reBound in colorado10raiSed

in Weld

eric BellaMYebellamygreeleytribunecom

$299Month2011 Sierra 1500 Ext Cab SLE39 Months $3000 Due at Signing 10k MilesYear

Excludes Taxes Stock G5080

2011 Sierra 1500 Ext Cab SLE39 Months $3000 Due at Signing 10k MilesYear

Excludes Taxes Stock G5080

HWY 34 amp 47th Ave Greeley 9703521313 wwwWeldCountyGaragecom

Driven to do whatrsquos RIGHT

There are two types of corn grown for livestock feed rations in Weld County Corn for grain historically has taken more than 100000 acres of farmland in Weld on an annual basis while corn for silage ranges from 40000 to 45000 acres each year Taken together corn is among one of the top three crops grown in the county in terms of acreage Winter wheat and hay are the other major crops In 2007 corn moved up to the leading crop produced in Colorado in terms of total value and production Corn for silage is the first of the two corn crops to come out of the ground each year and because of Weldrsquos large livestock operation it leads the state in the production of silage each year producing in excess of 1 million tons per year The Colorado office for the National Agricultural Statistics Service didnrsquot have a county-by-county breakdown of the statersquos corn for silage production in its 2010 report However according to that report it was a record year for the statersquos crop as a whole The statersquos farmers harvested 100000 acres of corn for silage and produced 245 million tons for a record yield of 245 tons per acre - topping the mark of 24 tons per acre set in 1998 and 1999

The easiest way to distinguish the two types of corn is by its stalk height and size of the ear Corn for silage grows to be 10 feet or taller but has a very thin ear corn for grain has a shorter stalk and fuller ear Corn for silage is cut at the ground by a harvester who chops the stalk and ear before throwing the mixture into waiting trucks There is a small window in late summer or early fall that the crop can be harvested with the right moisture content It is then taken to pits where it can be stored and used as part of the feed ration for beef cattle dairy and other livestock operations Corn for grain is harvested with combines and the kernels collected by the machine are then flaked and used in livestock feed rations and in recent years for the production of ethanol to be mixed with gasoline The by-product from ethanol plants however goes back to livestock feeding and dairy operations to be used as part of the feed ration Because of the large number of beef cattle and dairies in Weld the county continues to be a corn-deficient area As such it imports corn from other counties in Colorado as well as other states Both crops are planted from mid-April to early June depending on weather conditions and the

harvest of corn for grain usually starts in the later part of August and is complete by early October In 2010 according to the Colorado office for the National Agricultural Statistics Service 93700 acres of corn for grain were harvested in Weld producing 182 million bushels ranking it third in the state behind Yuma and Kit Carson counties which were first and second respectively Yuma County has led the nation in corn for grain production in recent years The 2010 NASS report didnrsquot have numbers for corn for silage In 2009 about 45000 acres of corn for silage were planted

Corn Comes in two varietiesbut serves the same purpose

11 raiseDin weLD

MILLET BARLEY OTHER SMALL-GRAIN CROPS A STAPLE OF WELD AGRICULTURE While winter wheat is the major small-grain crop in Weld others are dotted across the landscape including millet - the only crop in which Colorado ranks fi rst in the nation for production According to the Rocky Mountain Agribusiness Association Coloradorsquos millet farmers produce half of the countryrsquos supply Millet has traditionally been used in the US mainly for birdseed and some baking and beer brewing but globally according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture it sustains one-third of the worldrsquos population Compared to 2010 US millet exports are up 63 percent and Colorado exports have risen 87 percent states the RMAA The gluten-free crop is also fi nding more uses domestically as gluten-free products are a rising trend Well-known companies such as Betty Crocker and General Mills are using millet to offer products to those wanting to eliminate gluten from their diets and for people with celiac disease who otherwise canrsquot tolerate the proteins in wheat rye and barley According to the Colorado offi ce of the National Agricultural Statistics Service in 2010 the statersquos farmers harvested 215000 acres of millet producing 71 million bushels Those numbers were up from 2009 when Colorado farmers harvested 150000 acres producing 53 million bushels The Colorado northeastern plains is the region where most of the statersquos millet is grown A breakdown of millet production by county wasnrsquot available in the 2010 NASS report Sunfl owers have seen an overall increase in popularity in the past few years Like millet it is a small-grain crop that needs little water and is a good rotation crop used by wheat farmers as the deep-root system aerates the soil while also bringing those dryland farmers another source of income In recent years Weld County has ranked second in the state in the production of sunfl owers trailing only Kiowa County in the southeast part of Colorado - although the majority of the crop is grown in the northern and eastern

areas of the state In 2010 Weld County produced more than 106 million pounds of sunfl owers from 6400 acres Production numbers were not available for Kiowa County in the 2010 report to see how Weld compared Sunfl owers are grown for their oil and for birdseed or other similar uses In Weld most of the crop is the oil variety the county produced more than 5 million pounds for that purpose in 2008 Much of the countyrsquos barley crop is grown under contact and is used for the brewing of beer at the Miller-Coors plant in Golden In 2010 Weld farmers harvested 7600 acres of barley - down from the 12400 acres harvested in 2009 - and produced 740000 bushels - also a drop from last year when the county produced almost 12 million bushels Weldrsquos 2010 barley numbers again ranked the county fourth in the state behind Rio Grande Saguache and Alamosa counties all in southern Colorado Barley grown under contract must meet strict requirements by the brewing company If it doesnrsquot it is used as animal feed at a considerably lower price than that of brewing barley Sorghum for grain is one of the lesser crops in Weld The crops can be planted on wheat ground that is heavily hailed early in the season allowing farmers to get a crop off those fi elds Oats is another of those crops that is limited in acreage and in all cases those crops are used as livestock feed In 2010 the agricultural statistics offi ce reported that the statersquos millet crop had a value at $305 (double what it was the previous year) barley was at $306 million (down from the $548 million value in 2009) sunfl owers were at $358 million (up from $218 million in 2009) and sorghum for grain was valued at $371 million (up from $20 million in 2009) A value for sorghum for silage in 2010 was not available However in 2009 it was valued at $24 million

production of sunfl owers trailing only Kiowa County in the southeast part of Colorado - although the majority of the crop is grown in the northern and eastern

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ALL APPLICATIONS ACCEPTEDALL VEHICLES SUBJECT TO PRIOR SALE EMPLOYEE PRICE INCLUDES EMPLOYEE PRICE amp REBATES ALL VEHICLES ARE FIRST COME FIRST SERVED SOME PHOTOS FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY

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2011

14RAISEDIN WELD VEGETABLES

As an old saying goes if itrsquos not grown somewhere in Weld County then it may not be needed And when it comes to vegetables Weld farmers grow just about everything from asparagus to zucchini In 2010 according to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the statersquos vegetable growers produced more than 5757 million pounds from four fresh market crops - onions sweet corn cabbage cantaloupe They had a value of $825 million In 2009 the state produced 5657 million pounds for a total value of about $72 million In Weld County vegetable farmers dealt with severe weather conditions in 2009 and again in 2010 as early hail and wind storms took their toll In many cases however some of those crops were replanted and as the harvest season got started the quality of those crops was at least average The state statistics office does not track vegetable acreage by county because of disclosure requirements of individual operators While the acreage of vegetables took a downturn at the beginning of the century due to a lack of irrigation water some of that was returned in the past three years when water was more readily available due to average to above average snowpack in the mountains and higher amounts of precipitation As a result the state was ranked in the top 10 in the nation for the production of the four fresh market crops in 2010 led by cantaloupe (ranked No 4) storage onions - the majority of which are grown in the northern part of the state - at No 6 and cabbage and sweet corn both at No 7 In addition the state ranks high in potatoes - fifth in the nation - but the majority of that crop is now produced in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado while there are only two large potato producers left in Weld County Traditionally about 60 percent of the storage onion crop is grown in northern Colorado which includes Weld Adams Larimer and Morgan counties In 2009 onion acreage in the state was about 8000 and that decreased to about 7500 last year In the past there were two types of onions grown in Weld - a crop that was

transplanted from starts in southern climate such as Texas or Arizona which is sent to market right after harvest and a second that is produced from seed and can be stored to be marketed over the fall and winter months Transplant onions however represent only a small percentage of those grown in northern Colorado probably 5 percent or less The Western Slope once had upwards of 3000 acre of onions but that has declined to between 500 and 1000 as growers in that part of the state deal with early frosts which onions canrsquot stand and transportation problems There are more than half dozen produce companies in Adams and Weld counties that grow and market onions Weld is home to Community Supported Agriculture farms that offer a wide variety of produce to their members Those farms provide a wide selection of organically grown vegetables along with egg meat products and honey They also bring those products to area farmers markets and some take online andor telephone orders In addition several roadside stands around the county offer seasonal products Weld is also home to Hungenberg Produce the only commercial carrot producer in the state with close to 1000 acres The company also grows cabbage and onion sets both of which are shipped to various markets in the state and nation There were 2900 acres of cabbage harvested in the state in 2010 according to the statistics office which produced almost 1334 million pounds that had a value of $153 million The arearsquos largest commercial producer of sweet corn is Sakata Farms of Brighton which grows the crop in Adams and Weld counties Sweet corn also produced on the Western Slope saw 7500 acres harvested in 2010 producing more than 1125 million pounds with a value of $163 million Martin Produce of Greeley and Strohauer Farms of La Salle market potatoes with Strohauer offering a wide range of fingerling potatoes in addition to those sent to supermarkets Both operations also grow and market onions while Strohauer also has a line of broiler onions pearl onions shallots and cipollini onions

The 2012 Census of Agriculture will be the next ag census released It will be available in 2013

COUNTY TOTAL SALES CROPS LIVESTOCK

2007 CENSUS OfAGRICULTURE mARKETVALUE Of PRODUCTION

Fresno Calif $373 billion $25 billion $12 billion

Tulare Calif $333 billion $12 billion $21 billion

Kern Calif $32 billion $25 billion $6527 million

Merced Calif $23 billion $8793 million $14 billion

Monterey Calif $217 billion $213 billion $391 million

Stanislaus Calif $182 billion $736 million $11 billion

San Joaquin Calif $156 billion $9916 million $5726 million

Weld Colo $154 billion $2727 million $126 billion

Kings Calif $135 billion $651 million $706 million

Ventura Calif $131 billion $13 billion $131 million

1

3

5

7

9

22

44

66

88

1010

ERIC BELLAmYebellamygreeleytribunecom

DIVERSITY IS NAmE Of GAmE INWELD VEGETABLE PRODUCTION

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UP TO

Since Weld is one of the top 10 agriculture counties in the nation itrsquos no surprise that agritourism is establishing a foothold here Agritourism according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture covers a wide variety of recreational educational and other leisure activities and services related to agriculture that take place on or off the farm or ranch and that connect consumers with the heritage natural resources or culinary experience they value There are three general classifications of the agritourism activities mdash on-farmranch food-based and heritage activities According to the latest Census of Agriculture released in 2007 there were 679 Colorado farms that offered agritourism and recreational services totaling almost $33 million in farm income Those numbers have likely increased during the past four years The next ag census will be released in 2013 based on 2012 numbers In 2006 according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture and Colorado State University economists Colorado agritourism locations hosted 13 million visitors which resulted in a $22 billion overall economic impact Wendy White a marketing specialist for the department of agriculture said there are no updated figures available from that original survey conducted by CSU with grant funding

AGRITOURISM STROnG In weldAndeRSOn FARMS6728 Weld County Road 325 Erie(303) 828-5210wwwandersonfarmscom

COlORAdO CATTle COMpAnyamp GUeST RAnCh70008 Weld County Road 132 New Raymer(970) 437-5345wwwcoloradocattlecompanycom

COlORAdO wInGSpORT41132 Weld County Road 13 Ft Collins(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ewe BeT RAnCh1850 E Highway 60 Loveland(970) 635-2370wwwewebetranchcom

FRITzleR FAMIly CORn MAze15630 Highway 256 La Salle (970) 737-2129wwwFritzlerMazecom

MIlleR FARMS9040 Highway 66 Platteville(970) 785-6133wwwmillerfarmsnet

MOnROe ORGAnIC FARMS llC25525 Weld County Road 48 Kersey(970) 284-7941wwwmonroefarmcom

pAwnee SpORTSMenS CenTeR40419 Weld County Road 71 Briggsdale(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ROCky plAInS BISOn RAnCh4022 Weld County Road 11 Dacono (303) 833-3791wwwrockyplainscom

wIndSOR dAIRy6427 Weld County Road 685 Windsor(970) 674-0571wwwwindsordairycom

MAzzOTTIrsquoS pUMpkIn pATCh24120 Weld County Road 8 Hudson(303) 536-4089wwwmazzottifarmscom

TIGGeS FARM12404 Weld County Road 645 Greeley(970) 686-7225notillkathycomcastnet

wIld weST MAze6876 Weld County Road 47 Hudson(303) 536-9200wwwwildwestmazecom

Source wwwcoloradoagritourismcom Fritzler Family Corn Maze

15 RAISedIn weld

260 Factory RoadEaton CO 80615(970) 454-4000

wwwaglandinccom

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Impact4HaY6WELD RaNKS 6 BEEtS7

WHEat8REcORDS9

BEaNS 10cORN 11 DaIRY 12 SmaLL GRaINS 14

VEGEtaBLES 14aGRItOuRISm 15

according to maxey numerous factors play into Weld countyrsquos success the high plains of northern colorado provide an ideal climate for livestock - plenty of sunshine not overly hot in the summer cool at night and moderate winters as he described

Weld county also has plenty of open space for the animals smart and savvy agriculture producers outstanding 4-H and other youth development programs a variety of good leaders and policy makers - at the local state and national levels - who come from the area and ldquotherersquos a recognition of the importance of agriculture from the communityrdquo

ldquoWe really have it all hererdquo maxey added ldquoWersquore very blessedrdquoIf maxeyrsquos comments arenrsquot convincing enough the numbers that place Weld county among

the nationrsquos elite in livestock production certainly areaccording to the most recent census of agriculture which was released in 2007 Weld

county was ranked No 8 in the nation in overall market value of agriculture production according to that census Weld countyrsquos market value of production was $154 billion with $126 billion of that - more than 80 percent - in livestock operations

Weld was ranked No 1 in the nation in the value of sheep goats and their products No 1 in the number of sheep and lambs No 2 in the value of cattle and calves and No 3 in the value of all livestock poultry and their products

In the state the county was ranked No 1 in 16 of the 27 categories surveyed by the census additionally coloradorsquos total value of receipts for dairy products in the state exceeded $457

million in 2010 - one of the top in the state for leading agricultural commodities - and half of the dairy cows in the state are located in Weld County According to the Colorado office for the National agricultural Statistics Service there were about 66000 dairy cattle in Weld county at the beginning of the year with about 123000 statewide

And Weld County can expect those numbers to grow significantly during the next few years as anywhere from 50000 to 70000 additional dairy cows will be needed to meet the demand of the new Leprino Foodsrsquo cheese plant in Greeley expected to begin operations this year

Just 50 years ago large-scale livestock feeding was in its infancy in Weld county and it was at about the same time that the county moved into its lofty national ranking moving up to fifth in the nation as determined by the Census of Agriculture in terms of annual receipts of agricultural production

according to the census of agriculture which dates back to the 1820 decennial census Weld has been as high second in the nation since the 1964 census and has never dropped out of the top 10 since then In most census years it has been the only county in the top 10 outside of california

the county remains home to two of the largest cattle feeding operations in the nation operated by JBS uSa Five Rivers cattle Feeding that cattle-feeding operation which has four if its 11 feedlots in colorado has a one-time feeding capacity of close to 1 million head In Weld county it operates feedlots near Gilcrest and Kersey as well as one in Yuma and another near Lamar in southern colorado those four lots have a one-time capacity of about 365000 head

According to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service at the start of this year there were 545000 cattle and calves in Weld county 48000 beef cows on ranches - all increases from the previous year

While the present and future look bright for livestock and dairy operations in Weld county Bill Hammerich chief executive officer with the Colorado Livestock Association in Greeley said much of that success is owed to Weldrsquos pioneers of the past

ldquoWersquore very fortunate here in Weld county to be surrounded in history that features such true visionariesrdquo said Hammerich who has worked for the colorado Livestock association since 2002 and whose professional career has centered around livestock feeding operations in northern colorado

according to Hammerich as well as the colorado Department of agriculture the current concept of feedlots in the west began with two Weld county icons WD Farr and Warren Monfort who first fed sheep in pens because the sheep coming in off pasture in the fall reduced the price By feeding them they could avoid fall price drops and have product to sell year-round

monfort started what is now JBS Five Rivers by feeding 18 head of cattle in the early 1930s on his farm north of Greeley monfortrsquos other innovations include bringing the packinghouse to the feedlot and the Greeley beef-packing plant now operated by JBS uSa that plant began operation in may 1960 under the direction of Kenny monfort who pioneered the concept of boxed beef - slicing various cuts of beef that would fit in a box that could then be shipped to wholesale and retail outlets previously cattle carcasses had been shipped by truck to those operations which then processed them into specific cuts of beef

Weld county is home to large lamb-feeding operations family hog and equine operations and cattle ranching operations Lamb-feeding operations in Weld stretch from Windsor to Eaton to the Fort Lupton area Lambs are fed 60-90 days coming into those feedlots at 70 pounds or more many of those lambs are processed by the JBS plant which is near its beef packing plant as well as another processor in Denver

Weld is a leader in the state for numbers of equine animals - horses donkey and mules according to the 2007 agriculture census there were more than 10000 horses in Weld county and combined with ponies mules donkeys and burros while there was a value of more than $5 million in ldquoother animals and animal productsrdquo which ranked the county No 1 in the state

CoverphotobyJIm RYDBOmjrydbomgreeleytribunecom

ContinuedfromCover 3 RaISEDIN WELD

Weld County ranges from fertile irrigated farmlands around Greeley to extensive rangeland to the north and east with dryland areas coming in above the valley fl oors The county according to the latest Census of Agriculture released in 2007 ranks eighth in the nation in value of agricultural products sold which includes almost $273 million in crops and $126 billion in livestock In Weld the market value of agricultural products sold increased 36 percent from 2002 to 2007 to more than $15 billion up from $11 billion in 2002 - the year the previous census came out Weld is home to two JBS USA Five Rivers Cattle Feeding feedlots which are among the nationrsquos largest JBS averages about 180000 cattle on feed at its Gilcrest and Kuner locations Overall the cattle and calves inventory in Weld County for 2010 was 545000 head according to the Colorado offi ce of the National Agricultural Statistics Service which ranks fi rst in the state Yuma County at 255000 head and Morgan County at 220000 head are second and third in the state In addition Weld is also a large lamb feeding county with feedlots containing in excess of 300000 head on a one-time basis JBS USA operates lamb as well as beef packing plants in Greeley The majority of the statersquos dairy cows are also located in Weld with 66000 head this year according to the statistics offi ce Of the statersquos 123000 dairy cows 104600 of them are in Weld Morgan and Larimer counties Weld encompasses more than 257 million acres of land It is the third largest county in Colorado and is the third most populous area outside the Denver metropolitan area with a population of 260185 according to 2010 census fi gures which represents a44 percent increase since 2000

About 85 percent of Weld County is privately owned with the other 15 percent held almost equally by the federal and state governments About 75 percent of the countyrsquos total acres - a little more than 2 million - are in agriculture and looking only at the privately held land nearly 90 percent of those acres are in agriculture During the 1980s and 1990s Weld County saw an explosion in population and several thousand acres of land were taken out of production to be replaced by new homes But in 2007 the latest Census of Agriculture indicated that trend had changed dramatically as the number of farms increased by 26 percent and the land in farms went up 15 percent from 3121 farms to 3921 farms in Weld County with 208 million acres up from 18 million acres The average size of the farms in the county however decreased from 581 acres in the 2002 census to 533 acres in the 2007 census The history of most of Weld County is inseparably bound to the development of irrigation In 1870 one of the fi rst agriculture colonies in Colorado was established where the Poudre River meets the South Platte River Originally it was known as the Union Colony but was later renamed Greeley The colonists pooled their resources and moved quickly to build irrigation ditches Ten miles of ditch were completed the fi rst summer with 27 more miles the following year irrigating 25000 acres Today there are nearly 1000 miles of irrigation canals irrigating close to 400000 acres which contributes to Weld County being ranked fi rst in the state for agricultural products sold andeighth in the nation in recent years

The production of agricultural products on farms and ranches is how many people think of agriculture The economic contribution of farms and ranches is often referred to as ldquofarm productionrdquo or ldquoproduction at the farm gaterdquo However the impact of agriculture on the economy is much broader than just the production from farms and ranches Agribusiness encompasses the traditional farm production of commodities such as wheat corn livestock green and horse industries with linkages to the agricultural inputs necessary for their growth Agribusiness also includes the processing and marketing necessary to bring the fi nal goods to the consumer The agricultural inputs sector includes chemicals seeds fertilizers feed fuel machinery and veterinary services The processing and marketing sectors include businesses such as grain elevators meat packinghouses warehousing and transportation of food products

4RAISEDIN WELD

IMPACT OF AGRICULTUREIS FELT THROUGHOUT WELD

ERIC BELLAMYebellamygreeleytribunecom

the fi rst agriculture colonies in Colorado was established where the Poudre River meets the South Platte River Originally it was known as the Union Colony but was later renamed Greeley The colonists pooled their resources and moved quickly to build irrigation ditches Ten miles of ditch were completed the fi rst summer with 27 more miles the following year irrigating 25000

Today there are nearly 1000 miles of irrigation canals irrigating close to 400000 acres which contributes to Weld County being ranked fi rst in the

Delivering excellent

health care in Weld County for over 100 years

A Spirit of Women hospital

This year has been an interesting one for hay growers everywhere including Weld County Weather conditions for the crop locally have been good but that wasnrsquot at all the case in many other parts of the state and country especially where historic drought made growing forage for livestock a difficult task As a result of the dry conditions in southeast Colorado New Mexico Texas and other areas of the South and Midwest hay prices shot through the roof for farmers where the crop was growing places like Weld County This summer hay prices across the board in northeast Colorado have been about $50 to $75 more per ton than they were a year ago Because of its large livestock operations hay is an important aspect of agriculture in Weld and in most years it is the No 1 crop harvested in the county in terms of acreage - although there are years when it is surpassed by corn and wheat With this yearrsquos hay harvest still under way numbers were not available for the 2011 crop However according to the Colorado office of National Agriculture

Statistics Service Weld County harvested 106000 acres of alfalfa and 38000 acres of other hay in 2010 ranking the county No 1 in the state for hay production last year Those 144000 total acres were down slightly from 2009 when Weld County farmers harvested 151000 acres In comparison to Weld Countyrsquos other major crops 129500 acres of wheat were harvested in 2010 while 93700 acres of corn for grain were harvested Corn for silage numbers in 2010 werenrsquot available in the NASS 2010 report to determine the total amount of corn acres harvested last year The value of hay produced in the state in 2010 was placed at $492 million down from $625 million in 2009 The alfalfa crop alone was valued at $451 million in 2009 and that went down to $362 million in 2010 according to the statistics office Alfalfa hay farmers will get three or four cuttings of alfalfa hay per year depending on weather conditions They will average about 1-2 tons to the on each cutting In 2010 Weld produced 590000 tons of alfalfa hay and

69300 tons of other hay which includes grass and other forage hay crops Alfalfa hay can be ground as a feed source or baled and stored to be added to a feed ration The harvest of that crop can begin as early as the first week of June and can continue through the end of September to early October but that depends on weather conditions and the condition of the crop The cutting of other hay crops begins in early July and is usually completed by the end of September The yield of those crops are typically only a percentage of irrigated alfalfa but again wet years can produce a bumper crop In most cases that crop is baled and used as winterfeed for ranch cattle when pasture grass in dormant Hay is swathed and put in windrows in a field allowed to dry and then is baled and moved to storage Some green alfalfa is chopped and used in the feed ration for both dairy and beef animals Typically the first cutting of alfalfa hay goes to dairy operations because of its high quality

2011 unique for hay farmers Weld leads state in production for 2010

6raisedin Weld

hoW Weld countyranKs in colorado

total value of products sold 1Value of crops including nursery and greenhouses 1Value of livestock poultry and their products 1Grains oilseeds dry beans and dry peas 3Vegetables melons potatoes and sweet potatoes 3Nursery greenhouse floriculture and sold 2cut christmas trees short rotation woody crops 5other crops and hay 1poultry and eggs 1cattle and calves 1milk and other products from cows 1hogs and pigs 10sheep goats and their products 1horses ponies mules burros and donkeys 2aguaculture 8other animals and animal products 1

top crop itemsforage crops (hay grass silage greenchop) 1Wheat for grain all 11corn for grain 4corn for silage 1Vegetables harvested for sale 4

top liVestocK inVentorylayers 1turkeys 1cattle and calves 1Pullet for laying flock replacement 1sheep and lambs 1

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Hesston series offers bale sizes of 3X3-3X4 or 4X4bullPowerful fuel effi cient engines available in engine HP of 240-320 wclean air technologyLargest roomiest cab in itrsquos classDyna-VT transmissions the most effi cient in the industryVisionary control arm technology gives fi nger tip control of all functions

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Sugar beets have been a part of the agricultural scene in northern Colorado for more than 100 years - said to have bought and paid for more farms in the region than any other crop

Despite seeing a statewide decrease in significance over the years Weld County continues to be a solid producer of sugar beets leading Colorado in total production by a long shot In 2010 10100 acres of sugar beets were harvested in Weld County producing 322000 tons Yuma County was second last year with 5400 acres producing about 155000 tons followed by Logan County with 3400 acres harvested and 93000 tons produced and then Larimer County with 2700 acres and 79500 tons according to the Colorado office of National Agriculture Statistics Service

Statewide total production numbers were down a little bit in 2010 compared to the previous year Last year there were 27900 acres harvested that produced 823000 tons while in 2009 there were 35000 acres harvested that produced 963000 tons The 2009 sugar beet total production numbers represented the best in the state in more than a decade

While total production was down last

year yield per acre was at an all-time high in 2010 for Colorado farmers as they got 295 tons per acre topping the previous mark of 275 tons in 2009

Sugar beets were introduced to northern Colorado in the early 1900s and sugar beet processing plants dotted the landscape from Longmont to Fort Collins from Brighton to Eaton and east to Fort Morgan Sterling and Ovid

Now however only the Fort Morgan processing plant remains and it processes the majority of the regionrsquos beets The Greeley plant was razed to make room for Leprino Foodsrsquo new cheese processing plant which will begin operations in November

Greeley and Eaton opened the first two sugar factories in Weld in 1902 and others followed in Windsor (1904) Fort Lupton (1920) and Johnstown (1926) At one time there were 13 factories operating in northern Colorado

According to the NASS the record-high acreage for sugar beets was 242000 in 1930 and the record low was 2500 in 1985 It has been tracking sugar beet production in the state since 1905 The low came during a time when the former Great Western Sugar Co was in bankruptcy It

was purchased out of bankruptcy by Tate amp Lyle - a British company that renamed it the Western Sugar Co

In the late 1990s Tate amp Lyle began looking for a buyer because of the volatile sugar market in the US and in April 2002 the sale to the Western Sugar Cooperative a group of more than 1000 sugar beet growers in Colorado Nebraska Wyoming and Montana was finalized The cooperative which is based in Denver contracts beets to growers in the four states

Sugar beets are usually the first crop planted and the last harvested They are planted as early as late March to early April depending on soil temperatures Harvest usually starts in late September with enough beets going to processing facilities to get them up and going That harvest can continue into November but it will be February or March of the following year before all of them are processed into sugar

The Western Sugar Cooperative according to its website produces

retail lines of sugar products under the

label as well as several private labels Products include fine granulated sugar in

sizes from 110-ounce

packets to25-pound

bags as well as powdered sugar and

light and dark brown sugar

The cooperative also ships sugar to

industrial customers For that market Western

packages sugar into bags ranging in size from 1 pound to 100 pounds and packages super sacks with weight up

to 2300 pounds The sugar is transported by truck and rail

and sugar produced byWestern can be found in all 50 states

A Century lAter beets remAin signifiCAnt to weld AgriCulture

7 rAisedin weld

It was a catastrophe avoided area farmers said In 2009 the state produced about 98 million bushels of winter wheat ranking behind only Kansas Although Colorado produced 105 million bushels in 2010 the state dropped to No 5 in the national rankings (Crop failures in Texas and Oklahoma had helped move Colorado up in the national standings two years ago)On an average during the past 10 years Colorado is eighth in US winter wheat production Coloradorsquos 2010 winter wheat production was the statersquos largest since 1985 before farmers started entering a federal program encouraging them to take some land out of production In addition to historic total production Coloradorsquos wheat farmers also recorded the best yields in the state history at 455 bushels per acre topping the 1999 standard of 438 Weld County ranked 10th in the state last year in total production of winter wheat with the 129500 acres harvested producing 58 million bushels Kit Carson County led the way for Colorado harvesting 252500 acres of winter wheat and producing 138 million bushels Yields in Kit Carson County were 546 bushels per acre The estimated value of Coloradorsquos winter wheat crop in 2010 was $592 million with spring wheat adding another $14 million for a grand total of $606 million in overall wheat value Winter wheat is grown on dryland regions of the country ranging from one end of the nation to the other Itrsquos planted in early fall and emerges hopefully then goes into dormancy over the winter months In the spring once the soil temperatures warm the crop begins growing depending on rain for moisture and traditionally in Weld County harvest starts around July 4 and can continue into early August

After a couple record-breaking years Coloradorsquos wheat farmers were relieved just to get 2011rsquos crop harvested mdash let alone record above-average yields Colorado ranked No 2 in the nation for total winter wheat production in 2009 mdash the statersquos highest ranking ever in that category mdash and followed that up with recording the best total production in state history in 2010 But this yearrsquos crop got off to a much rockier start A lack of moisture last fall that lasted

into the spring had farmers in the region anticipating a poor harvest mdash that is until May rains revived the crop and then some According to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the winter wheat harvested in Colorado this summer recorded yields of 40 bushels per acre mdash well above the 10-year average for 316 mdash with total production of about 80 million bushels mdash topping the 10-year average of 67 million bushels in that category

JIM RYDBOMjrydbomgreeleytribunecom

8RAISEDIN WELD RECORDS COLORADO CROp RECORD HIgH AND LOWS

fOR ACREAgE YIELD AND pRODuCtION

BARLEYAcres Harvested 971000 1945 4000 197980 1879Yield per Acre 135 bushels 2009 15 bushels 1925 1879production (bushels) 2254 million 1945 104000 1879 1879

CORNAcres Harvested 1527 million 1933 23000 1879 1879Yield per Acre 160 bushels 1988 66 bushels 1934 1879production (bushels) 159 million 1999 400000 1881 1879

CORN fOR SILAgEAcres Harvested 299000 1972 30000 1928 1919Yield per Acre 245 tons 2010 25 tons 1934 1919production (tons) 523 million 1972 127000 1925 1919

ALL DRY BEANSAcres Harvested 460000 1943 5000 1909 1909Yield per Acre 2170 pounds 2002 174 pounds 1932 1909production (pounds) 4725 million 1990 29 million 1909 1909

ALL HAYAcres Harvested 168 million 1923 117 million 1910 1909Yield per Acre 326 tons 1998 116 tons 1934 1909production (tons) 478 million 2001 145 million 1934 1909

ONIONSAcres Harvested 17800 1995 700 1918 1918Yield per Acre 50000 pounds 2004 12000 pounds 1934 1918production (pounds) 6141 million 1995 97 million 1918 1918

ALL pOtAtOESAcres Harvested 136000 1922 6000 187980 1879Yield per Acre 4000 pounds 2009 3330 pounds 1889 1879production (pounds) 325 billion 1996 216 million 1880 1879

SugAR BEEtSAcres Harvested 242000 1930 2500 1985 1905Yield per Acre 295 tons 2010 93 tons 19081934 1905production (tons) 33 million 1930 46000 1985 1905

ALL WHEAtAcres Harvested 352 million 1985 11000 1869 1869Yield per Acre 455 bushels 2010 88 bushels 1934 1869production (bushels) 1393 million 1985 275000 1869 1869

COLORADO LIvEStOCk RECORD HIgHS AND LOWS

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

CAttLEAll Cattle 375 million head 1973 47000 head 1867 1867Beef Cows 112 million head 1974 406000 head 1927 1920Milk Cows 300000 head 1934 2000 head 1867 1867Calf Crop 112 million head 1973 482000 head 1927 1924Cattle on feed 12 million head 2001 87000 head 1935 1928

HOgSAll Hogs 910000 head 1999 2000 head 1866 1866Breeding Hogs 210000 head 1999 20000 head 1984 1963Market Hogs 705000 head 2005 143000 head 1965 1963pig Crop 29 million head 2000 377000 head 1988 1988

SHEEp AND LAMBSAll 375 million head 1930 360000 head 2004 1920Market 335000 head 1998 165000 head 2002 1994Breeding 19 million head 1942 180000 head 2004-05 1920Lamb Crop 1375 million head 1943 175000 head 2003 1924

COLORADO WHEAt CROp BREAkINgRECORDS SuRpRISINg fARMERS

It was a catastrophe avoided area farmers said In 2009 the state produced about 98 million bushels of winter wheat ranking behind only Kansas Although Colorado produced 105 million bushels in 2010 the state dropped to No 5 in the national rankings (Crop failures in Texas and Oklahoma had helped move Colorado up in the national standings two years ago)On an average during the past 10 years Colorado is eighth in US winter wheat production Coloradorsquos 2010 winter wheat production was the statersquos largest since 1985 before farmers started entering a federal program encouraging them to take some land out of production In addition to historic total production Coloradorsquos wheat farmers also recorded the best yields in the state history at 455 bushels per acre topping the 1999 standard of 438 Weld County ranked 10th in the state last year in total production of winter wheat with the 129500 acres harvested producing 58 million bushels Kit Carson County led the way for Colorado harvesting 252500 acres of winter wheat and producing 138 million bushels Yields in Kit Carson County were 546 bushels per acre The estimated value of Coloradorsquos winter wheat crop in 2010 was $592 million with spring wheat adding another $14 million for a grand total of $606 million in overall wheat value Winter wheat is grown on dryland regions of the country ranging from one end of the nation to the other Itrsquos planted in early fall and emerges hopefully then goes into dormancy over the winter months In the spring once the soil temperatures warm the crop begins growing depending on rain for moisture and traditionally in Weld County harvest starts around July 4 and can continue into early August

After a couple record-breaking years Coloradorsquos wheat farmers were relieved just to get 2011rsquos crop harvested mdash let alone record above-average yields Colorado ranked No 2 in the nation for total winter wheat production in 2009 mdash the statersquos highest ranking ever in that category mdash and followed that up with recording the best total production in state history in 2010 But this yearrsquos crop got off to a much rockier start A lack of moisture last fall that lasted

into the spring had farmers in the region anticipating a poor harvest mdash that is until May rains revived the crop and then some According to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the winter wheat harvested in Colorado this summer recorded yields of 40 bushels per acre mdash well above the 10-year average for 316 mdash with total production of about 80 million bushels mdash topping the 10-year average of 67 million bushels in that category

JIM RYDBOMjrydbomgreeleytribunecom

8RAISEDIN WELD RECORDS COLORADO CROp RECORD HIgH AND LOWS

fOR ACREAgE YIELD AND pRODuCtION

BARLEYAcres Harvested 971000 1945 4000 197980 1879Yield per Acre 135 bushels 2009 15 bushels 1925 1879production (bushels) 2254 million 1945 104000 1879 1879

CORNAcres Harvested 1527 million 1933 23000 1879 1879Yield per Acre 160 bushels 1988 66 bushels 1934 1879production (bushels) 159 million 1999 400000 1881 1879

CORN fOR SILAgEAcres Harvested 299000 1972 30000 1928 1919Yield per Acre 245 tons 2010 25 tons 1934 1919production (tons) 523 million 1972 127000 1925 1919

ALL DRY BEANSAcres Harvested 460000 1943 5000 1909 1909Yield per Acre 2170 pounds 2002 174 pounds 1932 1909production (pounds) 4725 million 1990 29 million 1909 1909

ALL HAYAcres Harvested 168 million 1923 117 million 1910 1909Yield per Acre 326 tons 1998 116 tons 1934 1909production (tons) 478 million 2001 145 million 1934 1909

ONIONSAcres Harvested 17800 1995 700 1918 1918Yield per Acre 50000 pounds 2004 12000 pounds 1934 1918production (pounds) 6141 million 1995 97 million 1918 1918

ALL pOtAtOESAcres Harvested 136000 1922 6000 187980 1879Yield per Acre 4000 pounds 2009 3330 pounds 1889 1879production (pounds) 325 billion 1996 216 million 1880 1879

SugAR BEEtSAcres Harvested 242000 1930 2500 1985 1905Yield per Acre 295 tons 2010 93 tons 19081934 1905production (tons) 33 million 1930 46000 1985 1905

ALL WHEAtAcres Harvested 352 million 1985 11000 1869 1869Yield per Acre 455 bushels 2010 88 bushels 1934 1869production (bushels) 1393 million 1985 275000 1869 1869

COLORADO LIvEStOCk RECORD HIgHS AND LOWS

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

CAttLEAll Cattle 375 million head 1973 47000 head 1867 1867Beef Cows 112 million head 1974 406000 head 1927 1920Milk Cows 300000 head 1934 2000 head 1867 1867Calf Crop 112 million head 1973 482000 head 1927 1924Cattle on feed 12 million head 2001 87000 head 1935 1928

HOgSAll Hogs 910000 head 1999 2000 head 1866 1866Breeding Hogs 210000 head 1999 20000 head 1984 1963Market Hogs 705000 head 2005 143000 head 1965 1963pig Crop 29 million head 2000 377000 head 1988 1988

SHEEp AND LAMBSAll 375 million head 1930 360000 head 2004 1920Market 335000 head 1998 165000 head 2002 1994Breeding 19 million head 1942 180000 head 2004-05 1920Lamb Crop 1375 million head 1943 175000 head 2003 1924

COLORADO WHEAt CROp BREAkINgRECORDS SuRpRISINg fARMERS

The increase in dry bean production in Colorado during recent years continued its steady climb upward in 2010 According to the Colorado office of the National Agriculture Statistics Service Colorado farmers harvested 66000 acres of dry beans for a total production of 1254 million pounds up from the 53000 acres harvested in 2009 and the 848 million pounds producedThe state ranked eighth in the nation in dry bean production in 2010 Also last year Coloradorsquos beans were valued at a total of $301 million up from $257 million in 2009 A decline in dry beans began in 1998 and was attributed to a variety of factors including the drought years of the early 2000s and higher prices for other crops The acreage of dry beans - primarily pinto beans in Colorado but including light red kidney great northern black or turtle beans Anasazi garbanzo navy pink yellow and small red beans - was as low as 44000 after there were 155000 acres of dry beans harvested in the state back in 1998 Weld Countyrsquos dry bean production numbers werenrsquot included in the 2010 NASS report but in 2009 there were 6400 acres of beans harvested

in Weld ranking it fourth in the state behind Yuma Dolores and Montezuma counties Before the late 1990s decline upwards of 20000 acres of the crop had been grown in Weld The recent rebound in acreage is due in part to a return of irrigation water availability and improved prices driven by export markets The majority of beans produced in Weld are exported to Mexico The pinto bean is a staple of Mexican cooking and is widely available dried and canned Red kidney beans are commonly used in making chili while the other beans are used in salads and a variety of other dishes Weld farmers usually plant their crop between May 20 and July 1 depending on weather conditions Harvesting starts in late August and wraps up in September or early October Beans grow on vines which at harvest are cut at the ground The vines are then put in windrows to dry before farmers move through the fields with a combine The combine with a head designed specifically for beans gathers the vines and shakes the beans out of their pods into a hopper The combine then ejects the remaining debris back on the field

Bean production on the reBound in colorado10raiSed

in Weld

eric BellaMYebellamygreeleytribunecom

$299Month2011 Sierra 1500 Ext Cab SLE39 Months $3000 Due at Signing 10k MilesYear

Excludes Taxes Stock G5080

2011 Sierra 1500 Ext Cab SLE39 Months $3000 Due at Signing 10k MilesYear

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Driven to do whatrsquos RIGHT

There are two types of corn grown for livestock feed rations in Weld County Corn for grain historically has taken more than 100000 acres of farmland in Weld on an annual basis while corn for silage ranges from 40000 to 45000 acres each year Taken together corn is among one of the top three crops grown in the county in terms of acreage Winter wheat and hay are the other major crops In 2007 corn moved up to the leading crop produced in Colorado in terms of total value and production Corn for silage is the first of the two corn crops to come out of the ground each year and because of Weldrsquos large livestock operation it leads the state in the production of silage each year producing in excess of 1 million tons per year The Colorado office for the National Agricultural Statistics Service didnrsquot have a county-by-county breakdown of the statersquos corn for silage production in its 2010 report However according to that report it was a record year for the statersquos crop as a whole The statersquos farmers harvested 100000 acres of corn for silage and produced 245 million tons for a record yield of 245 tons per acre - topping the mark of 24 tons per acre set in 1998 and 1999

The easiest way to distinguish the two types of corn is by its stalk height and size of the ear Corn for silage grows to be 10 feet or taller but has a very thin ear corn for grain has a shorter stalk and fuller ear Corn for silage is cut at the ground by a harvester who chops the stalk and ear before throwing the mixture into waiting trucks There is a small window in late summer or early fall that the crop can be harvested with the right moisture content It is then taken to pits where it can be stored and used as part of the feed ration for beef cattle dairy and other livestock operations Corn for grain is harvested with combines and the kernels collected by the machine are then flaked and used in livestock feed rations and in recent years for the production of ethanol to be mixed with gasoline The by-product from ethanol plants however goes back to livestock feeding and dairy operations to be used as part of the feed ration Because of the large number of beef cattle and dairies in Weld the county continues to be a corn-deficient area As such it imports corn from other counties in Colorado as well as other states Both crops are planted from mid-April to early June depending on weather conditions and the

harvest of corn for grain usually starts in the later part of August and is complete by early October In 2010 according to the Colorado office for the National Agricultural Statistics Service 93700 acres of corn for grain were harvested in Weld producing 182 million bushels ranking it third in the state behind Yuma and Kit Carson counties which were first and second respectively Yuma County has led the nation in corn for grain production in recent years The 2010 NASS report didnrsquot have numbers for corn for silage In 2009 about 45000 acres of corn for silage were planted

Corn Comes in two varietiesbut serves the same purpose

11 raiseDin weLD

MILLET BARLEY OTHER SMALL-GRAIN CROPS A STAPLE OF WELD AGRICULTURE While winter wheat is the major small-grain crop in Weld others are dotted across the landscape including millet - the only crop in which Colorado ranks fi rst in the nation for production According to the Rocky Mountain Agribusiness Association Coloradorsquos millet farmers produce half of the countryrsquos supply Millet has traditionally been used in the US mainly for birdseed and some baking and beer brewing but globally according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture it sustains one-third of the worldrsquos population Compared to 2010 US millet exports are up 63 percent and Colorado exports have risen 87 percent states the RMAA The gluten-free crop is also fi nding more uses domestically as gluten-free products are a rising trend Well-known companies such as Betty Crocker and General Mills are using millet to offer products to those wanting to eliminate gluten from their diets and for people with celiac disease who otherwise canrsquot tolerate the proteins in wheat rye and barley According to the Colorado offi ce of the National Agricultural Statistics Service in 2010 the statersquos farmers harvested 215000 acres of millet producing 71 million bushels Those numbers were up from 2009 when Colorado farmers harvested 150000 acres producing 53 million bushels The Colorado northeastern plains is the region where most of the statersquos millet is grown A breakdown of millet production by county wasnrsquot available in the 2010 NASS report Sunfl owers have seen an overall increase in popularity in the past few years Like millet it is a small-grain crop that needs little water and is a good rotation crop used by wheat farmers as the deep-root system aerates the soil while also bringing those dryland farmers another source of income In recent years Weld County has ranked second in the state in the production of sunfl owers trailing only Kiowa County in the southeast part of Colorado - although the majority of the crop is grown in the northern and eastern

areas of the state In 2010 Weld County produced more than 106 million pounds of sunfl owers from 6400 acres Production numbers were not available for Kiowa County in the 2010 report to see how Weld compared Sunfl owers are grown for their oil and for birdseed or other similar uses In Weld most of the crop is the oil variety the county produced more than 5 million pounds for that purpose in 2008 Much of the countyrsquos barley crop is grown under contact and is used for the brewing of beer at the Miller-Coors plant in Golden In 2010 Weld farmers harvested 7600 acres of barley - down from the 12400 acres harvested in 2009 - and produced 740000 bushels - also a drop from last year when the county produced almost 12 million bushels Weldrsquos 2010 barley numbers again ranked the county fourth in the state behind Rio Grande Saguache and Alamosa counties all in southern Colorado Barley grown under contract must meet strict requirements by the brewing company If it doesnrsquot it is used as animal feed at a considerably lower price than that of brewing barley Sorghum for grain is one of the lesser crops in Weld The crops can be planted on wheat ground that is heavily hailed early in the season allowing farmers to get a crop off those fi elds Oats is another of those crops that is limited in acreage and in all cases those crops are used as livestock feed In 2010 the agricultural statistics offi ce reported that the statersquos millet crop had a value at $305 (double what it was the previous year) barley was at $306 million (down from the $548 million value in 2009) sunfl owers were at $358 million (up from $218 million in 2009) and sorghum for grain was valued at $371 million (up from $20 million in 2009) A value for sorghum for silage in 2010 was not available However in 2009 it was valued at $24 million

production of sunfl owers trailing only Kiowa County in the southeast part of Colorado - although the majority of the crop is grown in the northern and eastern

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14RAISEDIN WELD VEGETABLES

As an old saying goes if itrsquos not grown somewhere in Weld County then it may not be needed And when it comes to vegetables Weld farmers grow just about everything from asparagus to zucchini In 2010 according to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the statersquos vegetable growers produced more than 5757 million pounds from four fresh market crops - onions sweet corn cabbage cantaloupe They had a value of $825 million In 2009 the state produced 5657 million pounds for a total value of about $72 million In Weld County vegetable farmers dealt with severe weather conditions in 2009 and again in 2010 as early hail and wind storms took their toll In many cases however some of those crops were replanted and as the harvest season got started the quality of those crops was at least average The state statistics office does not track vegetable acreage by county because of disclosure requirements of individual operators While the acreage of vegetables took a downturn at the beginning of the century due to a lack of irrigation water some of that was returned in the past three years when water was more readily available due to average to above average snowpack in the mountains and higher amounts of precipitation As a result the state was ranked in the top 10 in the nation for the production of the four fresh market crops in 2010 led by cantaloupe (ranked No 4) storage onions - the majority of which are grown in the northern part of the state - at No 6 and cabbage and sweet corn both at No 7 In addition the state ranks high in potatoes - fifth in the nation - but the majority of that crop is now produced in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado while there are only two large potato producers left in Weld County Traditionally about 60 percent of the storage onion crop is grown in northern Colorado which includes Weld Adams Larimer and Morgan counties In 2009 onion acreage in the state was about 8000 and that decreased to about 7500 last year In the past there were two types of onions grown in Weld - a crop that was

transplanted from starts in southern climate such as Texas or Arizona which is sent to market right after harvest and a second that is produced from seed and can be stored to be marketed over the fall and winter months Transplant onions however represent only a small percentage of those grown in northern Colorado probably 5 percent or less The Western Slope once had upwards of 3000 acre of onions but that has declined to between 500 and 1000 as growers in that part of the state deal with early frosts which onions canrsquot stand and transportation problems There are more than half dozen produce companies in Adams and Weld counties that grow and market onions Weld is home to Community Supported Agriculture farms that offer a wide variety of produce to their members Those farms provide a wide selection of organically grown vegetables along with egg meat products and honey They also bring those products to area farmers markets and some take online andor telephone orders In addition several roadside stands around the county offer seasonal products Weld is also home to Hungenberg Produce the only commercial carrot producer in the state with close to 1000 acres The company also grows cabbage and onion sets both of which are shipped to various markets in the state and nation There were 2900 acres of cabbage harvested in the state in 2010 according to the statistics office which produced almost 1334 million pounds that had a value of $153 million The arearsquos largest commercial producer of sweet corn is Sakata Farms of Brighton which grows the crop in Adams and Weld counties Sweet corn also produced on the Western Slope saw 7500 acres harvested in 2010 producing more than 1125 million pounds with a value of $163 million Martin Produce of Greeley and Strohauer Farms of La Salle market potatoes with Strohauer offering a wide range of fingerling potatoes in addition to those sent to supermarkets Both operations also grow and market onions while Strohauer also has a line of broiler onions pearl onions shallots and cipollini onions

The 2012 Census of Agriculture will be the next ag census released It will be available in 2013

COUNTY TOTAL SALES CROPS LIVESTOCK

2007 CENSUS OfAGRICULTURE mARKETVALUE Of PRODUCTION

Fresno Calif $373 billion $25 billion $12 billion

Tulare Calif $333 billion $12 billion $21 billion

Kern Calif $32 billion $25 billion $6527 million

Merced Calif $23 billion $8793 million $14 billion

Monterey Calif $217 billion $213 billion $391 million

Stanislaus Calif $182 billion $736 million $11 billion

San Joaquin Calif $156 billion $9916 million $5726 million

Weld Colo $154 billion $2727 million $126 billion

Kings Calif $135 billion $651 million $706 million

Ventura Calif $131 billion $13 billion $131 million

1

3

5

7

9

22

44

66

88

1010

ERIC BELLAmYebellamygreeleytribunecom

DIVERSITY IS NAmE Of GAmE INWELD VEGETABLE PRODUCTION

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UP TO

Since Weld is one of the top 10 agriculture counties in the nation itrsquos no surprise that agritourism is establishing a foothold here Agritourism according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture covers a wide variety of recreational educational and other leisure activities and services related to agriculture that take place on or off the farm or ranch and that connect consumers with the heritage natural resources or culinary experience they value There are three general classifications of the agritourism activities mdash on-farmranch food-based and heritage activities According to the latest Census of Agriculture released in 2007 there were 679 Colorado farms that offered agritourism and recreational services totaling almost $33 million in farm income Those numbers have likely increased during the past four years The next ag census will be released in 2013 based on 2012 numbers In 2006 according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture and Colorado State University economists Colorado agritourism locations hosted 13 million visitors which resulted in a $22 billion overall economic impact Wendy White a marketing specialist for the department of agriculture said there are no updated figures available from that original survey conducted by CSU with grant funding

AGRITOURISM STROnG In weldAndeRSOn FARMS6728 Weld County Road 325 Erie(303) 828-5210wwwandersonfarmscom

COlORAdO CATTle COMpAnyamp GUeST RAnCh70008 Weld County Road 132 New Raymer(970) 437-5345wwwcoloradocattlecompanycom

COlORAdO wInGSpORT41132 Weld County Road 13 Ft Collins(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ewe BeT RAnCh1850 E Highway 60 Loveland(970) 635-2370wwwewebetranchcom

FRITzleR FAMIly CORn MAze15630 Highway 256 La Salle (970) 737-2129wwwFritzlerMazecom

MIlleR FARMS9040 Highway 66 Platteville(970) 785-6133wwwmillerfarmsnet

MOnROe ORGAnIC FARMS llC25525 Weld County Road 48 Kersey(970) 284-7941wwwmonroefarmcom

pAwnee SpORTSMenS CenTeR40419 Weld County Road 71 Briggsdale(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ROCky plAInS BISOn RAnCh4022 Weld County Road 11 Dacono (303) 833-3791wwwrockyplainscom

wIndSOR dAIRy6427 Weld County Road 685 Windsor(970) 674-0571wwwwindsordairycom

MAzzOTTIrsquoS pUMpkIn pATCh24120 Weld County Road 8 Hudson(303) 536-4089wwwmazzottifarmscom

TIGGeS FARM12404 Weld County Road 645 Greeley(970) 686-7225notillkathycomcastnet

wIld weST MAze6876 Weld County Road 47 Hudson(303) 536-9200wwwwildwestmazecom

Source wwwcoloradoagritourismcom Fritzler Family Corn Maze

15 RAISedIn weld

260 Factory RoadEaton CO 80615(970) 454-4000

wwwaglandinccom

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Impact4HaY6WELD RaNKS 6 BEEtS7

WHEat8REcORDS9

BEaNS 10cORN 11 DaIRY 12 SmaLL GRaINS 14

VEGEtaBLES 14aGRItOuRISm 15

according to maxey numerous factors play into Weld countyrsquos success the high plains of northern colorado provide an ideal climate for livestock - plenty of sunshine not overly hot in the summer cool at night and moderate winters as he described

Weld county also has plenty of open space for the animals smart and savvy agriculture producers outstanding 4-H and other youth development programs a variety of good leaders and policy makers - at the local state and national levels - who come from the area and ldquotherersquos a recognition of the importance of agriculture from the communityrdquo

ldquoWe really have it all hererdquo maxey added ldquoWersquore very blessedrdquoIf maxeyrsquos comments arenrsquot convincing enough the numbers that place Weld county among

the nationrsquos elite in livestock production certainly areaccording to the most recent census of agriculture which was released in 2007 Weld

county was ranked No 8 in the nation in overall market value of agriculture production according to that census Weld countyrsquos market value of production was $154 billion with $126 billion of that - more than 80 percent - in livestock operations

Weld was ranked No 1 in the nation in the value of sheep goats and their products No 1 in the number of sheep and lambs No 2 in the value of cattle and calves and No 3 in the value of all livestock poultry and their products

In the state the county was ranked No 1 in 16 of the 27 categories surveyed by the census additionally coloradorsquos total value of receipts for dairy products in the state exceeded $457

million in 2010 - one of the top in the state for leading agricultural commodities - and half of the dairy cows in the state are located in Weld County According to the Colorado office for the National agricultural Statistics Service there were about 66000 dairy cattle in Weld county at the beginning of the year with about 123000 statewide

And Weld County can expect those numbers to grow significantly during the next few years as anywhere from 50000 to 70000 additional dairy cows will be needed to meet the demand of the new Leprino Foodsrsquo cheese plant in Greeley expected to begin operations this year

Just 50 years ago large-scale livestock feeding was in its infancy in Weld county and it was at about the same time that the county moved into its lofty national ranking moving up to fifth in the nation as determined by the Census of Agriculture in terms of annual receipts of agricultural production

according to the census of agriculture which dates back to the 1820 decennial census Weld has been as high second in the nation since the 1964 census and has never dropped out of the top 10 since then In most census years it has been the only county in the top 10 outside of california

the county remains home to two of the largest cattle feeding operations in the nation operated by JBS uSa Five Rivers cattle Feeding that cattle-feeding operation which has four if its 11 feedlots in colorado has a one-time feeding capacity of close to 1 million head In Weld county it operates feedlots near Gilcrest and Kersey as well as one in Yuma and another near Lamar in southern colorado those four lots have a one-time capacity of about 365000 head

According to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service at the start of this year there were 545000 cattle and calves in Weld county 48000 beef cows on ranches - all increases from the previous year

While the present and future look bright for livestock and dairy operations in Weld county Bill Hammerich chief executive officer with the Colorado Livestock Association in Greeley said much of that success is owed to Weldrsquos pioneers of the past

ldquoWersquore very fortunate here in Weld county to be surrounded in history that features such true visionariesrdquo said Hammerich who has worked for the colorado Livestock association since 2002 and whose professional career has centered around livestock feeding operations in northern colorado

according to Hammerich as well as the colorado Department of agriculture the current concept of feedlots in the west began with two Weld county icons WD Farr and Warren Monfort who first fed sheep in pens because the sheep coming in off pasture in the fall reduced the price By feeding them they could avoid fall price drops and have product to sell year-round

monfort started what is now JBS Five Rivers by feeding 18 head of cattle in the early 1930s on his farm north of Greeley monfortrsquos other innovations include bringing the packinghouse to the feedlot and the Greeley beef-packing plant now operated by JBS uSa that plant began operation in may 1960 under the direction of Kenny monfort who pioneered the concept of boxed beef - slicing various cuts of beef that would fit in a box that could then be shipped to wholesale and retail outlets previously cattle carcasses had been shipped by truck to those operations which then processed them into specific cuts of beef

Weld county is home to large lamb-feeding operations family hog and equine operations and cattle ranching operations Lamb-feeding operations in Weld stretch from Windsor to Eaton to the Fort Lupton area Lambs are fed 60-90 days coming into those feedlots at 70 pounds or more many of those lambs are processed by the JBS plant which is near its beef packing plant as well as another processor in Denver

Weld is a leader in the state for numbers of equine animals - horses donkey and mules according to the 2007 agriculture census there were more than 10000 horses in Weld county and combined with ponies mules donkeys and burros while there was a value of more than $5 million in ldquoother animals and animal productsrdquo which ranked the county No 1 in the state

CoverphotobyJIm RYDBOmjrydbomgreeleytribunecom

ContinuedfromCover 3 RaISEDIN WELD

Weld County ranges from fertile irrigated farmlands around Greeley to extensive rangeland to the north and east with dryland areas coming in above the valley fl oors The county according to the latest Census of Agriculture released in 2007 ranks eighth in the nation in value of agricultural products sold which includes almost $273 million in crops and $126 billion in livestock In Weld the market value of agricultural products sold increased 36 percent from 2002 to 2007 to more than $15 billion up from $11 billion in 2002 - the year the previous census came out Weld is home to two JBS USA Five Rivers Cattle Feeding feedlots which are among the nationrsquos largest JBS averages about 180000 cattle on feed at its Gilcrest and Kuner locations Overall the cattle and calves inventory in Weld County for 2010 was 545000 head according to the Colorado offi ce of the National Agricultural Statistics Service which ranks fi rst in the state Yuma County at 255000 head and Morgan County at 220000 head are second and third in the state In addition Weld is also a large lamb feeding county with feedlots containing in excess of 300000 head on a one-time basis JBS USA operates lamb as well as beef packing plants in Greeley The majority of the statersquos dairy cows are also located in Weld with 66000 head this year according to the statistics offi ce Of the statersquos 123000 dairy cows 104600 of them are in Weld Morgan and Larimer counties Weld encompasses more than 257 million acres of land It is the third largest county in Colorado and is the third most populous area outside the Denver metropolitan area with a population of 260185 according to 2010 census fi gures which represents a44 percent increase since 2000

About 85 percent of Weld County is privately owned with the other 15 percent held almost equally by the federal and state governments About 75 percent of the countyrsquos total acres - a little more than 2 million - are in agriculture and looking only at the privately held land nearly 90 percent of those acres are in agriculture During the 1980s and 1990s Weld County saw an explosion in population and several thousand acres of land were taken out of production to be replaced by new homes But in 2007 the latest Census of Agriculture indicated that trend had changed dramatically as the number of farms increased by 26 percent and the land in farms went up 15 percent from 3121 farms to 3921 farms in Weld County with 208 million acres up from 18 million acres The average size of the farms in the county however decreased from 581 acres in the 2002 census to 533 acres in the 2007 census The history of most of Weld County is inseparably bound to the development of irrigation In 1870 one of the fi rst agriculture colonies in Colorado was established where the Poudre River meets the South Platte River Originally it was known as the Union Colony but was later renamed Greeley The colonists pooled their resources and moved quickly to build irrigation ditches Ten miles of ditch were completed the fi rst summer with 27 more miles the following year irrigating 25000 acres Today there are nearly 1000 miles of irrigation canals irrigating close to 400000 acres which contributes to Weld County being ranked fi rst in the state for agricultural products sold andeighth in the nation in recent years

The production of agricultural products on farms and ranches is how many people think of agriculture The economic contribution of farms and ranches is often referred to as ldquofarm productionrdquo or ldquoproduction at the farm gaterdquo However the impact of agriculture on the economy is much broader than just the production from farms and ranches Agribusiness encompasses the traditional farm production of commodities such as wheat corn livestock green and horse industries with linkages to the agricultural inputs necessary for their growth Agribusiness also includes the processing and marketing necessary to bring the fi nal goods to the consumer The agricultural inputs sector includes chemicals seeds fertilizers feed fuel machinery and veterinary services The processing and marketing sectors include businesses such as grain elevators meat packinghouses warehousing and transportation of food products

4RAISEDIN WELD

IMPACT OF AGRICULTUREIS FELT THROUGHOUT WELD

ERIC BELLAMYebellamygreeleytribunecom

the fi rst agriculture colonies in Colorado was established where the Poudre River meets the South Platte River Originally it was known as the Union Colony but was later renamed Greeley The colonists pooled their resources and moved quickly to build irrigation ditches Ten miles of ditch were completed the fi rst summer with 27 more miles the following year irrigating 25000

Today there are nearly 1000 miles of irrigation canals irrigating close to 400000 acres which contributes to Weld County being ranked fi rst in the

Delivering excellent

health care in Weld County for over 100 years

A Spirit of Women hospital

This year has been an interesting one for hay growers everywhere including Weld County Weather conditions for the crop locally have been good but that wasnrsquot at all the case in many other parts of the state and country especially where historic drought made growing forage for livestock a difficult task As a result of the dry conditions in southeast Colorado New Mexico Texas and other areas of the South and Midwest hay prices shot through the roof for farmers where the crop was growing places like Weld County This summer hay prices across the board in northeast Colorado have been about $50 to $75 more per ton than they were a year ago Because of its large livestock operations hay is an important aspect of agriculture in Weld and in most years it is the No 1 crop harvested in the county in terms of acreage - although there are years when it is surpassed by corn and wheat With this yearrsquos hay harvest still under way numbers were not available for the 2011 crop However according to the Colorado office of National Agriculture

Statistics Service Weld County harvested 106000 acres of alfalfa and 38000 acres of other hay in 2010 ranking the county No 1 in the state for hay production last year Those 144000 total acres were down slightly from 2009 when Weld County farmers harvested 151000 acres In comparison to Weld Countyrsquos other major crops 129500 acres of wheat were harvested in 2010 while 93700 acres of corn for grain were harvested Corn for silage numbers in 2010 werenrsquot available in the NASS 2010 report to determine the total amount of corn acres harvested last year The value of hay produced in the state in 2010 was placed at $492 million down from $625 million in 2009 The alfalfa crop alone was valued at $451 million in 2009 and that went down to $362 million in 2010 according to the statistics office Alfalfa hay farmers will get three or four cuttings of alfalfa hay per year depending on weather conditions They will average about 1-2 tons to the on each cutting In 2010 Weld produced 590000 tons of alfalfa hay and

69300 tons of other hay which includes grass and other forage hay crops Alfalfa hay can be ground as a feed source or baled and stored to be added to a feed ration The harvest of that crop can begin as early as the first week of June and can continue through the end of September to early October but that depends on weather conditions and the condition of the crop The cutting of other hay crops begins in early July and is usually completed by the end of September The yield of those crops are typically only a percentage of irrigated alfalfa but again wet years can produce a bumper crop In most cases that crop is baled and used as winterfeed for ranch cattle when pasture grass in dormant Hay is swathed and put in windrows in a field allowed to dry and then is baled and moved to storage Some green alfalfa is chopped and used in the feed ration for both dairy and beef animals Typically the first cutting of alfalfa hay goes to dairy operations because of its high quality

2011 unique for hay farmers Weld leads state in production for 2010

6raisedin Weld

hoW Weld countyranKs in colorado

total value of products sold 1Value of crops including nursery and greenhouses 1Value of livestock poultry and their products 1Grains oilseeds dry beans and dry peas 3Vegetables melons potatoes and sweet potatoes 3Nursery greenhouse floriculture and sold 2cut christmas trees short rotation woody crops 5other crops and hay 1poultry and eggs 1cattle and calves 1milk and other products from cows 1hogs and pigs 10sheep goats and their products 1horses ponies mules burros and donkeys 2aguaculture 8other animals and animal products 1

top crop itemsforage crops (hay grass silage greenchop) 1Wheat for grain all 11corn for grain 4corn for silage 1Vegetables harvested for sale 4

top liVestocK inVentorylayers 1turkeys 1cattle and calves 1Pullet for laying flock replacement 1sheep and lambs 1

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Hesston series offers bale sizes of 3X3-3X4 or 4X4bullPowerful fuel effi cient engines available in engine HP of 240-320 wclean air technologyLargest roomiest cab in itrsquos classDyna-VT transmissions the most effi cient in the industryVisionary control arm technology gives fi nger tip control of all functions

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Sugar beets have been a part of the agricultural scene in northern Colorado for more than 100 years - said to have bought and paid for more farms in the region than any other crop

Despite seeing a statewide decrease in significance over the years Weld County continues to be a solid producer of sugar beets leading Colorado in total production by a long shot In 2010 10100 acres of sugar beets were harvested in Weld County producing 322000 tons Yuma County was second last year with 5400 acres producing about 155000 tons followed by Logan County with 3400 acres harvested and 93000 tons produced and then Larimer County with 2700 acres and 79500 tons according to the Colorado office of National Agriculture Statistics Service

Statewide total production numbers were down a little bit in 2010 compared to the previous year Last year there were 27900 acres harvested that produced 823000 tons while in 2009 there were 35000 acres harvested that produced 963000 tons The 2009 sugar beet total production numbers represented the best in the state in more than a decade

While total production was down last

year yield per acre was at an all-time high in 2010 for Colorado farmers as they got 295 tons per acre topping the previous mark of 275 tons in 2009

Sugar beets were introduced to northern Colorado in the early 1900s and sugar beet processing plants dotted the landscape from Longmont to Fort Collins from Brighton to Eaton and east to Fort Morgan Sterling and Ovid

Now however only the Fort Morgan processing plant remains and it processes the majority of the regionrsquos beets The Greeley plant was razed to make room for Leprino Foodsrsquo new cheese processing plant which will begin operations in November

Greeley and Eaton opened the first two sugar factories in Weld in 1902 and others followed in Windsor (1904) Fort Lupton (1920) and Johnstown (1926) At one time there were 13 factories operating in northern Colorado

According to the NASS the record-high acreage for sugar beets was 242000 in 1930 and the record low was 2500 in 1985 It has been tracking sugar beet production in the state since 1905 The low came during a time when the former Great Western Sugar Co was in bankruptcy It

was purchased out of bankruptcy by Tate amp Lyle - a British company that renamed it the Western Sugar Co

In the late 1990s Tate amp Lyle began looking for a buyer because of the volatile sugar market in the US and in April 2002 the sale to the Western Sugar Cooperative a group of more than 1000 sugar beet growers in Colorado Nebraska Wyoming and Montana was finalized The cooperative which is based in Denver contracts beets to growers in the four states

Sugar beets are usually the first crop planted and the last harvested They are planted as early as late March to early April depending on soil temperatures Harvest usually starts in late September with enough beets going to processing facilities to get them up and going That harvest can continue into November but it will be February or March of the following year before all of them are processed into sugar

The Western Sugar Cooperative according to its website produces

retail lines of sugar products under the

label as well as several private labels Products include fine granulated sugar in

sizes from 110-ounce

packets to25-pound

bags as well as powdered sugar and

light and dark brown sugar

The cooperative also ships sugar to

industrial customers For that market Western

packages sugar into bags ranging in size from 1 pound to 100 pounds and packages super sacks with weight up

to 2300 pounds The sugar is transported by truck and rail

and sugar produced byWestern can be found in all 50 states

A Century lAter beets remAin signifiCAnt to weld AgriCulture

7 rAisedin weld

It was a catastrophe avoided area farmers said In 2009 the state produced about 98 million bushels of winter wheat ranking behind only Kansas Although Colorado produced 105 million bushels in 2010 the state dropped to No 5 in the national rankings (Crop failures in Texas and Oklahoma had helped move Colorado up in the national standings two years ago)On an average during the past 10 years Colorado is eighth in US winter wheat production Coloradorsquos 2010 winter wheat production was the statersquos largest since 1985 before farmers started entering a federal program encouraging them to take some land out of production In addition to historic total production Coloradorsquos wheat farmers also recorded the best yields in the state history at 455 bushels per acre topping the 1999 standard of 438 Weld County ranked 10th in the state last year in total production of winter wheat with the 129500 acres harvested producing 58 million bushels Kit Carson County led the way for Colorado harvesting 252500 acres of winter wheat and producing 138 million bushels Yields in Kit Carson County were 546 bushels per acre The estimated value of Coloradorsquos winter wheat crop in 2010 was $592 million with spring wheat adding another $14 million for a grand total of $606 million in overall wheat value Winter wheat is grown on dryland regions of the country ranging from one end of the nation to the other Itrsquos planted in early fall and emerges hopefully then goes into dormancy over the winter months In the spring once the soil temperatures warm the crop begins growing depending on rain for moisture and traditionally in Weld County harvest starts around July 4 and can continue into early August

After a couple record-breaking years Coloradorsquos wheat farmers were relieved just to get 2011rsquos crop harvested mdash let alone record above-average yields Colorado ranked No 2 in the nation for total winter wheat production in 2009 mdash the statersquos highest ranking ever in that category mdash and followed that up with recording the best total production in state history in 2010 But this yearrsquos crop got off to a much rockier start A lack of moisture last fall that lasted

into the spring had farmers in the region anticipating a poor harvest mdash that is until May rains revived the crop and then some According to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the winter wheat harvested in Colorado this summer recorded yields of 40 bushels per acre mdash well above the 10-year average for 316 mdash with total production of about 80 million bushels mdash topping the 10-year average of 67 million bushels in that category

JIM RYDBOMjrydbomgreeleytribunecom

8RAISEDIN WELD RECORDS COLORADO CROp RECORD HIgH AND LOWS

fOR ACREAgE YIELD AND pRODuCtION

BARLEYAcres Harvested 971000 1945 4000 197980 1879Yield per Acre 135 bushels 2009 15 bushels 1925 1879production (bushels) 2254 million 1945 104000 1879 1879

CORNAcres Harvested 1527 million 1933 23000 1879 1879Yield per Acre 160 bushels 1988 66 bushels 1934 1879production (bushels) 159 million 1999 400000 1881 1879

CORN fOR SILAgEAcres Harvested 299000 1972 30000 1928 1919Yield per Acre 245 tons 2010 25 tons 1934 1919production (tons) 523 million 1972 127000 1925 1919

ALL DRY BEANSAcres Harvested 460000 1943 5000 1909 1909Yield per Acre 2170 pounds 2002 174 pounds 1932 1909production (pounds) 4725 million 1990 29 million 1909 1909

ALL HAYAcres Harvested 168 million 1923 117 million 1910 1909Yield per Acre 326 tons 1998 116 tons 1934 1909production (tons) 478 million 2001 145 million 1934 1909

ONIONSAcres Harvested 17800 1995 700 1918 1918Yield per Acre 50000 pounds 2004 12000 pounds 1934 1918production (pounds) 6141 million 1995 97 million 1918 1918

ALL pOtAtOESAcres Harvested 136000 1922 6000 187980 1879Yield per Acre 4000 pounds 2009 3330 pounds 1889 1879production (pounds) 325 billion 1996 216 million 1880 1879

SugAR BEEtSAcres Harvested 242000 1930 2500 1985 1905Yield per Acre 295 tons 2010 93 tons 19081934 1905production (tons) 33 million 1930 46000 1985 1905

ALL WHEAtAcres Harvested 352 million 1985 11000 1869 1869Yield per Acre 455 bushels 2010 88 bushels 1934 1869production (bushels) 1393 million 1985 275000 1869 1869

COLORADO LIvEStOCk RECORD HIgHS AND LOWS

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

CAttLEAll Cattle 375 million head 1973 47000 head 1867 1867Beef Cows 112 million head 1974 406000 head 1927 1920Milk Cows 300000 head 1934 2000 head 1867 1867Calf Crop 112 million head 1973 482000 head 1927 1924Cattle on feed 12 million head 2001 87000 head 1935 1928

HOgSAll Hogs 910000 head 1999 2000 head 1866 1866Breeding Hogs 210000 head 1999 20000 head 1984 1963Market Hogs 705000 head 2005 143000 head 1965 1963pig Crop 29 million head 2000 377000 head 1988 1988

SHEEp AND LAMBSAll 375 million head 1930 360000 head 2004 1920Market 335000 head 1998 165000 head 2002 1994Breeding 19 million head 1942 180000 head 2004-05 1920Lamb Crop 1375 million head 1943 175000 head 2003 1924

COLORADO WHEAt CROp BREAkINgRECORDS SuRpRISINg fARMERS

It was a catastrophe avoided area farmers said In 2009 the state produced about 98 million bushels of winter wheat ranking behind only Kansas Although Colorado produced 105 million bushels in 2010 the state dropped to No 5 in the national rankings (Crop failures in Texas and Oklahoma had helped move Colorado up in the national standings two years ago)On an average during the past 10 years Colorado is eighth in US winter wheat production Coloradorsquos 2010 winter wheat production was the statersquos largest since 1985 before farmers started entering a federal program encouraging them to take some land out of production In addition to historic total production Coloradorsquos wheat farmers also recorded the best yields in the state history at 455 bushels per acre topping the 1999 standard of 438 Weld County ranked 10th in the state last year in total production of winter wheat with the 129500 acres harvested producing 58 million bushels Kit Carson County led the way for Colorado harvesting 252500 acres of winter wheat and producing 138 million bushels Yields in Kit Carson County were 546 bushels per acre The estimated value of Coloradorsquos winter wheat crop in 2010 was $592 million with spring wheat adding another $14 million for a grand total of $606 million in overall wheat value Winter wheat is grown on dryland regions of the country ranging from one end of the nation to the other Itrsquos planted in early fall and emerges hopefully then goes into dormancy over the winter months In the spring once the soil temperatures warm the crop begins growing depending on rain for moisture and traditionally in Weld County harvest starts around July 4 and can continue into early August

After a couple record-breaking years Coloradorsquos wheat farmers were relieved just to get 2011rsquos crop harvested mdash let alone record above-average yields Colorado ranked No 2 in the nation for total winter wheat production in 2009 mdash the statersquos highest ranking ever in that category mdash and followed that up with recording the best total production in state history in 2010 But this yearrsquos crop got off to a much rockier start A lack of moisture last fall that lasted

into the spring had farmers in the region anticipating a poor harvest mdash that is until May rains revived the crop and then some According to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the winter wheat harvested in Colorado this summer recorded yields of 40 bushels per acre mdash well above the 10-year average for 316 mdash with total production of about 80 million bushels mdash topping the 10-year average of 67 million bushels in that category

JIM RYDBOMjrydbomgreeleytribunecom

8RAISEDIN WELD RECORDS COLORADO CROp RECORD HIgH AND LOWS

fOR ACREAgE YIELD AND pRODuCtION

BARLEYAcres Harvested 971000 1945 4000 197980 1879Yield per Acre 135 bushels 2009 15 bushels 1925 1879production (bushels) 2254 million 1945 104000 1879 1879

CORNAcres Harvested 1527 million 1933 23000 1879 1879Yield per Acre 160 bushels 1988 66 bushels 1934 1879production (bushels) 159 million 1999 400000 1881 1879

CORN fOR SILAgEAcres Harvested 299000 1972 30000 1928 1919Yield per Acre 245 tons 2010 25 tons 1934 1919production (tons) 523 million 1972 127000 1925 1919

ALL DRY BEANSAcres Harvested 460000 1943 5000 1909 1909Yield per Acre 2170 pounds 2002 174 pounds 1932 1909production (pounds) 4725 million 1990 29 million 1909 1909

ALL HAYAcres Harvested 168 million 1923 117 million 1910 1909Yield per Acre 326 tons 1998 116 tons 1934 1909production (tons) 478 million 2001 145 million 1934 1909

ONIONSAcres Harvested 17800 1995 700 1918 1918Yield per Acre 50000 pounds 2004 12000 pounds 1934 1918production (pounds) 6141 million 1995 97 million 1918 1918

ALL pOtAtOESAcres Harvested 136000 1922 6000 187980 1879Yield per Acre 4000 pounds 2009 3330 pounds 1889 1879production (pounds) 325 billion 1996 216 million 1880 1879

SugAR BEEtSAcres Harvested 242000 1930 2500 1985 1905Yield per Acre 295 tons 2010 93 tons 19081934 1905production (tons) 33 million 1930 46000 1985 1905

ALL WHEAtAcres Harvested 352 million 1985 11000 1869 1869Yield per Acre 455 bushels 2010 88 bushels 1934 1869production (bushels) 1393 million 1985 275000 1869 1869

COLORADO LIvEStOCk RECORD HIgHS AND LOWS

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

CAttLEAll Cattle 375 million head 1973 47000 head 1867 1867Beef Cows 112 million head 1974 406000 head 1927 1920Milk Cows 300000 head 1934 2000 head 1867 1867Calf Crop 112 million head 1973 482000 head 1927 1924Cattle on feed 12 million head 2001 87000 head 1935 1928

HOgSAll Hogs 910000 head 1999 2000 head 1866 1866Breeding Hogs 210000 head 1999 20000 head 1984 1963Market Hogs 705000 head 2005 143000 head 1965 1963pig Crop 29 million head 2000 377000 head 1988 1988

SHEEp AND LAMBSAll 375 million head 1930 360000 head 2004 1920Market 335000 head 1998 165000 head 2002 1994Breeding 19 million head 1942 180000 head 2004-05 1920Lamb Crop 1375 million head 1943 175000 head 2003 1924

COLORADO WHEAt CROp BREAkINgRECORDS SuRpRISINg fARMERS

The increase in dry bean production in Colorado during recent years continued its steady climb upward in 2010 According to the Colorado office of the National Agriculture Statistics Service Colorado farmers harvested 66000 acres of dry beans for a total production of 1254 million pounds up from the 53000 acres harvested in 2009 and the 848 million pounds producedThe state ranked eighth in the nation in dry bean production in 2010 Also last year Coloradorsquos beans were valued at a total of $301 million up from $257 million in 2009 A decline in dry beans began in 1998 and was attributed to a variety of factors including the drought years of the early 2000s and higher prices for other crops The acreage of dry beans - primarily pinto beans in Colorado but including light red kidney great northern black or turtle beans Anasazi garbanzo navy pink yellow and small red beans - was as low as 44000 after there were 155000 acres of dry beans harvested in the state back in 1998 Weld Countyrsquos dry bean production numbers werenrsquot included in the 2010 NASS report but in 2009 there were 6400 acres of beans harvested

in Weld ranking it fourth in the state behind Yuma Dolores and Montezuma counties Before the late 1990s decline upwards of 20000 acres of the crop had been grown in Weld The recent rebound in acreage is due in part to a return of irrigation water availability and improved prices driven by export markets The majority of beans produced in Weld are exported to Mexico The pinto bean is a staple of Mexican cooking and is widely available dried and canned Red kidney beans are commonly used in making chili while the other beans are used in salads and a variety of other dishes Weld farmers usually plant their crop between May 20 and July 1 depending on weather conditions Harvesting starts in late August and wraps up in September or early October Beans grow on vines which at harvest are cut at the ground The vines are then put in windrows to dry before farmers move through the fields with a combine The combine with a head designed specifically for beans gathers the vines and shakes the beans out of their pods into a hopper The combine then ejects the remaining debris back on the field

Bean production on the reBound in colorado10raiSed

in Weld

eric BellaMYebellamygreeleytribunecom

$299Month2011 Sierra 1500 Ext Cab SLE39 Months $3000 Due at Signing 10k MilesYear

Excludes Taxes Stock G5080

2011 Sierra 1500 Ext Cab SLE39 Months $3000 Due at Signing 10k MilesYear

Excludes Taxes Stock G5080

HWY 34 amp 47th Ave Greeley 9703521313 wwwWeldCountyGaragecom

Driven to do whatrsquos RIGHT

There are two types of corn grown for livestock feed rations in Weld County Corn for grain historically has taken more than 100000 acres of farmland in Weld on an annual basis while corn for silage ranges from 40000 to 45000 acres each year Taken together corn is among one of the top three crops grown in the county in terms of acreage Winter wheat and hay are the other major crops In 2007 corn moved up to the leading crop produced in Colorado in terms of total value and production Corn for silage is the first of the two corn crops to come out of the ground each year and because of Weldrsquos large livestock operation it leads the state in the production of silage each year producing in excess of 1 million tons per year The Colorado office for the National Agricultural Statistics Service didnrsquot have a county-by-county breakdown of the statersquos corn for silage production in its 2010 report However according to that report it was a record year for the statersquos crop as a whole The statersquos farmers harvested 100000 acres of corn for silage and produced 245 million tons for a record yield of 245 tons per acre - topping the mark of 24 tons per acre set in 1998 and 1999

The easiest way to distinguish the two types of corn is by its stalk height and size of the ear Corn for silage grows to be 10 feet or taller but has a very thin ear corn for grain has a shorter stalk and fuller ear Corn for silage is cut at the ground by a harvester who chops the stalk and ear before throwing the mixture into waiting trucks There is a small window in late summer or early fall that the crop can be harvested with the right moisture content It is then taken to pits where it can be stored and used as part of the feed ration for beef cattle dairy and other livestock operations Corn for grain is harvested with combines and the kernels collected by the machine are then flaked and used in livestock feed rations and in recent years for the production of ethanol to be mixed with gasoline The by-product from ethanol plants however goes back to livestock feeding and dairy operations to be used as part of the feed ration Because of the large number of beef cattle and dairies in Weld the county continues to be a corn-deficient area As such it imports corn from other counties in Colorado as well as other states Both crops are planted from mid-April to early June depending on weather conditions and the

harvest of corn for grain usually starts in the later part of August and is complete by early October In 2010 according to the Colorado office for the National Agricultural Statistics Service 93700 acres of corn for grain were harvested in Weld producing 182 million bushels ranking it third in the state behind Yuma and Kit Carson counties which were first and second respectively Yuma County has led the nation in corn for grain production in recent years The 2010 NASS report didnrsquot have numbers for corn for silage In 2009 about 45000 acres of corn for silage were planted

Corn Comes in two varietiesbut serves the same purpose

11 raiseDin weLD

MILLET BARLEY OTHER SMALL-GRAIN CROPS A STAPLE OF WELD AGRICULTURE While winter wheat is the major small-grain crop in Weld others are dotted across the landscape including millet - the only crop in which Colorado ranks fi rst in the nation for production According to the Rocky Mountain Agribusiness Association Coloradorsquos millet farmers produce half of the countryrsquos supply Millet has traditionally been used in the US mainly for birdseed and some baking and beer brewing but globally according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture it sustains one-third of the worldrsquos population Compared to 2010 US millet exports are up 63 percent and Colorado exports have risen 87 percent states the RMAA The gluten-free crop is also fi nding more uses domestically as gluten-free products are a rising trend Well-known companies such as Betty Crocker and General Mills are using millet to offer products to those wanting to eliminate gluten from their diets and for people with celiac disease who otherwise canrsquot tolerate the proteins in wheat rye and barley According to the Colorado offi ce of the National Agricultural Statistics Service in 2010 the statersquos farmers harvested 215000 acres of millet producing 71 million bushels Those numbers were up from 2009 when Colorado farmers harvested 150000 acres producing 53 million bushels The Colorado northeastern plains is the region where most of the statersquos millet is grown A breakdown of millet production by county wasnrsquot available in the 2010 NASS report Sunfl owers have seen an overall increase in popularity in the past few years Like millet it is a small-grain crop that needs little water and is a good rotation crop used by wheat farmers as the deep-root system aerates the soil while also bringing those dryland farmers another source of income In recent years Weld County has ranked second in the state in the production of sunfl owers trailing only Kiowa County in the southeast part of Colorado - although the majority of the crop is grown in the northern and eastern

areas of the state In 2010 Weld County produced more than 106 million pounds of sunfl owers from 6400 acres Production numbers were not available for Kiowa County in the 2010 report to see how Weld compared Sunfl owers are grown for their oil and for birdseed or other similar uses In Weld most of the crop is the oil variety the county produced more than 5 million pounds for that purpose in 2008 Much of the countyrsquos barley crop is grown under contact and is used for the brewing of beer at the Miller-Coors plant in Golden In 2010 Weld farmers harvested 7600 acres of barley - down from the 12400 acres harvested in 2009 - and produced 740000 bushels - also a drop from last year when the county produced almost 12 million bushels Weldrsquos 2010 barley numbers again ranked the county fourth in the state behind Rio Grande Saguache and Alamosa counties all in southern Colorado Barley grown under contract must meet strict requirements by the brewing company If it doesnrsquot it is used as animal feed at a considerably lower price than that of brewing barley Sorghum for grain is one of the lesser crops in Weld The crops can be planted on wheat ground that is heavily hailed early in the season allowing farmers to get a crop off those fi elds Oats is another of those crops that is limited in acreage and in all cases those crops are used as livestock feed In 2010 the agricultural statistics offi ce reported that the statersquos millet crop had a value at $305 (double what it was the previous year) barley was at $306 million (down from the $548 million value in 2009) sunfl owers were at $358 million (up from $218 million in 2009) and sorghum for grain was valued at $371 million (up from $20 million in 2009) A value for sorghum for silage in 2010 was not available However in 2009 it was valued at $24 million

production of sunfl owers trailing only Kiowa County in the southeast part of Colorado - although the majority of the crop is grown in the northern and eastern

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14RAISEDIN WELD VEGETABLES

As an old saying goes if itrsquos not grown somewhere in Weld County then it may not be needed And when it comes to vegetables Weld farmers grow just about everything from asparagus to zucchini In 2010 according to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the statersquos vegetable growers produced more than 5757 million pounds from four fresh market crops - onions sweet corn cabbage cantaloupe They had a value of $825 million In 2009 the state produced 5657 million pounds for a total value of about $72 million In Weld County vegetable farmers dealt with severe weather conditions in 2009 and again in 2010 as early hail and wind storms took their toll In many cases however some of those crops were replanted and as the harvest season got started the quality of those crops was at least average The state statistics office does not track vegetable acreage by county because of disclosure requirements of individual operators While the acreage of vegetables took a downturn at the beginning of the century due to a lack of irrigation water some of that was returned in the past three years when water was more readily available due to average to above average snowpack in the mountains and higher amounts of precipitation As a result the state was ranked in the top 10 in the nation for the production of the four fresh market crops in 2010 led by cantaloupe (ranked No 4) storage onions - the majority of which are grown in the northern part of the state - at No 6 and cabbage and sweet corn both at No 7 In addition the state ranks high in potatoes - fifth in the nation - but the majority of that crop is now produced in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado while there are only two large potato producers left in Weld County Traditionally about 60 percent of the storage onion crop is grown in northern Colorado which includes Weld Adams Larimer and Morgan counties In 2009 onion acreage in the state was about 8000 and that decreased to about 7500 last year In the past there were two types of onions grown in Weld - a crop that was

transplanted from starts in southern climate such as Texas or Arizona which is sent to market right after harvest and a second that is produced from seed and can be stored to be marketed over the fall and winter months Transplant onions however represent only a small percentage of those grown in northern Colorado probably 5 percent or less The Western Slope once had upwards of 3000 acre of onions but that has declined to between 500 and 1000 as growers in that part of the state deal with early frosts which onions canrsquot stand and transportation problems There are more than half dozen produce companies in Adams and Weld counties that grow and market onions Weld is home to Community Supported Agriculture farms that offer a wide variety of produce to their members Those farms provide a wide selection of organically grown vegetables along with egg meat products and honey They also bring those products to area farmers markets and some take online andor telephone orders In addition several roadside stands around the county offer seasonal products Weld is also home to Hungenberg Produce the only commercial carrot producer in the state with close to 1000 acres The company also grows cabbage and onion sets both of which are shipped to various markets in the state and nation There were 2900 acres of cabbage harvested in the state in 2010 according to the statistics office which produced almost 1334 million pounds that had a value of $153 million The arearsquos largest commercial producer of sweet corn is Sakata Farms of Brighton which grows the crop in Adams and Weld counties Sweet corn also produced on the Western Slope saw 7500 acres harvested in 2010 producing more than 1125 million pounds with a value of $163 million Martin Produce of Greeley and Strohauer Farms of La Salle market potatoes with Strohauer offering a wide range of fingerling potatoes in addition to those sent to supermarkets Both operations also grow and market onions while Strohauer also has a line of broiler onions pearl onions shallots and cipollini onions

The 2012 Census of Agriculture will be the next ag census released It will be available in 2013

COUNTY TOTAL SALES CROPS LIVESTOCK

2007 CENSUS OfAGRICULTURE mARKETVALUE Of PRODUCTION

Fresno Calif $373 billion $25 billion $12 billion

Tulare Calif $333 billion $12 billion $21 billion

Kern Calif $32 billion $25 billion $6527 million

Merced Calif $23 billion $8793 million $14 billion

Monterey Calif $217 billion $213 billion $391 million

Stanislaus Calif $182 billion $736 million $11 billion

San Joaquin Calif $156 billion $9916 million $5726 million

Weld Colo $154 billion $2727 million $126 billion

Kings Calif $135 billion $651 million $706 million

Ventura Calif $131 billion $13 billion $131 million

1

3

5

7

9

22

44

66

88

1010

ERIC BELLAmYebellamygreeleytribunecom

DIVERSITY IS NAmE Of GAmE INWELD VEGETABLE PRODUCTION

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UP TO

Since Weld is one of the top 10 agriculture counties in the nation itrsquos no surprise that agritourism is establishing a foothold here Agritourism according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture covers a wide variety of recreational educational and other leisure activities and services related to agriculture that take place on or off the farm or ranch and that connect consumers with the heritage natural resources or culinary experience they value There are three general classifications of the agritourism activities mdash on-farmranch food-based and heritage activities According to the latest Census of Agriculture released in 2007 there were 679 Colorado farms that offered agritourism and recreational services totaling almost $33 million in farm income Those numbers have likely increased during the past four years The next ag census will be released in 2013 based on 2012 numbers In 2006 according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture and Colorado State University economists Colorado agritourism locations hosted 13 million visitors which resulted in a $22 billion overall economic impact Wendy White a marketing specialist for the department of agriculture said there are no updated figures available from that original survey conducted by CSU with grant funding

AGRITOURISM STROnG In weldAndeRSOn FARMS6728 Weld County Road 325 Erie(303) 828-5210wwwandersonfarmscom

COlORAdO CATTle COMpAnyamp GUeST RAnCh70008 Weld County Road 132 New Raymer(970) 437-5345wwwcoloradocattlecompanycom

COlORAdO wInGSpORT41132 Weld County Road 13 Ft Collins(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ewe BeT RAnCh1850 E Highway 60 Loveland(970) 635-2370wwwewebetranchcom

FRITzleR FAMIly CORn MAze15630 Highway 256 La Salle (970) 737-2129wwwFritzlerMazecom

MIlleR FARMS9040 Highway 66 Platteville(970) 785-6133wwwmillerfarmsnet

MOnROe ORGAnIC FARMS llC25525 Weld County Road 48 Kersey(970) 284-7941wwwmonroefarmcom

pAwnee SpORTSMenS CenTeR40419 Weld County Road 71 Briggsdale(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ROCky plAInS BISOn RAnCh4022 Weld County Road 11 Dacono (303) 833-3791wwwrockyplainscom

wIndSOR dAIRy6427 Weld County Road 685 Windsor(970) 674-0571wwwwindsordairycom

MAzzOTTIrsquoS pUMpkIn pATCh24120 Weld County Road 8 Hudson(303) 536-4089wwwmazzottifarmscom

TIGGeS FARM12404 Weld County Road 645 Greeley(970) 686-7225notillkathycomcastnet

wIld weST MAze6876 Weld County Road 47 Hudson(303) 536-9200wwwwildwestmazecom

Source wwwcoloradoagritourismcom Fritzler Family Corn Maze

15 RAISedIn weld

260 Factory RoadEaton CO 80615(970) 454-4000

wwwaglandinccom

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Weld County ranges from fertile irrigated farmlands around Greeley to extensive rangeland to the north and east with dryland areas coming in above the valley fl oors The county according to the latest Census of Agriculture released in 2007 ranks eighth in the nation in value of agricultural products sold which includes almost $273 million in crops and $126 billion in livestock In Weld the market value of agricultural products sold increased 36 percent from 2002 to 2007 to more than $15 billion up from $11 billion in 2002 - the year the previous census came out Weld is home to two JBS USA Five Rivers Cattle Feeding feedlots which are among the nationrsquos largest JBS averages about 180000 cattle on feed at its Gilcrest and Kuner locations Overall the cattle and calves inventory in Weld County for 2010 was 545000 head according to the Colorado offi ce of the National Agricultural Statistics Service which ranks fi rst in the state Yuma County at 255000 head and Morgan County at 220000 head are second and third in the state In addition Weld is also a large lamb feeding county with feedlots containing in excess of 300000 head on a one-time basis JBS USA operates lamb as well as beef packing plants in Greeley The majority of the statersquos dairy cows are also located in Weld with 66000 head this year according to the statistics offi ce Of the statersquos 123000 dairy cows 104600 of them are in Weld Morgan and Larimer counties Weld encompasses more than 257 million acres of land It is the third largest county in Colorado and is the third most populous area outside the Denver metropolitan area with a population of 260185 according to 2010 census fi gures which represents a44 percent increase since 2000

About 85 percent of Weld County is privately owned with the other 15 percent held almost equally by the federal and state governments About 75 percent of the countyrsquos total acres - a little more than 2 million - are in agriculture and looking only at the privately held land nearly 90 percent of those acres are in agriculture During the 1980s and 1990s Weld County saw an explosion in population and several thousand acres of land were taken out of production to be replaced by new homes But in 2007 the latest Census of Agriculture indicated that trend had changed dramatically as the number of farms increased by 26 percent and the land in farms went up 15 percent from 3121 farms to 3921 farms in Weld County with 208 million acres up from 18 million acres The average size of the farms in the county however decreased from 581 acres in the 2002 census to 533 acres in the 2007 census The history of most of Weld County is inseparably bound to the development of irrigation In 1870 one of the fi rst agriculture colonies in Colorado was established where the Poudre River meets the South Platte River Originally it was known as the Union Colony but was later renamed Greeley The colonists pooled their resources and moved quickly to build irrigation ditches Ten miles of ditch were completed the fi rst summer with 27 more miles the following year irrigating 25000 acres Today there are nearly 1000 miles of irrigation canals irrigating close to 400000 acres which contributes to Weld County being ranked fi rst in the state for agricultural products sold andeighth in the nation in recent years

The production of agricultural products on farms and ranches is how many people think of agriculture The economic contribution of farms and ranches is often referred to as ldquofarm productionrdquo or ldquoproduction at the farm gaterdquo However the impact of agriculture on the economy is much broader than just the production from farms and ranches Agribusiness encompasses the traditional farm production of commodities such as wheat corn livestock green and horse industries with linkages to the agricultural inputs necessary for their growth Agribusiness also includes the processing and marketing necessary to bring the fi nal goods to the consumer The agricultural inputs sector includes chemicals seeds fertilizers feed fuel machinery and veterinary services The processing and marketing sectors include businesses such as grain elevators meat packinghouses warehousing and transportation of food products

4RAISEDIN WELD

IMPACT OF AGRICULTUREIS FELT THROUGHOUT WELD

ERIC BELLAMYebellamygreeleytribunecom

the fi rst agriculture colonies in Colorado was established where the Poudre River meets the South Platte River Originally it was known as the Union Colony but was later renamed Greeley The colonists pooled their resources and moved quickly to build irrigation ditches Ten miles of ditch were completed the fi rst summer with 27 more miles the following year irrigating 25000

Today there are nearly 1000 miles of irrigation canals irrigating close to 400000 acres which contributes to Weld County being ranked fi rst in the

Delivering excellent

health care in Weld County for over 100 years

A Spirit of Women hospital

This year has been an interesting one for hay growers everywhere including Weld County Weather conditions for the crop locally have been good but that wasnrsquot at all the case in many other parts of the state and country especially where historic drought made growing forage for livestock a difficult task As a result of the dry conditions in southeast Colorado New Mexico Texas and other areas of the South and Midwest hay prices shot through the roof for farmers where the crop was growing places like Weld County This summer hay prices across the board in northeast Colorado have been about $50 to $75 more per ton than they were a year ago Because of its large livestock operations hay is an important aspect of agriculture in Weld and in most years it is the No 1 crop harvested in the county in terms of acreage - although there are years when it is surpassed by corn and wheat With this yearrsquos hay harvest still under way numbers were not available for the 2011 crop However according to the Colorado office of National Agriculture

Statistics Service Weld County harvested 106000 acres of alfalfa and 38000 acres of other hay in 2010 ranking the county No 1 in the state for hay production last year Those 144000 total acres were down slightly from 2009 when Weld County farmers harvested 151000 acres In comparison to Weld Countyrsquos other major crops 129500 acres of wheat were harvested in 2010 while 93700 acres of corn for grain were harvested Corn for silage numbers in 2010 werenrsquot available in the NASS 2010 report to determine the total amount of corn acres harvested last year The value of hay produced in the state in 2010 was placed at $492 million down from $625 million in 2009 The alfalfa crop alone was valued at $451 million in 2009 and that went down to $362 million in 2010 according to the statistics office Alfalfa hay farmers will get three or four cuttings of alfalfa hay per year depending on weather conditions They will average about 1-2 tons to the on each cutting In 2010 Weld produced 590000 tons of alfalfa hay and

69300 tons of other hay which includes grass and other forage hay crops Alfalfa hay can be ground as a feed source or baled and stored to be added to a feed ration The harvest of that crop can begin as early as the first week of June and can continue through the end of September to early October but that depends on weather conditions and the condition of the crop The cutting of other hay crops begins in early July and is usually completed by the end of September The yield of those crops are typically only a percentage of irrigated alfalfa but again wet years can produce a bumper crop In most cases that crop is baled and used as winterfeed for ranch cattle when pasture grass in dormant Hay is swathed and put in windrows in a field allowed to dry and then is baled and moved to storage Some green alfalfa is chopped and used in the feed ration for both dairy and beef animals Typically the first cutting of alfalfa hay goes to dairy operations because of its high quality

2011 unique for hay farmers Weld leads state in production for 2010

6raisedin Weld

hoW Weld countyranKs in colorado

total value of products sold 1Value of crops including nursery and greenhouses 1Value of livestock poultry and their products 1Grains oilseeds dry beans and dry peas 3Vegetables melons potatoes and sweet potatoes 3Nursery greenhouse floriculture and sold 2cut christmas trees short rotation woody crops 5other crops and hay 1poultry and eggs 1cattle and calves 1milk and other products from cows 1hogs and pigs 10sheep goats and their products 1horses ponies mules burros and donkeys 2aguaculture 8other animals and animal products 1

top crop itemsforage crops (hay grass silage greenchop) 1Wheat for grain all 11corn for grain 4corn for silage 1Vegetables harvested for sale 4

top liVestocK inVentorylayers 1turkeys 1cattle and calves 1Pullet for laying flock replacement 1sheep and lambs 1

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Sugar beets have been a part of the agricultural scene in northern Colorado for more than 100 years - said to have bought and paid for more farms in the region than any other crop

Despite seeing a statewide decrease in significance over the years Weld County continues to be a solid producer of sugar beets leading Colorado in total production by a long shot In 2010 10100 acres of sugar beets were harvested in Weld County producing 322000 tons Yuma County was second last year with 5400 acres producing about 155000 tons followed by Logan County with 3400 acres harvested and 93000 tons produced and then Larimer County with 2700 acres and 79500 tons according to the Colorado office of National Agriculture Statistics Service

Statewide total production numbers were down a little bit in 2010 compared to the previous year Last year there were 27900 acres harvested that produced 823000 tons while in 2009 there were 35000 acres harvested that produced 963000 tons The 2009 sugar beet total production numbers represented the best in the state in more than a decade

While total production was down last

year yield per acre was at an all-time high in 2010 for Colorado farmers as they got 295 tons per acre topping the previous mark of 275 tons in 2009

Sugar beets were introduced to northern Colorado in the early 1900s and sugar beet processing plants dotted the landscape from Longmont to Fort Collins from Brighton to Eaton and east to Fort Morgan Sterling and Ovid

Now however only the Fort Morgan processing plant remains and it processes the majority of the regionrsquos beets The Greeley plant was razed to make room for Leprino Foodsrsquo new cheese processing plant which will begin operations in November

Greeley and Eaton opened the first two sugar factories in Weld in 1902 and others followed in Windsor (1904) Fort Lupton (1920) and Johnstown (1926) At one time there were 13 factories operating in northern Colorado

According to the NASS the record-high acreage for sugar beets was 242000 in 1930 and the record low was 2500 in 1985 It has been tracking sugar beet production in the state since 1905 The low came during a time when the former Great Western Sugar Co was in bankruptcy It

was purchased out of bankruptcy by Tate amp Lyle - a British company that renamed it the Western Sugar Co

In the late 1990s Tate amp Lyle began looking for a buyer because of the volatile sugar market in the US and in April 2002 the sale to the Western Sugar Cooperative a group of more than 1000 sugar beet growers in Colorado Nebraska Wyoming and Montana was finalized The cooperative which is based in Denver contracts beets to growers in the four states

Sugar beets are usually the first crop planted and the last harvested They are planted as early as late March to early April depending on soil temperatures Harvest usually starts in late September with enough beets going to processing facilities to get them up and going That harvest can continue into November but it will be February or March of the following year before all of them are processed into sugar

The Western Sugar Cooperative according to its website produces

retail lines of sugar products under the

label as well as several private labels Products include fine granulated sugar in

sizes from 110-ounce

packets to25-pound

bags as well as powdered sugar and

light and dark brown sugar

The cooperative also ships sugar to

industrial customers For that market Western

packages sugar into bags ranging in size from 1 pound to 100 pounds and packages super sacks with weight up

to 2300 pounds The sugar is transported by truck and rail

and sugar produced byWestern can be found in all 50 states

A Century lAter beets remAin signifiCAnt to weld AgriCulture

7 rAisedin weld

It was a catastrophe avoided area farmers said In 2009 the state produced about 98 million bushels of winter wheat ranking behind only Kansas Although Colorado produced 105 million bushels in 2010 the state dropped to No 5 in the national rankings (Crop failures in Texas and Oklahoma had helped move Colorado up in the national standings two years ago)On an average during the past 10 years Colorado is eighth in US winter wheat production Coloradorsquos 2010 winter wheat production was the statersquos largest since 1985 before farmers started entering a federal program encouraging them to take some land out of production In addition to historic total production Coloradorsquos wheat farmers also recorded the best yields in the state history at 455 bushels per acre topping the 1999 standard of 438 Weld County ranked 10th in the state last year in total production of winter wheat with the 129500 acres harvested producing 58 million bushels Kit Carson County led the way for Colorado harvesting 252500 acres of winter wheat and producing 138 million bushels Yields in Kit Carson County were 546 bushels per acre The estimated value of Coloradorsquos winter wheat crop in 2010 was $592 million with spring wheat adding another $14 million for a grand total of $606 million in overall wheat value Winter wheat is grown on dryland regions of the country ranging from one end of the nation to the other Itrsquos planted in early fall and emerges hopefully then goes into dormancy over the winter months In the spring once the soil temperatures warm the crop begins growing depending on rain for moisture and traditionally in Weld County harvest starts around July 4 and can continue into early August

After a couple record-breaking years Coloradorsquos wheat farmers were relieved just to get 2011rsquos crop harvested mdash let alone record above-average yields Colorado ranked No 2 in the nation for total winter wheat production in 2009 mdash the statersquos highest ranking ever in that category mdash and followed that up with recording the best total production in state history in 2010 But this yearrsquos crop got off to a much rockier start A lack of moisture last fall that lasted

into the spring had farmers in the region anticipating a poor harvest mdash that is until May rains revived the crop and then some According to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the winter wheat harvested in Colorado this summer recorded yields of 40 bushels per acre mdash well above the 10-year average for 316 mdash with total production of about 80 million bushels mdash topping the 10-year average of 67 million bushels in that category

JIM RYDBOMjrydbomgreeleytribunecom

8RAISEDIN WELD RECORDS COLORADO CROp RECORD HIgH AND LOWS

fOR ACREAgE YIELD AND pRODuCtION

BARLEYAcres Harvested 971000 1945 4000 197980 1879Yield per Acre 135 bushels 2009 15 bushels 1925 1879production (bushels) 2254 million 1945 104000 1879 1879

CORNAcres Harvested 1527 million 1933 23000 1879 1879Yield per Acre 160 bushels 1988 66 bushels 1934 1879production (bushels) 159 million 1999 400000 1881 1879

CORN fOR SILAgEAcres Harvested 299000 1972 30000 1928 1919Yield per Acre 245 tons 2010 25 tons 1934 1919production (tons) 523 million 1972 127000 1925 1919

ALL DRY BEANSAcres Harvested 460000 1943 5000 1909 1909Yield per Acre 2170 pounds 2002 174 pounds 1932 1909production (pounds) 4725 million 1990 29 million 1909 1909

ALL HAYAcres Harvested 168 million 1923 117 million 1910 1909Yield per Acre 326 tons 1998 116 tons 1934 1909production (tons) 478 million 2001 145 million 1934 1909

ONIONSAcres Harvested 17800 1995 700 1918 1918Yield per Acre 50000 pounds 2004 12000 pounds 1934 1918production (pounds) 6141 million 1995 97 million 1918 1918

ALL pOtAtOESAcres Harvested 136000 1922 6000 187980 1879Yield per Acre 4000 pounds 2009 3330 pounds 1889 1879production (pounds) 325 billion 1996 216 million 1880 1879

SugAR BEEtSAcres Harvested 242000 1930 2500 1985 1905Yield per Acre 295 tons 2010 93 tons 19081934 1905production (tons) 33 million 1930 46000 1985 1905

ALL WHEAtAcres Harvested 352 million 1985 11000 1869 1869Yield per Acre 455 bushels 2010 88 bushels 1934 1869production (bushels) 1393 million 1985 275000 1869 1869

COLORADO LIvEStOCk RECORD HIgHS AND LOWS

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

CAttLEAll Cattle 375 million head 1973 47000 head 1867 1867Beef Cows 112 million head 1974 406000 head 1927 1920Milk Cows 300000 head 1934 2000 head 1867 1867Calf Crop 112 million head 1973 482000 head 1927 1924Cattle on feed 12 million head 2001 87000 head 1935 1928

HOgSAll Hogs 910000 head 1999 2000 head 1866 1866Breeding Hogs 210000 head 1999 20000 head 1984 1963Market Hogs 705000 head 2005 143000 head 1965 1963pig Crop 29 million head 2000 377000 head 1988 1988

SHEEp AND LAMBSAll 375 million head 1930 360000 head 2004 1920Market 335000 head 1998 165000 head 2002 1994Breeding 19 million head 1942 180000 head 2004-05 1920Lamb Crop 1375 million head 1943 175000 head 2003 1924

COLORADO WHEAt CROp BREAkINgRECORDS SuRpRISINg fARMERS

It was a catastrophe avoided area farmers said In 2009 the state produced about 98 million bushels of winter wheat ranking behind only Kansas Although Colorado produced 105 million bushels in 2010 the state dropped to No 5 in the national rankings (Crop failures in Texas and Oklahoma had helped move Colorado up in the national standings two years ago)On an average during the past 10 years Colorado is eighth in US winter wheat production Coloradorsquos 2010 winter wheat production was the statersquos largest since 1985 before farmers started entering a federal program encouraging them to take some land out of production In addition to historic total production Coloradorsquos wheat farmers also recorded the best yields in the state history at 455 bushels per acre topping the 1999 standard of 438 Weld County ranked 10th in the state last year in total production of winter wheat with the 129500 acres harvested producing 58 million bushels Kit Carson County led the way for Colorado harvesting 252500 acres of winter wheat and producing 138 million bushels Yields in Kit Carson County were 546 bushels per acre The estimated value of Coloradorsquos winter wheat crop in 2010 was $592 million with spring wheat adding another $14 million for a grand total of $606 million in overall wheat value Winter wheat is grown on dryland regions of the country ranging from one end of the nation to the other Itrsquos planted in early fall and emerges hopefully then goes into dormancy over the winter months In the spring once the soil temperatures warm the crop begins growing depending on rain for moisture and traditionally in Weld County harvest starts around July 4 and can continue into early August

After a couple record-breaking years Coloradorsquos wheat farmers were relieved just to get 2011rsquos crop harvested mdash let alone record above-average yields Colorado ranked No 2 in the nation for total winter wheat production in 2009 mdash the statersquos highest ranking ever in that category mdash and followed that up with recording the best total production in state history in 2010 But this yearrsquos crop got off to a much rockier start A lack of moisture last fall that lasted

into the spring had farmers in the region anticipating a poor harvest mdash that is until May rains revived the crop and then some According to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the winter wheat harvested in Colorado this summer recorded yields of 40 bushels per acre mdash well above the 10-year average for 316 mdash with total production of about 80 million bushels mdash topping the 10-year average of 67 million bushels in that category

JIM RYDBOMjrydbomgreeleytribunecom

8RAISEDIN WELD RECORDS COLORADO CROp RECORD HIgH AND LOWS

fOR ACREAgE YIELD AND pRODuCtION

BARLEYAcres Harvested 971000 1945 4000 197980 1879Yield per Acre 135 bushels 2009 15 bushels 1925 1879production (bushels) 2254 million 1945 104000 1879 1879

CORNAcres Harvested 1527 million 1933 23000 1879 1879Yield per Acre 160 bushels 1988 66 bushels 1934 1879production (bushels) 159 million 1999 400000 1881 1879

CORN fOR SILAgEAcres Harvested 299000 1972 30000 1928 1919Yield per Acre 245 tons 2010 25 tons 1934 1919production (tons) 523 million 1972 127000 1925 1919

ALL DRY BEANSAcres Harvested 460000 1943 5000 1909 1909Yield per Acre 2170 pounds 2002 174 pounds 1932 1909production (pounds) 4725 million 1990 29 million 1909 1909

ALL HAYAcres Harvested 168 million 1923 117 million 1910 1909Yield per Acre 326 tons 1998 116 tons 1934 1909production (tons) 478 million 2001 145 million 1934 1909

ONIONSAcres Harvested 17800 1995 700 1918 1918Yield per Acre 50000 pounds 2004 12000 pounds 1934 1918production (pounds) 6141 million 1995 97 million 1918 1918

ALL pOtAtOESAcres Harvested 136000 1922 6000 187980 1879Yield per Acre 4000 pounds 2009 3330 pounds 1889 1879production (pounds) 325 billion 1996 216 million 1880 1879

SugAR BEEtSAcres Harvested 242000 1930 2500 1985 1905Yield per Acre 295 tons 2010 93 tons 19081934 1905production (tons) 33 million 1930 46000 1985 1905

ALL WHEAtAcres Harvested 352 million 1985 11000 1869 1869Yield per Acre 455 bushels 2010 88 bushels 1934 1869production (bushels) 1393 million 1985 275000 1869 1869

COLORADO LIvEStOCk RECORD HIgHS AND LOWS

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

CAttLEAll Cattle 375 million head 1973 47000 head 1867 1867Beef Cows 112 million head 1974 406000 head 1927 1920Milk Cows 300000 head 1934 2000 head 1867 1867Calf Crop 112 million head 1973 482000 head 1927 1924Cattle on feed 12 million head 2001 87000 head 1935 1928

HOgSAll Hogs 910000 head 1999 2000 head 1866 1866Breeding Hogs 210000 head 1999 20000 head 1984 1963Market Hogs 705000 head 2005 143000 head 1965 1963pig Crop 29 million head 2000 377000 head 1988 1988

SHEEp AND LAMBSAll 375 million head 1930 360000 head 2004 1920Market 335000 head 1998 165000 head 2002 1994Breeding 19 million head 1942 180000 head 2004-05 1920Lamb Crop 1375 million head 1943 175000 head 2003 1924

COLORADO WHEAt CROp BREAkINgRECORDS SuRpRISINg fARMERS

The increase in dry bean production in Colorado during recent years continued its steady climb upward in 2010 According to the Colorado office of the National Agriculture Statistics Service Colorado farmers harvested 66000 acres of dry beans for a total production of 1254 million pounds up from the 53000 acres harvested in 2009 and the 848 million pounds producedThe state ranked eighth in the nation in dry bean production in 2010 Also last year Coloradorsquos beans were valued at a total of $301 million up from $257 million in 2009 A decline in dry beans began in 1998 and was attributed to a variety of factors including the drought years of the early 2000s and higher prices for other crops The acreage of dry beans - primarily pinto beans in Colorado but including light red kidney great northern black or turtle beans Anasazi garbanzo navy pink yellow and small red beans - was as low as 44000 after there were 155000 acres of dry beans harvested in the state back in 1998 Weld Countyrsquos dry bean production numbers werenrsquot included in the 2010 NASS report but in 2009 there were 6400 acres of beans harvested

in Weld ranking it fourth in the state behind Yuma Dolores and Montezuma counties Before the late 1990s decline upwards of 20000 acres of the crop had been grown in Weld The recent rebound in acreage is due in part to a return of irrigation water availability and improved prices driven by export markets The majority of beans produced in Weld are exported to Mexico The pinto bean is a staple of Mexican cooking and is widely available dried and canned Red kidney beans are commonly used in making chili while the other beans are used in salads and a variety of other dishes Weld farmers usually plant their crop between May 20 and July 1 depending on weather conditions Harvesting starts in late August and wraps up in September or early October Beans grow on vines which at harvest are cut at the ground The vines are then put in windrows to dry before farmers move through the fields with a combine The combine with a head designed specifically for beans gathers the vines and shakes the beans out of their pods into a hopper The combine then ejects the remaining debris back on the field

Bean production on the reBound in colorado10raiSed

in Weld

eric BellaMYebellamygreeleytribunecom

$299Month2011 Sierra 1500 Ext Cab SLE39 Months $3000 Due at Signing 10k MilesYear

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Driven to do whatrsquos RIGHT

There are two types of corn grown for livestock feed rations in Weld County Corn for grain historically has taken more than 100000 acres of farmland in Weld on an annual basis while corn for silage ranges from 40000 to 45000 acres each year Taken together corn is among one of the top three crops grown in the county in terms of acreage Winter wheat and hay are the other major crops In 2007 corn moved up to the leading crop produced in Colorado in terms of total value and production Corn for silage is the first of the two corn crops to come out of the ground each year and because of Weldrsquos large livestock operation it leads the state in the production of silage each year producing in excess of 1 million tons per year The Colorado office for the National Agricultural Statistics Service didnrsquot have a county-by-county breakdown of the statersquos corn for silage production in its 2010 report However according to that report it was a record year for the statersquos crop as a whole The statersquos farmers harvested 100000 acres of corn for silage and produced 245 million tons for a record yield of 245 tons per acre - topping the mark of 24 tons per acre set in 1998 and 1999

The easiest way to distinguish the two types of corn is by its stalk height and size of the ear Corn for silage grows to be 10 feet or taller but has a very thin ear corn for grain has a shorter stalk and fuller ear Corn for silage is cut at the ground by a harvester who chops the stalk and ear before throwing the mixture into waiting trucks There is a small window in late summer or early fall that the crop can be harvested with the right moisture content It is then taken to pits where it can be stored and used as part of the feed ration for beef cattle dairy and other livestock operations Corn for grain is harvested with combines and the kernels collected by the machine are then flaked and used in livestock feed rations and in recent years for the production of ethanol to be mixed with gasoline The by-product from ethanol plants however goes back to livestock feeding and dairy operations to be used as part of the feed ration Because of the large number of beef cattle and dairies in Weld the county continues to be a corn-deficient area As such it imports corn from other counties in Colorado as well as other states Both crops are planted from mid-April to early June depending on weather conditions and the

harvest of corn for grain usually starts in the later part of August and is complete by early October In 2010 according to the Colorado office for the National Agricultural Statistics Service 93700 acres of corn for grain were harvested in Weld producing 182 million bushels ranking it third in the state behind Yuma and Kit Carson counties which were first and second respectively Yuma County has led the nation in corn for grain production in recent years The 2010 NASS report didnrsquot have numbers for corn for silage In 2009 about 45000 acres of corn for silage were planted

Corn Comes in two varietiesbut serves the same purpose

11 raiseDin weLD

MILLET BARLEY OTHER SMALL-GRAIN CROPS A STAPLE OF WELD AGRICULTURE While winter wheat is the major small-grain crop in Weld others are dotted across the landscape including millet - the only crop in which Colorado ranks fi rst in the nation for production According to the Rocky Mountain Agribusiness Association Coloradorsquos millet farmers produce half of the countryrsquos supply Millet has traditionally been used in the US mainly for birdseed and some baking and beer brewing but globally according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture it sustains one-third of the worldrsquos population Compared to 2010 US millet exports are up 63 percent and Colorado exports have risen 87 percent states the RMAA The gluten-free crop is also fi nding more uses domestically as gluten-free products are a rising trend Well-known companies such as Betty Crocker and General Mills are using millet to offer products to those wanting to eliminate gluten from their diets and for people with celiac disease who otherwise canrsquot tolerate the proteins in wheat rye and barley According to the Colorado offi ce of the National Agricultural Statistics Service in 2010 the statersquos farmers harvested 215000 acres of millet producing 71 million bushels Those numbers were up from 2009 when Colorado farmers harvested 150000 acres producing 53 million bushels The Colorado northeastern plains is the region where most of the statersquos millet is grown A breakdown of millet production by county wasnrsquot available in the 2010 NASS report Sunfl owers have seen an overall increase in popularity in the past few years Like millet it is a small-grain crop that needs little water and is a good rotation crop used by wheat farmers as the deep-root system aerates the soil while also bringing those dryland farmers another source of income In recent years Weld County has ranked second in the state in the production of sunfl owers trailing only Kiowa County in the southeast part of Colorado - although the majority of the crop is grown in the northern and eastern

areas of the state In 2010 Weld County produced more than 106 million pounds of sunfl owers from 6400 acres Production numbers were not available for Kiowa County in the 2010 report to see how Weld compared Sunfl owers are grown for their oil and for birdseed or other similar uses In Weld most of the crop is the oil variety the county produced more than 5 million pounds for that purpose in 2008 Much of the countyrsquos barley crop is grown under contact and is used for the brewing of beer at the Miller-Coors plant in Golden In 2010 Weld farmers harvested 7600 acres of barley - down from the 12400 acres harvested in 2009 - and produced 740000 bushels - also a drop from last year when the county produced almost 12 million bushels Weldrsquos 2010 barley numbers again ranked the county fourth in the state behind Rio Grande Saguache and Alamosa counties all in southern Colorado Barley grown under contract must meet strict requirements by the brewing company If it doesnrsquot it is used as animal feed at a considerably lower price than that of brewing barley Sorghum for grain is one of the lesser crops in Weld The crops can be planted on wheat ground that is heavily hailed early in the season allowing farmers to get a crop off those fi elds Oats is another of those crops that is limited in acreage and in all cases those crops are used as livestock feed In 2010 the agricultural statistics offi ce reported that the statersquos millet crop had a value at $305 (double what it was the previous year) barley was at $306 million (down from the $548 million value in 2009) sunfl owers were at $358 million (up from $218 million in 2009) and sorghum for grain was valued at $371 million (up from $20 million in 2009) A value for sorghum for silage in 2010 was not available However in 2009 it was valued at $24 million

production of sunfl owers trailing only Kiowa County in the southeast part of Colorado - although the majority of the crop is grown in the northern and eastern

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2011

14RAISEDIN WELD VEGETABLES

As an old saying goes if itrsquos not grown somewhere in Weld County then it may not be needed And when it comes to vegetables Weld farmers grow just about everything from asparagus to zucchini In 2010 according to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the statersquos vegetable growers produced more than 5757 million pounds from four fresh market crops - onions sweet corn cabbage cantaloupe They had a value of $825 million In 2009 the state produced 5657 million pounds for a total value of about $72 million In Weld County vegetable farmers dealt with severe weather conditions in 2009 and again in 2010 as early hail and wind storms took their toll In many cases however some of those crops were replanted and as the harvest season got started the quality of those crops was at least average The state statistics office does not track vegetable acreage by county because of disclosure requirements of individual operators While the acreage of vegetables took a downturn at the beginning of the century due to a lack of irrigation water some of that was returned in the past three years when water was more readily available due to average to above average snowpack in the mountains and higher amounts of precipitation As a result the state was ranked in the top 10 in the nation for the production of the four fresh market crops in 2010 led by cantaloupe (ranked No 4) storage onions - the majority of which are grown in the northern part of the state - at No 6 and cabbage and sweet corn both at No 7 In addition the state ranks high in potatoes - fifth in the nation - but the majority of that crop is now produced in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado while there are only two large potato producers left in Weld County Traditionally about 60 percent of the storage onion crop is grown in northern Colorado which includes Weld Adams Larimer and Morgan counties In 2009 onion acreage in the state was about 8000 and that decreased to about 7500 last year In the past there were two types of onions grown in Weld - a crop that was

transplanted from starts in southern climate such as Texas or Arizona which is sent to market right after harvest and a second that is produced from seed and can be stored to be marketed over the fall and winter months Transplant onions however represent only a small percentage of those grown in northern Colorado probably 5 percent or less The Western Slope once had upwards of 3000 acre of onions but that has declined to between 500 and 1000 as growers in that part of the state deal with early frosts which onions canrsquot stand and transportation problems There are more than half dozen produce companies in Adams and Weld counties that grow and market onions Weld is home to Community Supported Agriculture farms that offer a wide variety of produce to their members Those farms provide a wide selection of organically grown vegetables along with egg meat products and honey They also bring those products to area farmers markets and some take online andor telephone orders In addition several roadside stands around the county offer seasonal products Weld is also home to Hungenberg Produce the only commercial carrot producer in the state with close to 1000 acres The company also grows cabbage and onion sets both of which are shipped to various markets in the state and nation There were 2900 acres of cabbage harvested in the state in 2010 according to the statistics office which produced almost 1334 million pounds that had a value of $153 million The arearsquos largest commercial producer of sweet corn is Sakata Farms of Brighton which grows the crop in Adams and Weld counties Sweet corn also produced on the Western Slope saw 7500 acres harvested in 2010 producing more than 1125 million pounds with a value of $163 million Martin Produce of Greeley and Strohauer Farms of La Salle market potatoes with Strohauer offering a wide range of fingerling potatoes in addition to those sent to supermarkets Both operations also grow and market onions while Strohauer also has a line of broiler onions pearl onions shallots and cipollini onions

The 2012 Census of Agriculture will be the next ag census released It will be available in 2013

COUNTY TOTAL SALES CROPS LIVESTOCK

2007 CENSUS OfAGRICULTURE mARKETVALUE Of PRODUCTION

Fresno Calif $373 billion $25 billion $12 billion

Tulare Calif $333 billion $12 billion $21 billion

Kern Calif $32 billion $25 billion $6527 million

Merced Calif $23 billion $8793 million $14 billion

Monterey Calif $217 billion $213 billion $391 million

Stanislaus Calif $182 billion $736 million $11 billion

San Joaquin Calif $156 billion $9916 million $5726 million

Weld Colo $154 billion $2727 million $126 billion

Kings Calif $135 billion $651 million $706 million

Ventura Calif $131 billion $13 billion $131 million

1

3

5

7

9

22

44

66

88

1010

ERIC BELLAmYebellamygreeleytribunecom

DIVERSITY IS NAmE Of GAmE INWELD VEGETABLE PRODUCTION

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UP TO

Since Weld is one of the top 10 agriculture counties in the nation itrsquos no surprise that agritourism is establishing a foothold here Agritourism according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture covers a wide variety of recreational educational and other leisure activities and services related to agriculture that take place on or off the farm or ranch and that connect consumers with the heritage natural resources or culinary experience they value There are three general classifications of the agritourism activities mdash on-farmranch food-based and heritage activities According to the latest Census of Agriculture released in 2007 there were 679 Colorado farms that offered agritourism and recreational services totaling almost $33 million in farm income Those numbers have likely increased during the past four years The next ag census will be released in 2013 based on 2012 numbers In 2006 according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture and Colorado State University economists Colorado agritourism locations hosted 13 million visitors which resulted in a $22 billion overall economic impact Wendy White a marketing specialist for the department of agriculture said there are no updated figures available from that original survey conducted by CSU with grant funding

AGRITOURISM STROnG In weldAndeRSOn FARMS6728 Weld County Road 325 Erie(303) 828-5210wwwandersonfarmscom

COlORAdO CATTle COMpAnyamp GUeST RAnCh70008 Weld County Road 132 New Raymer(970) 437-5345wwwcoloradocattlecompanycom

COlORAdO wInGSpORT41132 Weld County Road 13 Ft Collins(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ewe BeT RAnCh1850 E Highway 60 Loveland(970) 635-2370wwwewebetranchcom

FRITzleR FAMIly CORn MAze15630 Highway 256 La Salle (970) 737-2129wwwFritzlerMazecom

MIlleR FARMS9040 Highway 66 Platteville(970) 785-6133wwwmillerfarmsnet

MOnROe ORGAnIC FARMS llC25525 Weld County Road 48 Kersey(970) 284-7941wwwmonroefarmcom

pAwnee SpORTSMenS CenTeR40419 Weld County Road 71 Briggsdale(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ROCky plAInS BISOn RAnCh4022 Weld County Road 11 Dacono (303) 833-3791wwwrockyplainscom

wIndSOR dAIRy6427 Weld County Road 685 Windsor(970) 674-0571wwwwindsordairycom

MAzzOTTIrsquoS pUMpkIn pATCh24120 Weld County Road 8 Hudson(303) 536-4089wwwmazzottifarmscom

TIGGeS FARM12404 Weld County Road 645 Greeley(970) 686-7225notillkathycomcastnet

wIld weST MAze6876 Weld County Road 47 Hudson(303) 536-9200wwwwildwestmazecom

Source wwwcoloradoagritourismcom Fritzler Family Corn Maze

15 RAISedIn weld

260 Factory RoadEaton CO 80615(970) 454-4000

wwwaglandinccom

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Delivering excellent

health care in Weld County for over 100 years

A Spirit of Women hospital

This year has been an interesting one for hay growers everywhere including Weld County Weather conditions for the crop locally have been good but that wasnrsquot at all the case in many other parts of the state and country especially where historic drought made growing forage for livestock a difficult task As a result of the dry conditions in southeast Colorado New Mexico Texas and other areas of the South and Midwest hay prices shot through the roof for farmers where the crop was growing places like Weld County This summer hay prices across the board in northeast Colorado have been about $50 to $75 more per ton than they were a year ago Because of its large livestock operations hay is an important aspect of agriculture in Weld and in most years it is the No 1 crop harvested in the county in terms of acreage - although there are years when it is surpassed by corn and wheat With this yearrsquos hay harvest still under way numbers were not available for the 2011 crop However according to the Colorado office of National Agriculture

Statistics Service Weld County harvested 106000 acres of alfalfa and 38000 acres of other hay in 2010 ranking the county No 1 in the state for hay production last year Those 144000 total acres were down slightly from 2009 when Weld County farmers harvested 151000 acres In comparison to Weld Countyrsquos other major crops 129500 acres of wheat were harvested in 2010 while 93700 acres of corn for grain were harvested Corn for silage numbers in 2010 werenrsquot available in the NASS 2010 report to determine the total amount of corn acres harvested last year The value of hay produced in the state in 2010 was placed at $492 million down from $625 million in 2009 The alfalfa crop alone was valued at $451 million in 2009 and that went down to $362 million in 2010 according to the statistics office Alfalfa hay farmers will get three or four cuttings of alfalfa hay per year depending on weather conditions They will average about 1-2 tons to the on each cutting In 2010 Weld produced 590000 tons of alfalfa hay and

69300 tons of other hay which includes grass and other forage hay crops Alfalfa hay can be ground as a feed source or baled and stored to be added to a feed ration The harvest of that crop can begin as early as the first week of June and can continue through the end of September to early October but that depends on weather conditions and the condition of the crop The cutting of other hay crops begins in early July and is usually completed by the end of September The yield of those crops are typically only a percentage of irrigated alfalfa but again wet years can produce a bumper crop In most cases that crop is baled and used as winterfeed for ranch cattle when pasture grass in dormant Hay is swathed and put in windrows in a field allowed to dry and then is baled and moved to storage Some green alfalfa is chopped and used in the feed ration for both dairy and beef animals Typically the first cutting of alfalfa hay goes to dairy operations because of its high quality

2011 unique for hay farmers Weld leads state in production for 2010

6raisedin Weld

hoW Weld countyranKs in colorado

total value of products sold 1Value of crops including nursery and greenhouses 1Value of livestock poultry and their products 1Grains oilseeds dry beans and dry peas 3Vegetables melons potatoes and sweet potatoes 3Nursery greenhouse floriculture and sold 2cut christmas trees short rotation woody crops 5other crops and hay 1poultry and eggs 1cattle and calves 1milk and other products from cows 1hogs and pigs 10sheep goats and their products 1horses ponies mules burros and donkeys 2aguaculture 8other animals and animal products 1

top crop itemsforage crops (hay grass silage greenchop) 1Wheat for grain all 11corn for grain 4corn for silage 1Vegetables harvested for sale 4

top liVestocK inVentorylayers 1turkeys 1cattle and calves 1Pullet for laying flock replacement 1sheep and lambs 1

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Sugar beets have been a part of the agricultural scene in northern Colorado for more than 100 years - said to have bought and paid for more farms in the region than any other crop

Despite seeing a statewide decrease in significance over the years Weld County continues to be a solid producer of sugar beets leading Colorado in total production by a long shot In 2010 10100 acres of sugar beets were harvested in Weld County producing 322000 tons Yuma County was second last year with 5400 acres producing about 155000 tons followed by Logan County with 3400 acres harvested and 93000 tons produced and then Larimer County with 2700 acres and 79500 tons according to the Colorado office of National Agriculture Statistics Service

Statewide total production numbers were down a little bit in 2010 compared to the previous year Last year there were 27900 acres harvested that produced 823000 tons while in 2009 there were 35000 acres harvested that produced 963000 tons The 2009 sugar beet total production numbers represented the best in the state in more than a decade

While total production was down last

year yield per acre was at an all-time high in 2010 for Colorado farmers as they got 295 tons per acre topping the previous mark of 275 tons in 2009

Sugar beets were introduced to northern Colorado in the early 1900s and sugar beet processing plants dotted the landscape from Longmont to Fort Collins from Brighton to Eaton and east to Fort Morgan Sterling and Ovid

Now however only the Fort Morgan processing plant remains and it processes the majority of the regionrsquos beets The Greeley plant was razed to make room for Leprino Foodsrsquo new cheese processing plant which will begin operations in November

Greeley and Eaton opened the first two sugar factories in Weld in 1902 and others followed in Windsor (1904) Fort Lupton (1920) and Johnstown (1926) At one time there were 13 factories operating in northern Colorado

According to the NASS the record-high acreage for sugar beets was 242000 in 1930 and the record low was 2500 in 1985 It has been tracking sugar beet production in the state since 1905 The low came during a time when the former Great Western Sugar Co was in bankruptcy It

was purchased out of bankruptcy by Tate amp Lyle - a British company that renamed it the Western Sugar Co

In the late 1990s Tate amp Lyle began looking for a buyer because of the volatile sugar market in the US and in April 2002 the sale to the Western Sugar Cooperative a group of more than 1000 sugar beet growers in Colorado Nebraska Wyoming and Montana was finalized The cooperative which is based in Denver contracts beets to growers in the four states

Sugar beets are usually the first crop planted and the last harvested They are planted as early as late March to early April depending on soil temperatures Harvest usually starts in late September with enough beets going to processing facilities to get them up and going That harvest can continue into November but it will be February or March of the following year before all of them are processed into sugar

The Western Sugar Cooperative according to its website produces

retail lines of sugar products under the

label as well as several private labels Products include fine granulated sugar in

sizes from 110-ounce

packets to25-pound

bags as well as powdered sugar and

light and dark brown sugar

The cooperative also ships sugar to

industrial customers For that market Western

packages sugar into bags ranging in size from 1 pound to 100 pounds and packages super sacks with weight up

to 2300 pounds The sugar is transported by truck and rail

and sugar produced byWestern can be found in all 50 states

A Century lAter beets remAin signifiCAnt to weld AgriCulture

7 rAisedin weld

It was a catastrophe avoided area farmers said In 2009 the state produced about 98 million bushels of winter wheat ranking behind only Kansas Although Colorado produced 105 million bushels in 2010 the state dropped to No 5 in the national rankings (Crop failures in Texas and Oklahoma had helped move Colorado up in the national standings two years ago)On an average during the past 10 years Colorado is eighth in US winter wheat production Coloradorsquos 2010 winter wheat production was the statersquos largest since 1985 before farmers started entering a federal program encouraging them to take some land out of production In addition to historic total production Coloradorsquos wheat farmers also recorded the best yields in the state history at 455 bushels per acre topping the 1999 standard of 438 Weld County ranked 10th in the state last year in total production of winter wheat with the 129500 acres harvested producing 58 million bushels Kit Carson County led the way for Colorado harvesting 252500 acres of winter wheat and producing 138 million bushels Yields in Kit Carson County were 546 bushels per acre The estimated value of Coloradorsquos winter wheat crop in 2010 was $592 million with spring wheat adding another $14 million for a grand total of $606 million in overall wheat value Winter wheat is grown on dryland regions of the country ranging from one end of the nation to the other Itrsquos planted in early fall and emerges hopefully then goes into dormancy over the winter months In the spring once the soil temperatures warm the crop begins growing depending on rain for moisture and traditionally in Weld County harvest starts around July 4 and can continue into early August

After a couple record-breaking years Coloradorsquos wheat farmers were relieved just to get 2011rsquos crop harvested mdash let alone record above-average yields Colorado ranked No 2 in the nation for total winter wheat production in 2009 mdash the statersquos highest ranking ever in that category mdash and followed that up with recording the best total production in state history in 2010 But this yearrsquos crop got off to a much rockier start A lack of moisture last fall that lasted

into the spring had farmers in the region anticipating a poor harvest mdash that is until May rains revived the crop and then some According to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the winter wheat harvested in Colorado this summer recorded yields of 40 bushels per acre mdash well above the 10-year average for 316 mdash with total production of about 80 million bushels mdash topping the 10-year average of 67 million bushels in that category

JIM RYDBOMjrydbomgreeleytribunecom

8RAISEDIN WELD RECORDS COLORADO CROp RECORD HIgH AND LOWS

fOR ACREAgE YIELD AND pRODuCtION

BARLEYAcres Harvested 971000 1945 4000 197980 1879Yield per Acre 135 bushels 2009 15 bushels 1925 1879production (bushels) 2254 million 1945 104000 1879 1879

CORNAcres Harvested 1527 million 1933 23000 1879 1879Yield per Acre 160 bushels 1988 66 bushels 1934 1879production (bushels) 159 million 1999 400000 1881 1879

CORN fOR SILAgEAcres Harvested 299000 1972 30000 1928 1919Yield per Acre 245 tons 2010 25 tons 1934 1919production (tons) 523 million 1972 127000 1925 1919

ALL DRY BEANSAcres Harvested 460000 1943 5000 1909 1909Yield per Acre 2170 pounds 2002 174 pounds 1932 1909production (pounds) 4725 million 1990 29 million 1909 1909

ALL HAYAcres Harvested 168 million 1923 117 million 1910 1909Yield per Acre 326 tons 1998 116 tons 1934 1909production (tons) 478 million 2001 145 million 1934 1909

ONIONSAcres Harvested 17800 1995 700 1918 1918Yield per Acre 50000 pounds 2004 12000 pounds 1934 1918production (pounds) 6141 million 1995 97 million 1918 1918

ALL pOtAtOESAcres Harvested 136000 1922 6000 187980 1879Yield per Acre 4000 pounds 2009 3330 pounds 1889 1879production (pounds) 325 billion 1996 216 million 1880 1879

SugAR BEEtSAcres Harvested 242000 1930 2500 1985 1905Yield per Acre 295 tons 2010 93 tons 19081934 1905production (tons) 33 million 1930 46000 1985 1905

ALL WHEAtAcres Harvested 352 million 1985 11000 1869 1869Yield per Acre 455 bushels 2010 88 bushels 1934 1869production (bushels) 1393 million 1985 275000 1869 1869

COLORADO LIvEStOCk RECORD HIgHS AND LOWS

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

CAttLEAll Cattle 375 million head 1973 47000 head 1867 1867Beef Cows 112 million head 1974 406000 head 1927 1920Milk Cows 300000 head 1934 2000 head 1867 1867Calf Crop 112 million head 1973 482000 head 1927 1924Cattle on feed 12 million head 2001 87000 head 1935 1928

HOgSAll Hogs 910000 head 1999 2000 head 1866 1866Breeding Hogs 210000 head 1999 20000 head 1984 1963Market Hogs 705000 head 2005 143000 head 1965 1963pig Crop 29 million head 2000 377000 head 1988 1988

SHEEp AND LAMBSAll 375 million head 1930 360000 head 2004 1920Market 335000 head 1998 165000 head 2002 1994Breeding 19 million head 1942 180000 head 2004-05 1920Lamb Crop 1375 million head 1943 175000 head 2003 1924

COLORADO WHEAt CROp BREAkINgRECORDS SuRpRISINg fARMERS

It was a catastrophe avoided area farmers said In 2009 the state produced about 98 million bushels of winter wheat ranking behind only Kansas Although Colorado produced 105 million bushels in 2010 the state dropped to No 5 in the national rankings (Crop failures in Texas and Oklahoma had helped move Colorado up in the national standings two years ago)On an average during the past 10 years Colorado is eighth in US winter wheat production Coloradorsquos 2010 winter wheat production was the statersquos largest since 1985 before farmers started entering a federal program encouraging them to take some land out of production In addition to historic total production Coloradorsquos wheat farmers also recorded the best yields in the state history at 455 bushels per acre topping the 1999 standard of 438 Weld County ranked 10th in the state last year in total production of winter wheat with the 129500 acres harvested producing 58 million bushels Kit Carson County led the way for Colorado harvesting 252500 acres of winter wheat and producing 138 million bushels Yields in Kit Carson County were 546 bushels per acre The estimated value of Coloradorsquos winter wheat crop in 2010 was $592 million with spring wheat adding another $14 million for a grand total of $606 million in overall wheat value Winter wheat is grown on dryland regions of the country ranging from one end of the nation to the other Itrsquos planted in early fall and emerges hopefully then goes into dormancy over the winter months In the spring once the soil temperatures warm the crop begins growing depending on rain for moisture and traditionally in Weld County harvest starts around July 4 and can continue into early August

After a couple record-breaking years Coloradorsquos wheat farmers were relieved just to get 2011rsquos crop harvested mdash let alone record above-average yields Colorado ranked No 2 in the nation for total winter wheat production in 2009 mdash the statersquos highest ranking ever in that category mdash and followed that up with recording the best total production in state history in 2010 But this yearrsquos crop got off to a much rockier start A lack of moisture last fall that lasted

into the spring had farmers in the region anticipating a poor harvest mdash that is until May rains revived the crop and then some According to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the winter wheat harvested in Colorado this summer recorded yields of 40 bushels per acre mdash well above the 10-year average for 316 mdash with total production of about 80 million bushels mdash topping the 10-year average of 67 million bushels in that category

JIM RYDBOMjrydbomgreeleytribunecom

8RAISEDIN WELD RECORDS COLORADO CROp RECORD HIgH AND LOWS

fOR ACREAgE YIELD AND pRODuCtION

BARLEYAcres Harvested 971000 1945 4000 197980 1879Yield per Acre 135 bushels 2009 15 bushels 1925 1879production (bushels) 2254 million 1945 104000 1879 1879

CORNAcres Harvested 1527 million 1933 23000 1879 1879Yield per Acre 160 bushels 1988 66 bushels 1934 1879production (bushels) 159 million 1999 400000 1881 1879

CORN fOR SILAgEAcres Harvested 299000 1972 30000 1928 1919Yield per Acre 245 tons 2010 25 tons 1934 1919production (tons) 523 million 1972 127000 1925 1919

ALL DRY BEANSAcres Harvested 460000 1943 5000 1909 1909Yield per Acre 2170 pounds 2002 174 pounds 1932 1909production (pounds) 4725 million 1990 29 million 1909 1909

ALL HAYAcres Harvested 168 million 1923 117 million 1910 1909Yield per Acre 326 tons 1998 116 tons 1934 1909production (tons) 478 million 2001 145 million 1934 1909

ONIONSAcres Harvested 17800 1995 700 1918 1918Yield per Acre 50000 pounds 2004 12000 pounds 1934 1918production (pounds) 6141 million 1995 97 million 1918 1918

ALL pOtAtOESAcres Harvested 136000 1922 6000 187980 1879Yield per Acre 4000 pounds 2009 3330 pounds 1889 1879production (pounds) 325 billion 1996 216 million 1880 1879

SugAR BEEtSAcres Harvested 242000 1930 2500 1985 1905Yield per Acre 295 tons 2010 93 tons 19081934 1905production (tons) 33 million 1930 46000 1985 1905

ALL WHEAtAcres Harvested 352 million 1985 11000 1869 1869Yield per Acre 455 bushels 2010 88 bushels 1934 1869production (bushels) 1393 million 1985 275000 1869 1869

COLORADO LIvEStOCk RECORD HIgHS AND LOWS

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

CAttLEAll Cattle 375 million head 1973 47000 head 1867 1867Beef Cows 112 million head 1974 406000 head 1927 1920Milk Cows 300000 head 1934 2000 head 1867 1867Calf Crop 112 million head 1973 482000 head 1927 1924Cattle on feed 12 million head 2001 87000 head 1935 1928

HOgSAll Hogs 910000 head 1999 2000 head 1866 1866Breeding Hogs 210000 head 1999 20000 head 1984 1963Market Hogs 705000 head 2005 143000 head 1965 1963pig Crop 29 million head 2000 377000 head 1988 1988

SHEEp AND LAMBSAll 375 million head 1930 360000 head 2004 1920Market 335000 head 1998 165000 head 2002 1994Breeding 19 million head 1942 180000 head 2004-05 1920Lamb Crop 1375 million head 1943 175000 head 2003 1924

COLORADO WHEAt CROp BREAkINgRECORDS SuRpRISINg fARMERS

The increase in dry bean production in Colorado during recent years continued its steady climb upward in 2010 According to the Colorado office of the National Agriculture Statistics Service Colorado farmers harvested 66000 acres of dry beans for a total production of 1254 million pounds up from the 53000 acres harvested in 2009 and the 848 million pounds producedThe state ranked eighth in the nation in dry bean production in 2010 Also last year Coloradorsquos beans were valued at a total of $301 million up from $257 million in 2009 A decline in dry beans began in 1998 and was attributed to a variety of factors including the drought years of the early 2000s and higher prices for other crops The acreage of dry beans - primarily pinto beans in Colorado but including light red kidney great northern black or turtle beans Anasazi garbanzo navy pink yellow and small red beans - was as low as 44000 after there were 155000 acres of dry beans harvested in the state back in 1998 Weld Countyrsquos dry bean production numbers werenrsquot included in the 2010 NASS report but in 2009 there were 6400 acres of beans harvested

in Weld ranking it fourth in the state behind Yuma Dolores and Montezuma counties Before the late 1990s decline upwards of 20000 acres of the crop had been grown in Weld The recent rebound in acreage is due in part to a return of irrigation water availability and improved prices driven by export markets The majority of beans produced in Weld are exported to Mexico The pinto bean is a staple of Mexican cooking and is widely available dried and canned Red kidney beans are commonly used in making chili while the other beans are used in salads and a variety of other dishes Weld farmers usually plant their crop between May 20 and July 1 depending on weather conditions Harvesting starts in late August and wraps up in September or early October Beans grow on vines which at harvest are cut at the ground The vines are then put in windrows to dry before farmers move through the fields with a combine The combine with a head designed specifically for beans gathers the vines and shakes the beans out of their pods into a hopper The combine then ejects the remaining debris back on the field

Bean production on the reBound in colorado10raiSed

in Weld

eric BellaMYebellamygreeleytribunecom

$299Month2011 Sierra 1500 Ext Cab SLE39 Months $3000 Due at Signing 10k MilesYear

Excludes Taxes Stock G5080

2011 Sierra 1500 Ext Cab SLE39 Months $3000 Due at Signing 10k MilesYear

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Driven to do whatrsquos RIGHT

There are two types of corn grown for livestock feed rations in Weld County Corn for grain historically has taken more than 100000 acres of farmland in Weld on an annual basis while corn for silage ranges from 40000 to 45000 acres each year Taken together corn is among one of the top three crops grown in the county in terms of acreage Winter wheat and hay are the other major crops In 2007 corn moved up to the leading crop produced in Colorado in terms of total value and production Corn for silage is the first of the two corn crops to come out of the ground each year and because of Weldrsquos large livestock operation it leads the state in the production of silage each year producing in excess of 1 million tons per year The Colorado office for the National Agricultural Statistics Service didnrsquot have a county-by-county breakdown of the statersquos corn for silage production in its 2010 report However according to that report it was a record year for the statersquos crop as a whole The statersquos farmers harvested 100000 acres of corn for silage and produced 245 million tons for a record yield of 245 tons per acre - topping the mark of 24 tons per acre set in 1998 and 1999

The easiest way to distinguish the two types of corn is by its stalk height and size of the ear Corn for silage grows to be 10 feet or taller but has a very thin ear corn for grain has a shorter stalk and fuller ear Corn for silage is cut at the ground by a harvester who chops the stalk and ear before throwing the mixture into waiting trucks There is a small window in late summer or early fall that the crop can be harvested with the right moisture content It is then taken to pits where it can be stored and used as part of the feed ration for beef cattle dairy and other livestock operations Corn for grain is harvested with combines and the kernels collected by the machine are then flaked and used in livestock feed rations and in recent years for the production of ethanol to be mixed with gasoline The by-product from ethanol plants however goes back to livestock feeding and dairy operations to be used as part of the feed ration Because of the large number of beef cattle and dairies in Weld the county continues to be a corn-deficient area As such it imports corn from other counties in Colorado as well as other states Both crops are planted from mid-April to early June depending on weather conditions and the

harvest of corn for grain usually starts in the later part of August and is complete by early October In 2010 according to the Colorado office for the National Agricultural Statistics Service 93700 acres of corn for grain were harvested in Weld producing 182 million bushels ranking it third in the state behind Yuma and Kit Carson counties which were first and second respectively Yuma County has led the nation in corn for grain production in recent years The 2010 NASS report didnrsquot have numbers for corn for silage In 2009 about 45000 acres of corn for silage were planted

Corn Comes in two varietiesbut serves the same purpose

11 raiseDin weLD

MILLET BARLEY OTHER SMALL-GRAIN CROPS A STAPLE OF WELD AGRICULTURE While winter wheat is the major small-grain crop in Weld others are dotted across the landscape including millet - the only crop in which Colorado ranks fi rst in the nation for production According to the Rocky Mountain Agribusiness Association Coloradorsquos millet farmers produce half of the countryrsquos supply Millet has traditionally been used in the US mainly for birdseed and some baking and beer brewing but globally according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture it sustains one-third of the worldrsquos population Compared to 2010 US millet exports are up 63 percent and Colorado exports have risen 87 percent states the RMAA The gluten-free crop is also fi nding more uses domestically as gluten-free products are a rising trend Well-known companies such as Betty Crocker and General Mills are using millet to offer products to those wanting to eliminate gluten from their diets and for people with celiac disease who otherwise canrsquot tolerate the proteins in wheat rye and barley According to the Colorado offi ce of the National Agricultural Statistics Service in 2010 the statersquos farmers harvested 215000 acres of millet producing 71 million bushels Those numbers were up from 2009 when Colorado farmers harvested 150000 acres producing 53 million bushels The Colorado northeastern plains is the region where most of the statersquos millet is grown A breakdown of millet production by county wasnrsquot available in the 2010 NASS report Sunfl owers have seen an overall increase in popularity in the past few years Like millet it is a small-grain crop that needs little water and is a good rotation crop used by wheat farmers as the deep-root system aerates the soil while also bringing those dryland farmers another source of income In recent years Weld County has ranked second in the state in the production of sunfl owers trailing only Kiowa County in the southeast part of Colorado - although the majority of the crop is grown in the northern and eastern

areas of the state In 2010 Weld County produced more than 106 million pounds of sunfl owers from 6400 acres Production numbers were not available for Kiowa County in the 2010 report to see how Weld compared Sunfl owers are grown for their oil and for birdseed or other similar uses In Weld most of the crop is the oil variety the county produced more than 5 million pounds for that purpose in 2008 Much of the countyrsquos barley crop is grown under contact and is used for the brewing of beer at the Miller-Coors plant in Golden In 2010 Weld farmers harvested 7600 acres of barley - down from the 12400 acres harvested in 2009 - and produced 740000 bushels - also a drop from last year when the county produced almost 12 million bushels Weldrsquos 2010 barley numbers again ranked the county fourth in the state behind Rio Grande Saguache and Alamosa counties all in southern Colorado Barley grown under contract must meet strict requirements by the brewing company If it doesnrsquot it is used as animal feed at a considerably lower price than that of brewing barley Sorghum for grain is one of the lesser crops in Weld The crops can be planted on wheat ground that is heavily hailed early in the season allowing farmers to get a crop off those fi elds Oats is another of those crops that is limited in acreage and in all cases those crops are used as livestock feed In 2010 the agricultural statistics offi ce reported that the statersquos millet crop had a value at $305 (double what it was the previous year) barley was at $306 million (down from the $548 million value in 2009) sunfl owers were at $358 million (up from $218 million in 2009) and sorghum for grain was valued at $371 million (up from $20 million in 2009) A value for sorghum for silage in 2010 was not available However in 2009 it was valued at $24 million

production of sunfl owers trailing only Kiowa County in the southeast part of Colorado - although the majority of the crop is grown in the northern and eastern

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14RAISEDIN WELD VEGETABLES

As an old saying goes if itrsquos not grown somewhere in Weld County then it may not be needed And when it comes to vegetables Weld farmers grow just about everything from asparagus to zucchini In 2010 according to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the statersquos vegetable growers produced more than 5757 million pounds from four fresh market crops - onions sweet corn cabbage cantaloupe They had a value of $825 million In 2009 the state produced 5657 million pounds for a total value of about $72 million In Weld County vegetable farmers dealt with severe weather conditions in 2009 and again in 2010 as early hail and wind storms took their toll In many cases however some of those crops were replanted and as the harvest season got started the quality of those crops was at least average The state statistics office does not track vegetable acreage by county because of disclosure requirements of individual operators While the acreage of vegetables took a downturn at the beginning of the century due to a lack of irrigation water some of that was returned in the past three years when water was more readily available due to average to above average snowpack in the mountains and higher amounts of precipitation As a result the state was ranked in the top 10 in the nation for the production of the four fresh market crops in 2010 led by cantaloupe (ranked No 4) storage onions - the majority of which are grown in the northern part of the state - at No 6 and cabbage and sweet corn both at No 7 In addition the state ranks high in potatoes - fifth in the nation - but the majority of that crop is now produced in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado while there are only two large potato producers left in Weld County Traditionally about 60 percent of the storage onion crop is grown in northern Colorado which includes Weld Adams Larimer and Morgan counties In 2009 onion acreage in the state was about 8000 and that decreased to about 7500 last year In the past there were two types of onions grown in Weld - a crop that was

transplanted from starts in southern climate such as Texas or Arizona which is sent to market right after harvest and a second that is produced from seed and can be stored to be marketed over the fall and winter months Transplant onions however represent only a small percentage of those grown in northern Colorado probably 5 percent or less The Western Slope once had upwards of 3000 acre of onions but that has declined to between 500 and 1000 as growers in that part of the state deal with early frosts which onions canrsquot stand and transportation problems There are more than half dozen produce companies in Adams and Weld counties that grow and market onions Weld is home to Community Supported Agriculture farms that offer a wide variety of produce to their members Those farms provide a wide selection of organically grown vegetables along with egg meat products and honey They also bring those products to area farmers markets and some take online andor telephone orders In addition several roadside stands around the county offer seasonal products Weld is also home to Hungenberg Produce the only commercial carrot producer in the state with close to 1000 acres The company also grows cabbage and onion sets both of which are shipped to various markets in the state and nation There were 2900 acres of cabbage harvested in the state in 2010 according to the statistics office which produced almost 1334 million pounds that had a value of $153 million The arearsquos largest commercial producer of sweet corn is Sakata Farms of Brighton which grows the crop in Adams and Weld counties Sweet corn also produced on the Western Slope saw 7500 acres harvested in 2010 producing more than 1125 million pounds with a value of $163 million Martin Produce of Greeley and Strohauer Farms of La Salle market potatoes with Strohauer offering a wide range of fingerling potatoes in addition to those sent to supermarkets Both operations also grow and market onions while Strohauer also has a line of broiler onions pearl onions shallots and cipollini onions

The 2012 Census of Agriculture will be the next ag census released It will be available in 2013

COUNTY TOTAL SALES CROPS LIVESTOCK

2007 CENSUS OfAGRICULTURE mARKETVALUE Of PRODUCTION

Fresno Calif $373 billion $25 billion $12 billion

Tulare Calif $333 billion $12 billion $21 billion

Kern Calif $32 billion $25 billion $6527 million

Merced Calif $23 billion $8793 million $14 billion

Monterey Calif $217 billion $213 billion $391 million

Stanislaus Calif $182 billion $736 million $11 billion

San Joaquin Calif $156 billion $9916 million $5726 million

Weld Colo $154 billion $2727 million $126 billion

Kings Calif $135 billion $651 million $706 million

Ventura Calif $131 billion $13 billion $131 million

1

3

5

7

9

22

44

66

88

1010

ERIC BELLAmYebellamygreeleytribunecom

DIVERSITY IS NAmE Of GAmE INWELD VEGETABLE PRODUCTION

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UP TO

Since Weld is one of the top 10 agriculture counties in the nation itrsquos no surprise that agritourism is establishing a foothold here Agritourism according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture covers a wide variety of recreational educational and other leisure activities and services related to agriculture that take place on or off the farm or ranch and that connect consumers with the heritage natural resources or culinary experience they value There are three general classifications of the agritourism activities mdash on-farmranch food-based and heritage activities According to the latest Census of Agriculture released in 2007 there were 679 Colorado farms that offered agritourism and recreational services totaling almost $33 million in farm income Those numbers have likely increased during the past four years The next ag census will be released in 2013 based on 2012 numbers In 2006 according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture and Colorado State University economists Colorado agritourism locations hosted 13 million visitors which resulted in a $22 billion overall economic impact Wendy White a marketing specialist for the department of agriculture said there are no updated figures available from that original survey conducted by CSU with grant funding

AGRITOURISM STROnG In weldAndeRSOn FARMS6728 Weld County Road 325 Erie(303) 828-5210wwwandersonfarmscom

COlORAdO CATTle COMpAnyamp GUeST RAnCh70008 Weld County Road 132 New Raymer(970) 437-5345wwwcoloradocattlecompanycom

COlORAdO wInGSpORT41132 Weld County Road 13 Ft Collins(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ewe BeT RAnCh1850 E Highway 60 Loveland(970) 635-2370wwwewebetranchcom

FRITzleR FAMIly CORn MAze15630 Highway 256 La Salle (970) 737-2129wwwFritzlerMazecom

MIlleR FARMS9040 Highway 66 Platteville(970) 785-6133wwwmillerfarmsnet

MOnROe ORGAnIC FARMS llC25525 Weld County Road 48 Kersey(970) 284-7941wwwmonroefarmcom

pAwnee SpORTSMenS CenTeR40419 Weld County Road 71 Briggsdale(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ROCky plAInS BISOn RAnCh4022 Weld County Road 11 Dacono (303) 833-3791wwwrockyplainscom

wIndSOR dAIRy6427 Weld County Road 685 Windsor(970) 674-0571wwwwindsordairycom

MAzzOTTIrsquoS pUMpkIn pATCh24120 Weld County Road 8 Hudson(303) 536-4089wwwmazzottifarmscom

TIGGeS FARM12404 Weld County Road 645 Greeley(970) 686-7225notillkathycomcastnet

wIld weST MAze6876 Weld County Road 47 Hudson(303) 536-9200wwwwildwestmazecom

Source wwwcoloradoagritourismcom Fritzler Family Corn Maze

15 RAISedIn weld

260 Factory RoadEaton CO 80615(970) 454-4000

wwwaglandinccom

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This year has been an interesting one for hay growers everywhere including Weld County Weather conditions for the crop locally have been good but that wasnrsquot at all the case in many other parts of the state and country especially where historic drought made growing forage for livestock a difficult task As a result of the dry conditions in southeast Colorado New Mexico Texas and other areas of the South and Midwest hay prices shot through the roof for farmers where the crop was growing places like Weld County This summer hay prices across the board in northeast Colorado have been about $50 to $75 more per ton than they were a year ago Because of its large livestock operations hay is an important aspect of agriculture in Weld and in most years it is the No 1 crop harvested in the county in terms of acreage - although there are years when it is surpassed by corn and wheat With this yearrsquos hay harvest still under way numbers were not available for the 2011 crop However according to the Colorado office of National Agriculture

Statistics Service Weld County harvested 106000 acres of alfalfa and 38000 acres of other hay in 2010 ranking the county No 1 in the state for hay production last year Those 144000 total acres were down slightly from 2009 when Weld County farmers harvested 151000 acres In comparison to Weld Countyrsquos other major crops 129500 acres of wheat were harvested in 2010 while 93700 acres of corn for grain were harvested Corn for silage numbers in 2010 werenrsquot available in the NASS 2010 report to determine the total amount of corn acres harvested last year The value of hay produced in the state in 2010 was placed at $492 million down from $625 million in 2009 The alfalfa crop alone was valued at $451 million in 2009 and that went down to $362 million in 2010 according to the statistics office Alfalfa hay farmers will get three or four cuttings of alfalfa hay per year depending on weather conditions They will average about 1-2 tons to the on each cutting In 2010 Weld produced 590000 tons of alfalfa hay and

69300 tons of other hay which includes grass and other forage hay crops Alfalfa hay can be ground as a feed source or baled and stored to be added to a feed ration The harvest of that crop can begin as early as the first week of June and can continue through the end of September to early October but that depends on weather conditions and the condition of the crop The cutting of other hay crops begins in early July and is usually completed by the end of September The yield of those crops are typically only a percentage of irrigated alfalfa but again wet years can produce a bumper crop In most cases that crop is baled and used as winterfeed for ranch cattle when pasture grass in dormant Hay is swathed and put in windrows in a field allowed to dry and then is baled and moved to storage Some green alfalfa is chopped and used in the feed ration for both dairy and beef animals Typically the first cutting of alfalfa hay goes to dairy operations because of its high quality

2011 unique for hay farmers Weld leads state in production for 2010

6raisedin Weld

hoW Weld countyranKs in colorado

total value of products sold 1Value of crops including nursery and greenhouses 1Value of livestock poultry and their products 1Grains oilseeds dry beans and dry peas 3Vegetables melons potatoes and sweet potatoes 3Nursery greenhouse floriculture and sold 2cut christmas trees short rotation woody crops 5other crops and hay 1poultry and eggs 1cattle and calves 1milk and other products from cows 1hogs and pigs 10sheep goats and their products 1horses ponies mules burros and donkeys 2aguaculture 8other animals and animal products 1

top crop itemsforage crops (hay grass silage greenchop) 1Wheat for grain all 11corn for grain 4corn for silage 1Vegetables harvested for sale 4

top liVestocK inVentorylayers 1turkeys 1cattle and calves 1Pullet for laying flock replacement 1sheep and lambs 1

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Sugar beets have been a part of the agricultural scene in northern Colorado for more than 100 years - said to have bought and paid for more farms in the region than any other crop

Despite seeing a statewide decrease in significance over the years Weld County continues to be a solid producer of sugar beets leading Colorado in total production by a long shot In 2010 10100 acres of sugar beets were harvested in Weld County producing 322000 tons Yuma County was second last year with 5400 acres producing about 155000 tons followed by Logan County with 3400 acres harvested and 93000 tons produced and then Larimer County with 2700 acres and 79500 tons according to the Colorado office of National Agriculture Statistics Service

Statewide total production numbers were down a little bit in 2010 compared to the previous year Last year there were 27900 acres harvested that produced 823000 tons while in 2009 there were 35000 acres harvested that produced 963000 tons The 2009 sugar beet total production numbers represented the best in the state in more than a decade

While total production was down last

year yield per acre was at an all-time high in 2010 for Colorado farmers as they got 295 tons per acre topping the previous mark of 275 tons in 2009

Sugar beets were introduced to northern Colorado in the early 1900s and sugar beet processing plants dotted the landscape from Longmont to Fort Collins from Brighton to Eaton and east to Fort Morgan Sterling and Ovid

Now however only the Fort Morgan processing plant remains and it processes the majority of the regionrsquos beets The Greeley plant was razed to make room for Leprino Foodsrsquo new cheese processing plant which will begin operations in November

Greeley and Eaton opened the first two sugar factories in Weld in 1902 and others followed in Windsor (1904) Fort Lupton (1920) and Johnstown (1926) At one time there were 13 factories operating in northern Colorado

According to the NASS the record-high acreage for sugar beets was 242000 in 1930 and the record low was 2500 in 1985 It has been tracking sugar beet production in the state since 1905 The low came during a time when the former Great Western Sugar Co was in bankruptcy It

was purchased out of bankruptcy by Tate amp Lyle - a British company that renamed it the Western Sugar Co

In the late 1990s Tate amp Lyle began looking for a buyer because of the volatile sugar market in the US and in April 2002 the sale to the Western Sugar Cooperative a group of more than 1000 sugar beet growers in Colorado Nebraska Wyoming and Montana was finalized The cooperative which is based in Denver contracts beets to growers in the four states

Sugar beets are usually the first crop planted and the last harvested They are planted as early as late March to early April depending on soil temperatures Harvest usually starts in late September with enough beets going to processing facilities to get them up and going That harvest can continue into November but it will be February or March of the following year before all of them are processed into sugar

The Western Sugar Cooperative according to its website produces

retail lines of sugar products under the

label as well as several private labels Products include fine granulated sugar in

sizes from 110-ounce

packets to25-pound

bags as well as powdered sugar and

light and dark brown sugar

The cooperative also ships sugar to

industrial customers For that market Western

packages sugar into bags ranging in size from 1 pound to 100 pounds and packages super sacks with weight up

to 2300 pounds The sugar is transported by truck and rail

and sugar produced byWestern can be found in all 50 states

A Century lAter beets remAin signifiCAnt to weld AgriCulture

7 rAisedin weld

It was a catastrophe avoided area farmers said In 2009 the state produced about 98 million bushels of winter wheat ranking behind only Kansas Although Colorado produced 105 million bushels in 2010 the state dropped to No 5 in the national rankings (Crop failures in Texas and Oklahoma had helped move Colorado up in the national standings two years ago)On an average during the past 10 years Colorado is eighth in US winter wheat production Coloradorsquos 2010 winter wheat production was the statersquos largest since 1985 before farmers started entering a federal program encouraging them to take some land out of production In addition to historic total production Coloradorsquos wheat farmers also recorded the best yields in the state history at 455 bushels per acre topping the 1999 standard of 438 Weld County ranked 10th in the state last year in total production of winter wheat with the 129500 acres harvested producing 58 million bushels Kit Carson County led the way for Colorado harvesting 252500 acres of winter wheat and producing 138 million bushels Yields in Kit Carson County were 546 bushels per acre The estimated value of Coloradorsquos winter wheat crop in 2010 was $592 million with spring wheat adding another $14 million for a grand total of $606 million in overall wheat value Winter wheat is grown on dryland regions of the country ranging from one end of the nation to the other Itrsquos planted in early fall and emerges hopefully then goes into dormancy over the winter months In the spring once the soil temperatures warm the crop begins growing depending on rain for moisture and traditionally in Weld County harvest starts around July 4 and can continue into early August

After a couple record-breaking years Coloradorsquos wheat farmers were relieved just to get 2011rsquos crop harvested mdash let alone record above-average yields Colorado ranked No 2 in the nation for total winter wheat production in 2009 mdash the statersquos highest ranking ever in that category mdash and followed that up with recording the best total production in state history in 2010 But this yearrsquos crop got off to a much rockier start A lack of moisture last fall that lasted

into the spring had farmers in the region anticipating a poor harvest mdash that is until May rains revived the crop and then some According to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the winter wheat harvested in Colorado this summer recorded yields of 40 bushels per acre mdash well above the 10-year average for 316 mdash with total production of about 80 million bushels mdash topping the 10-year average of 67 million bushels in that category

JIM RYDBOMjrydbomgreeleytribunecom

8RAISEDIN WELD RECORDS COLORADO CROp RECORD HIgH AND LOWS

fOR ACREAgE YIELD AND pRODuCtION

BARLEYAcres Harvested 971000 1945 4000 197980 1879Yield per Acre 135 bushels 2009 15 bushels 1925 1879production (bushels) 2254 million 1945 104000 1879 1879

CORNAcres Harvested 1527 million 1933 23000 1879 1879Yield per Acre 160 bushels 1988 66 bushels 1934 1879production (bushels) 159 million 1999 400000 1881 1879

CORN fOR SILAgEAcres Harvested 299000 1972 30000 1928 1919Yield per Acre 245 tons 2010 25 tons 1934 1919production (tons) 523 million 1972 127000 1925 1919

ALL DRY BEANSAcres Harvested 460000 1943 5000 1909 1909Yield per Acre 2170 pounds 2002 174 pounds 1932 1909production (pounds) 4725 million 1990 29 million 1909 1909

ALL HAYAcres Harvested 168 million 1923 117 million 1910 1909Yield per Acre 326 tons 1998 116 tons 1934 1909production (tons) 478 million 2001 145 million 1934 1909

ONIONSAcres Harvested 17800 1995 700 1918 1918Yield per Acre 50000 pounds 2004 12000 pounds 1934 1918production (pounds) 6141 million 1995 97 million 1918 1918

ALL pOtAtOESAcres Harvested 136000 1922 6000 187980 1879Yield per Acre 4000 pounds 2009 3330 pounds 1889 1879production (pounds) 325 billion 1996 216 million 1880 1879

SugAR BEEtSAcres Harvested 242000 1930 2500 1985 1905Yield per Acre 295 tons 2010 93 tons 19081934 1905production (tons) 33 million 1930 46000 1985 1905

ALL WHEAtAcres Harvested 352 million 1985 11000 1869 1869Yield per Acre 455 bushels 2010 88 bushels 1934 1869production (bushels) 1393 million 1985 275000 1869 1869

COLORADO LIvEStOCk RECORD HIgHS AND LOWS

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

CAttLEAll Cattle 375 million head 1973 47000 head 1867 1867Beef Cows 112 million head 1974 406000 head 1927 1920Milk Cows 300000 head 1934 2000 head 1867 1867Calf Crop 112 million head 1973 482000 head 1927 1924Cattle on feed 12 million head 2001 87000 head 1935 1928

HOgSAll Hogs 910000 head 1999 2000 head 1866 1866Breeding Hogs 210000 head 1999 20000 head 1984 1963Market Hogs 705000 head 2005 143000 head 1965 1963pig Crop 29 million head 2000 377000 head 1988 1988

SHEEp AND LAMBSAll 375 million head 1930 360000 head 2004 1920Market 335000 head 1998 165000 head 2002 1994Breeding 19 million head 1942 180000 head 2004-05 1920Lamb Crop 1375 million head 1943 175000 head 2003 1924

COLORADO WHEAt CROp BREAkINgRECORDS SuRpRISINg fARMERS

It was a catastrophe avoided area farmers said In 2009 the state produced about 98 million bushels of winter wheat ranking behind only Kansas Although Colorado produced 105 million bushels in 2010 the state dropped to No 5 in the national rankings (Crop failures in Texas and Oklahoma had helped move Colorado up in the national standings two years ago)On an average during the past 10 years Colorado is eighth in US winter wheat production Coloradorsquos 2010 winter wheat production was the statersquos largest since 1985 before farmers started entering a federal program encouraging them to take some land out of production In addition to historic total production Coloradorsquos wheat farmers also recorded the best yields in the state history at 455 bushels per acre topping the 1999 standard of 438 Weld County ranked 10th in the state last year in total production of winter wheat with the 129500 acres harvested producing 58 million bushels Kit Carson County led the way for Colorado harvesting 252500 acres of winter wheat and producing 138 million bushels Yields in Kit Carson County were 546 bushels per acre The estimated value of Coloradorsquos winter wheat crop in 2010 was $592 million with spring wheat adding another $14 million for a grand total of $606 million in overall wheat value Winter wheat is grown on dryland regions of the country ranging from one end of the nation to the other Itrsquos planted in early fall and emerges hopefully then goes into dormancy over the winter months In the spring once the soil temperatures warm the crop begins growing depending on rain for moisture and traditionally in Weld County harvest starts around July 4 and can continue into early August

After a couple record-breaking years Coloradorsquos wheat farmers were relieved just to get 2011rsquos crop harvested mdash let alone record above-average yields Colorado ranked No 2 in the nation for total winter wheat production in 2009 mdash the statersquos highest ranking ever in that category mdash and followed that up with recording the best total production in state history in 2010 But this yearrsquos crop got off to a much rockier start A lack of moisture last fall that lasted

into the spring had farmers in the region anticipating a poor harvest mdash that is until May rains revived the crop and then some According to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the winter wheat harvested in Colorado this summer recorded yields of 40 bushels per acre mdash well above the 10-year average for 316 mdash with total production of about 80 million bushels mdash topping the 10-year average of 67 million bushels in that category

JIM RYDBOMjrydbomgreeleytribunecom

8RAISEDIN WELD RECORDS COLORADO CROp RECORD HIgH AND LOWS

fOR ACREAgE YIELD AND pRODuCtION

BARLEYAcres Harvested 971000 1945 4000 197980 1879Yield per Acre 135 bushels 2009 15 bushels 1925 1879production (bushels) 2254 million 1945 104000 1879 1879

CORNAcres Harvested 1527 million 1933 23000 1879 1879Yield per Acre 160 bushels 1988 66 bushels 1934 1879production (bushels) 159 million 1999 400000 1881 1879

CORN fOR SILAgEAcres Harvested 299000 1972 30000 1928 1919Yield per Acre 245 tons 2010 25 tons 1934 1919production (tons) 523 million 1972 127000 1925 1919

ALL DRY BEANSAcres Harvested 460000 1943 5000 1909 1909Yield per Acre 2170 pounds 2002 174 pounds 1932 1909production (pounds) 4725 million 1990 29 million 1909 1909

ALL HAYAcres Harvested 168 million 1923 117 million 1910 1909Yield per Acre 326 tons 1998 116 tons 1934 1909production (tons) 478 million 2001 145 million 1934 1909

ONIONSAcres Harvested 17800 1995 700 1918 1918Yield per Acre 50000 pounds 2004 12000 pounds 1934 1918production (pounds) 6141 million 1995 97 million 1918 1918

ALL pOtAtOESAcres Harvested 136000 1922 6000 187980 1879Yield per Acre 4000 pounds 2009 3330 pounds 1889 1879production (pounds) 325 billion 1996 216 million 1880 1879

SugAR BEEtSAcres Harvested 242000 1930 2500 1985 1905Yield per Acre 295 tons 2010 93 tons 19081934 1905production (tons) 33 million 1930 46000 1985 1905

ALL WHEAtAcres Harvested 352 million 1985 11000 1869 1869Yield per Acre 455 bushels 2010 88 bushels 1934 1869production (bushels) 1393 million 1985 275000 1869 1869

COLORADO LIvEStOCk RECORD HIgHS AND LOWS

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

CAttLEAll Cattle 375 million head 1973 47000 head 1867 1867Beef Cows 112 million head 1974 406000 head 1927 1920Milk Cows 300000 head 1934 2000 head 1867 1867Calf Crop 112 million head 1973 482000 head 1927 1924Cattle on feed 12 million head 2001 87000 head 1935 1928

HOgSAll Hogs 910000 head 1999 2000 head 1866 1866Breeding Hogs 210000 head 1999 20000 head 1984 1963Market Hogs 705000 head 2005 143000 head 1965 1963pig Crop 29 million head 2000 377000 head 1988 1988

SHEEp AND LAMBSAll 375 million head 1930 360000 head 2004 1920Market 335000 head 1998 165000 head 2002 1994Breeding 19 million head 1942 180000 head 2004-05 1920Lamb Crop 1375 million head 1943 175000 head 2003 1924

COLORADO WHEAt CROp BREAkINgRECORDS SuRpRISINg fARMERS

The increase in dry bean production in Colorado during recent years continued its steady climb upward in 2010 According to the Colorado office of the National Agriculture Statistics Service Colorado farmers harvested 66000 acres of dry beans for a total production of 1254 million pounds up from the 53000 acres harvested in 2009 and the 848 million pounds producedThe state ranked eighth in the nation in dry bean production in 2010 Also last year Coloradorsquos beans were valued at a total of $301 million up from $257 million in 2009 A decline in dry beans began in 1998 and was attributed to a variety of factors including the drought years of the early 2000s and higher prices for other crops The acreage of dry beans - primarily pinto beans in Colorado but including light red kidney great northern black or turtle beans Anasazi garbanzo navy pink yellow and small red beans - was as low as 44000 after there were 155000 acres of dry beans harvested in the state back in 1998 Weld Countyrsquos dry bean production numbers werenrsquot included in the 2010 NASS report but in 2009 there were 6400 acres of beans harvested

in Weld ranking it fourth in the state behind Yuma Dolores and Montezuma counties Before the late 1990s decline upwards of 20000 acres of the crop had been grown in Weld The recent rebound in acreage is due in part to a return of irrigation water availability and improved prices driven by export markets The majority of beans produced in Weld are exported to Mexico The pinto bean is a staple of Mexican cooking and is widely available dried and canned Red kidney beans are commonly used in making chili while the other beans are used in salads and a variety of other dishes Weld farmers usually plant their crop between May 20 and July 1 depending on weather conditions Harvesting starts in late August and wraps up in September or early October Beans grow on vines which at harvest are cut at the ground The vines are then put in windrows to dry before farmers move through the fields with a combine The combine with a head designed specifically for beans gathers the vines and shakes the beans out of their pods into a hopper The combine then ejects the remaining debris back on the field

Bean production on the reBound in colorado10raiSed

in Weld

eric BellaMYebellamygreeleytribunecom

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Driven to do whatrsquos RIGHT

There are two types of corn grown for livestock feed rations in Weld County Corn for grain historically has taken more than 100000 acres of farmland in Weld on an annual basis while corn for silage ranges from 40000 to 45000 acres each year Taken together corn is among one of the top three crops grown in the county in terms of acreage Winter wheat and hay are the other major crops In 2007 corn moved up to the leading crop produced in Colorado in terms of total value and production Corn for silage is the first of the two corn crops to come out of the ground each year and because of Weldrsquos large livestock operation it leads the state in the production of silage each year producing in excess of 1 million tons per year The Colorado office for the National Agricultural Statistics Service didnrsquot have a county-by-county breakdown of the statersquos corn for silage production in its 2010 report However according to that report it was a record year for the statersquos crop as a whole The statersquos farmers harvested 100000 acres of corn for silage and produced 245 million tons for a record yield of 245 tons per acre - topping the mark of 24 tons per acre set in 1998 and 1999

The easiest way to distinguish the two types of corn is by its stalk height and size of the ear Corn for silage grows to be 10 feet or taller but has a very thin ear corn for grain has a shorter stalk and fuller ear Corn for silage is cut at the ground by a harvester who chops the stalk and ear before throwing the mixture into waiting trucks There is a small window in late summer or early fall that the crop can be harvested with the right moisture content It is then taken to pits where it can be stored and used as part of the feed ration for beef cattle dairy and other livestock operations Corn for grain is harvested with combines and the kernels collected by the machine are then flaked and used in livestock feed rations and in recent years for the production of ethanol to be mixed with gasoline The by-product from ethanol plants however goes back to livestock feeding and dairy operations to be used as part of the feed ration Because of the large number of beef cattle and dairies in Weld the county continues to be a corn-deficient area As such it imports corn from other counties in Colorado as well as other states Both crops are planted from mid-April to early June depending on weather conditions and the

harvest of corn for grain usually starts in the later part of August and is complete by early October In 2010 according to the Colorado office for the National Agricultural Statistics Service 93700 acres of corn for grain were harvested in Weld producing 182 million bushels ranking it third in the state behind Yuma and Kit Carson counties which were first and second respectively Yuma County has led the nation in corn for grain production in recent years The 2010 NASS report didnrsquot have numbers for corn for silage In 2009 about 45000 acres of corn for silage were planted

Corn Comes in two varietiesbut serves the same purpose

11 raiseDin weLD

MILLET BARLEY OTHER SMALL-GRAIN CROPS A STAPLE OF WELD AGRICULTURE While winter wheat is the major small-grain crop in Weld others are dotted across the landscape including millet - the only crop in which Colorado ranks fi rst in the nation for production According to the Rocky Mountain Agribusiness Association Coloradorsquos millet farmers produce half of the countryrsquos supply Millet has traditionally been used in the US mainly for birdseed and some baking and beer brewing but globally according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture it sustains one-third of the worldrsquos population Compared to 2010 US millet exports are up 63 percent and Colorado exports have risen 87 percent states the RMAA The gluten-free crop is also fi nding more uses domestically as gluten-free products are a rising trend Well-known companies such as Betty Crocker and General Mills are using millet to offer products to those wanting to eliminate gluten from their diets and for people with celiac disease who otherwise canrsquot tolerate the proteins in wheat rye and barley According to the Colorado offi ce of the National Agricultural Statistics Service in 2010 the statersquos farmers harvested 215000 acres of millet producing 71 million bushels Those numbers were up from 2009 when Colorado farmers harvested 150000 acres producing 53 million bushels The Colorado northeastern plains is the region where most of the statersquos millet is grown A breakdown of millet production by county wasnrsquot available in the 2010 NASS report Sunfl owers have seen an overall increase in popularity in the past few years Like millet it is a small-grain crop that needs little water and is a good rotation crop used by wheat farmers as the deep-root system aerates the soil while also bringing those dryland farmers another source of income In recent years Weld County has ranked second in the state in the production of sunfl owers trailing only Kiowa County in the southeast part of Colorado - although the majority of the crop is grown in the northern and eastern

areas of the state In 2010 Weld County produced more than 106 million pounds of sunfl owers from 6400 acres Production numbers were not available for Kiowa County in the 2010 report to see how Weld compared Sunfl owers are grown for their oil and for birdseed or other similar uses In Weld most of the crop is the oil variety the county produced more than 5 million pounds for that purpose in 2008 Much of the countyrsquos barley crop is grown under contact and is used for the brewing of beer at the Miller-Coors plant in Golden In 2010 Weld farmers harvested 7600 acres of barley - down from the 12400 acres harvested in 2009 - and produced 740000 bushels - also a drop from last year when the county produced almost 12 million bushels Weldrsquos 2010 barley numbers again ranked the county fourth in the state behind Rio Grande Saguache and Alamosa counties all in southern Colorado Barley grown under contract must meet strict requirements by the brewing company If it doesnrsquot it is used as animal feed at a considerably lower price than that of brewing barley Sorghum for grain is one of the lesser crops in Weld The crops can be planted on wheat ground that is heavily hailed early in the season allowing farmers to get a crop off those fi elds Oats is another of those crops that is limited in acreage and in all cases those crops are used as livestock feed In 2010 the agricultural statistics offi ce reported that the statersquos millet crop had a value at $305 (double what it was the previous year) barley was at $306 million (down from the $548 million value in 2009) sunfl owers were at $358 million (up from $218 million in 2009) and sorghum for grain was valued at $371 million (up from $20 million in 2009) A value for sorghum for silage in 2010 was not available However in 2009 it was valued at $24 million

production of sunfl owers trailing only Kiowa County in the southeast part of Colorado - although the majority of the crop is grown in the northern and eastern

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2011

14RAISEDIN WELD VEGETABLES

As an old saying goes if itrsquos not grown somewhere in Weld County then it may not be needed And when it comes to vegetables Weld farmers grow just about everything from asparagus to zucchini In 2010 according to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the statersquos vegetable growers produced more than 5757 million pounds from four fresh market crops - onions sweet corn cabbage cantaloupe They had a value of $825 million In 2009 the state produced 5657 million pounds for a total value of about $72 million In Weld County vegetable farmers dealt with severe weather conditions in 2009 and again in 2010 as early hail and wind storms took their toll In many cases however some of those crops were replanted and as the harvest season got started the quality of those crops was at least average The state statistics office does not track vegetable acreage by county because of disclosure requirements of individual operators While the acreage of vegetables took a downturn at the beginning of the century due to a lack of irrigation water some of that was returned in the past three years when water was more readily available due to average to above average snowpack in the mountains and higher amounts of precipitation As a result the state was ranked in the top 10 in the nation for the production of the four fresh market crops in 2010 led by cantaloupe (ranked No 4) storage onions - the majority of which are grown in the northern part of the state - at No 6 and cabbage and sweet corn both at No 7 In addition the state ranks high in potatoes - fifth in the nation - but the majority of that crop is now produced in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado while there are only two large potato producers left in Weld County Traditionally about 60 percent of the storage onion crop is grown in northern Colorado which includes Weld Adams Larimer and Morgan counties In 2009 onion acreage in the state was about 8000 and that decreased to about 7500 last year In the past there were two types of onions grown in Weld - a crop that was

transplanted from starts in southern climate such as Texas or Arizona which is sent to market right after harvest and a second that is produced from seed and can be stored to be marketed over the fall and winter months Transplant onions however represent only a small percentage of those grown in northern Colorado probably 5 percent or less The Western Slope once had upwards of 3000 acre of onions but that has declined to between 500 and 1000 as growers in that part of the state deal with early frosts which onions canrsquot stand and transportation problems There are more than half dozen produce companies in Adams and Weld counties that grow and market onions Weld is home to Community Supported Agriculture farms that offer a wide variety of produce to their members Those farms provide a wide selection of organically grown vegetables along with egg meat products and honey They also bring those products to area farmers markets and some take online andor telephone orders In addition several roadside stands around the county offer seasonal products Weld is also home to Hungenberg Produce the only commercial carrot producer in the state with close to 1000 acres The company also grows cabbage and onion sets both of which are shipped to various markets in the state and nation There were 2900 acres of cabbage harvested in the state in 2010 according to the statistics office which produced almost 1334 million pounds that had a value of $153 million The arearsquos largest commercial producer of sweet corn is Sakata Farms of Brighton which grows the crop in Adams and Weld counties Sweet corn also produced on the Western Slope saw 7500 acres harvested in 2010 producing more than 1125 million pounds with a value of $163 million Martin Produce of Greeley and Strohauer Farms of La Salle market potatoes with Strohauer offering a wide range of fingerling potatoes in addition to those sent to supermarkets Both operations also grow and market onions while Strohauer also has a line of broiler onions pearl onions shallots and cipollini onions

The 2012 Census of Agriculture will be the next ag census released It will be available in 2013

COUNTY TOTAL SALES CROPS LIVESTOCK

2007 CENSUS OfAGRICULTURE mARKETVALUE Of PRODUCTION

Fresno Calif $373 billion $25 billion $12 billion

Tulare Calif $333 billion $12 billion $21 billion

Kern Calif $32 billion $25 billion $6527 million

Merced Calif $23 billion $8793 million $14 billion

Monterey Calif $217 billion $213 billion $391 million

Stanislaus Calif $182 billion $736 million $11 billion

San Joaquin Calif $156 billion $9916 million $5726 million

Weld Colo $154 billion $2727 million $126 billion

Kings Calif $135 billion $651 million $706 million

Ventura Calif $131 billion $13 billion $131 million

1

3

5

7

9

22

44

66

88

1010

ERIC BELLAmYebellamygreeleytribunecom

DIVERSITY IS NAmE Of GAmE INWELD VEGETABLE PRODUCTION

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Since Weld is one of the top 10 agriculture counties in the nation itrsquos no surprise that agritourism is establishing a foothold here Agritourism according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture covers a wide variety of recreational educational and other leisure activities and services related to agriculture that take place on or off the farm or ranch and that connect consumers with the heritage natural resources or culinary experience they value There are three general classifications of the agritourism activities mdash on-farmranch food-based and heritage activities According to the latest Census of Agriculture released in 2007 there were 679 Colorado farms that offered agritourism and recreational services totaling almost $33 million in farm income Those numbers have likely increased during the past four years The next ag census will be released in 2013 based on 2012 numbers In 2006 according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture and Colorado State University economists Colorado agritourism locations hosted 13 million visitors which resulted in a $22 billion overall economic impact Wendy White a marketing specialist for the department of agriculture said there are no updated figures available from that original survey conducted by CSU with grant funding

AGRITOURISM STROnG In weldAndeRSOn FARMS6728 Weld County Road 325 Erie(303) 828-5210wwwandersonfarmscom

COlORAdO CATTle COMpAnyamp GUeST RAnCh70008 Weld County Road 132 New Raymer(970) 437-5345wwwcoloradocattlecompanycom

COlORAdO wInGSpORT41132 Weld County Road 13 Ft Collins(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ewe BeT RAnCh1850 E Highway 60 Loveland(970) 635-2370wwwewebetranchcom

FRITzleR FAMIly CORn MAze15630 Highway 256 La Salle (970) 737-2129wwwFritzlerMazecom

MIlleR FARMS9040 Highway 66 Platteville(970) 785-6133wwwmillerfarmsnet

MOnROe ORGAnIC FARMS llC25525 Weld County Road 48 Kersey(970) 284-7941wwwmonroefarmcom

pAwnee SpORTSMenS CenTeR40419 Weld County Road 71 Briggsdale(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ROCky plAInS BISOn RAnCh4022 Weld County Road 11 Dacono (303) 833-3791wwwrockyplainscom

wIndSOR dAIRy6427 Weld County Road 685 Windsor(970) 674-0571wwwwindsordairycom

MAzzOTTIrsquoS pUMpkIn pATCh24120 Weld County Road 8 Hudson(303) 536-4089wwwmazzottifarmscom

TIGGeS FARM12404 Weld County Road 645 Greeley(970) 686-7225notillkathycomcastnet

wIld weST MAze6876 Weld County Road 47 Hudson(303) 536-9200wwwwildwestmazecom

Source wwwcoloradoagritourismcom Fritzler Family Corn Maze

15 RAISedIn weld

260 Factory RoadEaton CO 80615(970) 454-4000

wwwaglandinccom

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Sugar beets have been a part of the agricultural scene in northern Colorado for more than 100 years - said to have bought and paid for more farms in the region than any other crop

Despite seeing a statewide decrease in significance over the years Weld County continues to be a solid producer of sugar beets leading Colorado in total production by a long shot In 2010 10100 acres of sugar beets were harvested in Weld County producing 322000 tons Yuma County was second last year with 5400 acres producing about 155000 tons followed by Logan County with 3400 acres harvested and 93000 tons produced and then Larimer County with 2700 acres and 79500 tons according to the Colorado office of National Agriculture Statistics Service

Statewide total production numbers were down a little bit in 2010 compared to the previous year Last year there were 27900 acres harvested that produced 823000 tons while in 2009 there were 35000 acres harvested that produced 963000 tons The 2009 sugar beet total production numbers represented the best in the state in more than a decade

While total production was down last

year yield per acre was at an all-time high in 2010 for Colorado farmers as they got 295 tons per acre topping the previous mark of 275 tons in 2009

Sugar beets were introduced to northern Colorado in the early 1900s and sugar beet processing plants dotted the landscape from Longmont to Fort Collins from Brighton to Eaton and east to Fort Morgan Sterling and Ovid

Now however only the Fort Morgan processing plant remains and it processes the majority of the regionrsquos beets The Greeley plant was razed to make room for Leprino Foodsrsquo new cheese processing plant which will begin operations in November

Greeley and Eaton opened the first two sugar factories in Weld in 1902 and others followed in Windsor (1904) Fort Lupton (1920) and Johnstown (1926) At one time there were 13 factories operating in northern Colorado

According to the NASS the record-high acreage for sugar beets was 242000 in 1930 and the record low was 2500 in 1985 It has been tracking sugar beet production in the state since 1905 The low came during a time when the former Great Western Sugar Co was in bankruptcy It

was purchased out of bankruptcy by Tate amp Lyle - a British company that renamed it the Western Sugar Co

In the late 1990s Tate amp Lyle began looking for a buyer because of the volatile sugar market in the US and in April 2002 the sale to the Western Sugar Cooperative a group of more than 1000 sugar beet growers in Colorado Nebraska Wyoming and Montana was finalized The cooperative which is based in Denver contracts beets to growers in the four states

Sugar beets are usually the first crop planted and the last harvested They are planted as early as late March to early April depending on soil temperatures Harvest usually starts in late September with enough beets going to processing facilities to get them up and going That harvest can continue into November but it will be February or March of the following year before all of them are processed into sugar

The Western Sugar Cooperative according to its website produces

retail lines of sugar products under the

label as well as several private labels Products include fine granulated sugar in

sizes from 110-ounce

packets to25-pound

bags as well as powdered sugar and

light and dark brown sugar

The cooperative also ships sugar to

industrial customers For that market Western

packages sugar into bags ranging in size from 1 pound to 100 pounds and packages super sacks with weight up

to 2300 pounds The sugar is transported by truck and rail

and sugar produced byWestern can be found in all 50 states

A Century lAter beets remAin signifiCAnt to weld AgriCulture

7 rAisedin weld

It was a catastrophe avoided area farmers said In 2009 the state produced about 98 million bushels of winter wheat ranking behind only Kansas Although Colorado produced 105 million bushels in 2010 the state dropped to No 5 in the national rankings (Crop failures in Texas and Oklahoma had helped move Colorado up in the national standings two years ago)On an average during the past 10 years Colorado is eighth in US winter wheat production Coloradorsquos 2010 winter wheat production was the statersquos largest since 1985 before farmers started entering a federal program encouraging them to take some land out of production In addition to historic total production Coloradorsquos wheat farmers also recorded the best yields in the state history at 455 bushels per acre topping the 1999 standard of 438 Weld County ranked 10th in the state last year in total production of winter wheat with the 129500 acres harvested producing 58 million bushels Kit Carson County led the way for Colorado harvesting 252500 acres of winter wheat and producing 138 million bushels Yields in Kit Carson County were 546 bushels per acre The estimated value of Coloradorsquos winter wheat crop in 2010 was $592 million with spring wheat adding another $14 million for a grand total of $606 million in overall wheat value Winter wheat is grown on dryland regions of the country ranging from one end of the nation to the other Itrsquos planted in early fall and emerges hopefully then goes into dormancy over the winter months In the spring once the soil temperatures warm the crop begins growing depending on rain for moisture and traditionally in Weld County harvest starts around July 4 and can continue into early August

After a couple record-breaking years Coloradorsquos wheat farmers were relieved just to get 2011rsquos crop harvested mdash let alone record above-average yields Colorado ranked No 2 in the nation for total winter wheat production in 2009 mdash the statersquos highest ranking ever in that category mdash and followed that up with recording the best total production in state history in 2010 But this yearrsquos crop got off to a much rockier start A lack of moisture last fall that lasted

into the spring had farmers in the region anticipating a poor harvest mdash that is until May rains revived the crop and then some According to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the winter wheat harvested in Colorado this summer recorded yields of 40 bushels per acre mdash well above the 10-year average for 316 mdash with total production of about 80 million bushels mdash topping the 10-year average of 67 million bushels in that category

JIM RYDBOMjrydbomgreeleytribunecom

8RAISEDIN WELD RECORDS COLORADO CROp RECORD HIgH AND LOWS

fOR ACREAgE YIELD AND pRODuCtION

BARLEYAcres Harvested 971000 1945 4000 197980 1879Yield per Acre 135 bushels 2009 15 bushels 1925 1879production (bushels) 2254 million 1945 104000 1879 1879

CORNAcres Harvested 1527 million 1933 23000 1879 1879Yield per Acre 160 bushels 1988 66 bushels 1934 1879production (bushels) 159 million 1999 400000 1881 1879

CORN fOR SILAgEAcres Harvested 299000 1972 30000 1928 1919Yield per Acre 245 tons 2010 25 tons 1934 1919production (tons) 523 million 1972 127000 1925 1919

ALL DRY BEANSAcres Harvested 460000 1943 5000 1909 1909Yield per Acre 2170 pounds 2002 174 pounds 1932 1909production (pounds) 4725 million 1990 29 million 1909 1909

ALL HAYAcres Harvested 168 million 1923 117 million 1910 1909Yield per Acre 326 tons 1998 116 tons 1934 1909production (tons) 478 million 2001 145 million 1934 1909

ONIONSAcres Harvested 17800 1995 700 1918 1918Yield per Acre 50000 pounds 2004 12000 pounds 1934 1918production (pounds) 6141 million 1995 97 million 1918 1918

ALL pOtAtOESAcres Harvested 136000 1922 6000 187980 1879Yield per Acre 4000 pounds 2009 3330 pounds 1889 1879production (pounds) 325 billion 1996 216 million 1880 1879

SugAR BEEtSAcres Harvested 242000 1930 2500 1985 1905Yield per Acre 295 tons 2010 93 tons 19081934 1905production (tons) 33 million 1930 46000 1985 1905

ALL WHEAtAcres Harvested 352 million 1985 11000 1869 1869Yield per Acre 455 bushels 2010 88 bushels 1934 1869production (bushels) 1393 million 1985 275000 1869 1869

COLORADO LIvEStOCk RECORD HIgHS AND LOWS

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

CAttLEAll Cattle 375 million head 1973 47000 head 1867 1867Beef Cows 112 million head 1974 406000 head 1927 1920Milk Cows 300000 head 1934 2000 head 1867 1867Calf Crop 112 million head 1973 482000 head 1927 1924Cattle on feed 12 million head 2001 87000 head 1935 1928

HOgSAll Hogs 910000 head 1999 2000 head 1866 1866Breeding Hogs 210000 head 1999 20000 head 1984 1963Market Hogs 705000 head 2005 143000 head 1965 1963pig Crop 29 million head 2000 377000 head 1988 1988

SHEEp AND LAMBSAll 375 million head 1930 360000 head 2004 1920Market 335000 head 1998 165000 head 2002 1994Breeding 19 million head 1942 180000 head 2004-05 1920Lamb Crop 1375 million head 1943 175000 head 2003 1924

COLORADO WHEAt CROp BREAkINgRECORDS SuRpRISINg fARMERS

It was a catastrophe avoided area farmers said In 2009 the state produced about 98 million bushels of winter wheat ranking behind only Kansas Although Colorado produced 105 million bushels in 2010 the state dropped to No 5 in the national rankings (Crop failures in Texas and Oklahoma had helped move Colorado up in the national standings two years ago)On an average during the past 10 years Colorado is eighth in US winter wheat production Coloradorsquos 2010 winter wheat production was the statersquos largest since 1985 before farmers started entering a federal program encouraging them to take some land out of production In addition to historic total production Coloradorsquos wheat farmers also recorded the best yields in the state history at 455 bushels per acre topping the 1999 standard of 438 Weld County ranked 10th in the state last year in total production of winter wheat with the 129500 acres harvested producing 58 million bushels Kit Carson County led the way for Colorado harvesting 252500 acres of winter wheat and producing 138 million bushels Yields in Kit Carson County were 546 bushels per acre The estimated value of Coloradorsquos winter wheat crop in 2010 was $592 million with spring wheat adding another $14 million for a grand total of $606 million in overall wheat value Winter wheat is grown on dryland regions of the country ranging from one end of the nation to the other Itrsquos planted in early fall and emerges hopefully then goes into dormancy over the winter months In the spring once the soil temperatures warm the crop begins growing depending on rain for moisture and traditionally in Weld County harvest starts around July 4 and can continue into early August

After a couple record-breaking years Coloradorsquos wheat farmers were relieved just to get 2011rsquos crop harvested mdash let alone record above-average yields Colorado ranked No 2 in the nation for total winter wheat production in 2009 mdash the statersquos highest ranking ever in that category mdash and followed that up with recording the best total production in state history in 2010 But this yearrsquos crop got off to a much rockier start A lack of moisture last fall that lasted

into the spring had farmers in the region anticipating a poor harvest mdash that is until May rains revived the crop and then some According to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the winter wheat harvested in Colorado this summer recorded yields of 40 bushels per acre mdash well above the 10-year average for 316 mdash with total production of about 80 million bushels mdash topping the 10-year average of 67 million bushels in that category

JIM RYDBOMjrydbomgreeleytribunecom

8RAISEDIN WELD RECORDS COLORADO CROp RECORD HIgH AND LOWS

fOR ACREAgE YIELD AND pRODuCtION

BARLEYAcres Harvested 971000 1945 4000 197980 1879Yield per Acre 135 bushels 2009 15 bushels 1925 1879production (bushels) 2254 million 1945 104000 1879 1879

CORNAcres Harvested 1527 million 1933 23000 1879 1879Yield per Acre 160 bushels 1988 66 bushels 1934 1879production (bushels) 159 million 1999 400000 1881 1879

CORN fOR SILAgEAcres Harvested 299000 1972 30000 1928 1919Yield per Acre 245 tons 2010 25 tons 1934 1919production (tons) 523 million 1972 127000 1925 1919

ALL DRY BEANSAcres Harvested 460000 1943 5000 1909 1909Yield per Acre 2170 pounds 2002 174 pounds 1932 1909production (pounds) 4725 million 1990 29 million 1909 1909

ALL HAYAcres Harvested 168 million 1923 117 million 1910 1909Yield per Acre 326 tons 1998 116 tons 1934 1909production (tons) 478 million 2001 145 million 1934 1909

ONIONSAcres Harvested 17800 1995 700 1918 1918Yield per Acre 50000 pounds 2004 12000 pounds 1934 1918production (pounds) 6141 million 1995 97 million 1918 1918

ALL pOtAtOESAcres Harvested 136000 1922 6000 187980 1879Yield per Acre 4000 pounds 2009 3330 pounds 1889 1879production (pounds) 325 billion 1996 216 million 1880 1879

SugAR BEEtSAcres Harvested 242000 1930 2500 1985 1905Yield per Acre 295 tons 2010 93 tons 19081934 1905production (tons) 33 million 1930 46000 1985 1905

ALL WHEAtAcres Harvested 352 million 1985 11000 1869 1869Yield per Acre 455 bushels 2010 88 bushels 1934 1869production (bushels) 1393 million 1985 275000 1869 1869

COLORADO LIvEStOCk RECORD HIgHS AND LOWS

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

CAttLEAll Cattle 375 million head 1973 47000 head 1867 1867Beef Cows 112 million head 1974 406000 head 1927 1920Milk Cows 300000 head 1934 2000 head 1867 1867Calf Crop 112 million head 1973 482000 head 1927 1924Cattle on feed 12 million head 2001 87000 head 1935 1928

HOgSAll Hogs 910000 head 1999 2000 head 1866 1866Breeding Hogs 210000 head 1999 20000 head 1984 1963Market Hogs 705000 head 2005 143000 head 1965 1963pig Crop 29 million head 2000 377000 head 1988 1988

SHEEp AND LAMBSAll 375 million head 1930 360000 head 2004 1920Market 335000 head 1998 165000 head 2002 1994Breeding 19 million head 1942 180000 head 2004-05 1920Lamb Crop 1375 million head 1943 175000 head 2003 1924

COLORADO WHEAt CROp BREAkINgRECORDS SuRpRISINg fARMERS

The increase in dry bean production in Colorado during recent years continued its steady climb upward in 2010 According to the Colorado office of the National Agriculture Statistics Service Colorado farmers harvested 66000 acres of dry beans for a total production of 1254 million pounds up from the 53000 acres harvested in 2009 and the 848 million pounds producedThe state ranked eighth in the nation in dry bean production in 2010 Also last year Coloradorsquos beans were valued at a total of $301 million up from $257 million in 2009 A decline in dry beans began in 1998 and was attributed to a variety of factors including the drought years of the early 2000s and higher prices for other crops The acreage of dry beans - primarily pinto beans in Colorado but including light red kidney great northern black or turtle beans Anasazi garbanzo navy pink yellow and small red beans - was as low as 44000 after there were 155000 acres of dry beans harvested in the state back in 1998 Weld Countyrsquos dry bean production numbers werenrsquot included in the 2010 NASS report but in 2009 there were 6400 acres of beans harvested

in Weld ranking it fourth in the state behind Yuma Dolores and Montezuma counties Before the late 1990s decline upwards of 20000 acres of the crop had been grown in Weld The recent rebound in acreage is due in part to a return of irrigation water availability and improved prices driven by export markets The majority of beans produced in Weld are exported to Mexico The pinto bean is a staple of Mexican cooking and is widely available dried and canned Red kidney beans are commonly used in making chili while the other beans are used in salads and a variety of other dishes Weld farmers usually plant their crop between May 20 and July 1 depending on weather conditions Harvesting starts in late August and wraps up in September or early October Beans grow on vines which at harvest are cut at the ground The vines are then put in windrows to dry before farmers move through the fields with a combine The combine with a head designed specifically for beans gathers the vines and shakes the beans out of their pods into a hopper The combine then ejects the remaining debris back on the field

Bean production on the reBound in colorado10raiSed

in Weld

eric BellaMYebellamygreeleytribunecom

$299Month2011 Sierra 1500 Ext Cab SLE39 Months $3000 Due at Signing 10k MilesYear

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Driven to do whatrsquos RIGHT

There are two types of corn grown for livestock feed rations in Weld County Corn for grain historically has taken more than 100000 acres of farmland in Weld on an annual basis while corn for silage ranges from 40000 to 45000 acres each year Taken together corn is among one of the top three crops grown in the county in terms of acreage Winter wheat and hay are the other major crops In 2007 corn moved up to the leading crop produced in Colorado in terms of total value and production Corn for silage is the first of the two corn crops to come out of the ground each year and because of Weldrsquos large livestock operation it leads the state in the production of silage each year producing in excess of 1 million tons per year The Colorado office for the National Agricultural Statistics Service didnrsquot have a county-by-county breakdown of the statersquos corn for silage production in its 2010 report However according to that report it was a record year for the statersquos crop as a whole The statersquos farmers harvested 100000 acres of corn for silage and produced 245 million tons for a record yield of 245 tons per acre - topping the mark of 24 tons per acre set in 1998 and 1999

The easiest way to distinguish the two types of corn is by its stalk height and size of the ear Corn for silage grows to be 10 feet or taller but has a very thin ear corn for grain has a shorter stalk and fuller ear Corn for silage is cut at the ground by a harvester who chops the stalk and ear before throwing the mixture into waiting trucks There is a small window in late summer or early fall that the crop can be harvested with the right moisture content It is then taken to pits where it can be stored and used as part of the feed ration for beef cattle dairy and other livestock operations Corn for grain is harvested with combines and the kernels collected by the machine are then flaked and used in livestock feed rations and in recent years for the production of ethanol to be mixed with gasoline The by-product from ethanol plants however goes back to livestock feeding and dairy operations to be used as part of the feed ration Because of the large number of beef cattle and dairies in Weld the county continues to be a corn-deficient area As such it imports corn from other counties in Colorado as well as other states Both crops are planted from mid-April to early June depending on weather conditions and the

harvest of corn for grain usually starts in the later part of August and is complete by early October In 2010 according to the Colorado office for the National Agricultural Statistics Service 93700 acres of corn for grain were harvested in Weld producing 182 million bushels ranking it third in the state behind Yuma and Kit Carson counties which were first and second respectively Yuma County has led the nation in corn for grain production in recent years The 2010 NASS report didnrsquot have numbers for corn for silage In 2009 about 45000 acres of corn for silage were planted

Corn Comes in two varietiesbut serves the same purpose

11 raiseDin weLD

MILLET BARLEY OTHER SMALL-GRAIN CROPS A STAPLE OF WELD AGRICULTURE While winter wheat is the major small-grain crop in Weld others are dotted across the landscape including millet - the only crop in which Colorado ranks fi rst in the nation for production According to the Rocky Mountain Agribusiness Association Coloradorsquos millet farmers produce half of the countryrsquos supply Millet has traditionally been used in the US mainly for birdseed and some baking and beer brewing but globally according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture it sustains one-third of the worldrsquos population Compared to 2010 US millet exports are up 63 percent and Colorado exports have risen 87 percent states the RMAA The gluten-free crop is also fi nding more uses domestically as gluten-free products are a rising trend Well-known companies such as Betty Crocker and General Mills are using millet to offer products to those wanting to eliminate gluten from their diets and for people with celiac disease who otherwise canrsquot tolerate the proteins in wheat rye and barley According to the Colorado offi ce of the National Agricultural Statistics Service in 2010 the statersquos farmers harvested 215000 acres of millet producing 71 million bushels Those numbers were up from 2009 when Colorado farmers harvested 150000 acres producing 53 million bushels The Colorado northeastern plains is the region where most of the statersquos millet is grown A breakdown of millet production by county wasnrsquot available in the 2010 NASS report Sunfl owers have seen an overall increase in popularity in the past few years Like millet it is a small-grain crop that needs little water and is a good rotation crop used by wheat farmers as the deep-root system aerates the soil while also bringing those dryland farmers another source of income In recent years Weld County has ranked second in the state in the production of sunfl owers trailing only Kiowa County in the southeast part of Colorado - although the majority of the crop is grown in the northern and eastern

areas of the state In 2010 Weld County produced more than 106 million pounds of sunfl owers from 6400 acres Production numbers were not available for Kiowa County in the 2010 report to see how Weld compared Sunfl owers are grown for their oil and for birdseed or other similar uses In Weld most of the crop is the oil variety the county produced more than 5 million pounds for that purpose in 2008 Much of the countyrsquos barley crop is grown under contact and is used for the brewing of beer at the Miller-Coors plant in Golden In 2010 Weld farmers harvested 7600 acres of barley - down from the 12400 acres harvested in 2009 - and produced 740000 bushels - also a drop from last year when the county produced almost 12 million bushels Weldrsquos 2010 barley numbers again ranked the county fourth in the state behind Rio Grande Saguache and Alamosa counties all in southern Colorado Barley grown under contract must meet strict requirements by the brewing company If it doesnrsquot it is used as animal feed at a considerably lower price than that of brewing barley Sorghum for grain is one of the lesser crops in Weld The crops can be planted on wheat ground that is heavily hailed early in the season allowing farmers to get a crop off those fi elds Oats is another of those crops that is limited in acreage and in all cases those crops are used as livestock feed In 2010 the agricultural statistics offi ce reported that the statersquos millet crop had a value at $305 (double what it was the previous year) barley was at $306 million (down from the $548 million value in 2009) sunfl owers were at $358 million (up from $218 million in 2009) and sorghum for grain was valued at $371 million (up from $20 million in 2009) A value for sorghum for silage in 2010 was not available However in 2009 it was valued at $24 million

production of sunfl owers trailing only Kiowa County in the southeast part of Colorado - although the majority of the crop is grown in the northern and eastern

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14RAISEDIN WELD VEGETABLES

As an old saying goes if itrsquos not grown somewhere in Weld County then it may not be needed And when it comes to vegetables Weld farmers grow just about everything from asparagus to zucchini In 2010 according to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the statersquos vegetable growers produced more than 5757 million pounds from four fresh market crops - onions sweet corn cabbage cantaloupe They had a value of $825 million In 2009 the state produced 5657 million pounds for a total value of about $72 million In Weld County vegetable farmers dealt with severe weather conditions in 2009 and again in 2010 as early hail and wind storms took their toll In many cases however some of those crops were replanted and as the harvest season got started the quality of those crops was at least average The state statistics office does not track vegetable acreage by county because of disclosure requirements of individual operators While the acreage of vegetables took a downturn at the beginning of the century due to a lack of irrigation water some of that was returned in the past three years when water was more readily available due to average to above average snowpack in the mountains and higher amounts of precipitation As a result the state was ranked in the top 10 in the nation for the production of the four fresh market crops in 2010 led by cantaloupe (ranked No 4) storage onions - the majority of which are grown in the northern part of the state - at No 6 and cabbage and sweet corn both at No 7 In addition the state ranks high in potatoes - fifth in the nation - but the majority of that crop is now produced in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado while there are only two large potato producers left in Weld County Traditionally about 60 percent of the storage onion crop is grown in northern Colorado which includes Weld Adams Larimer and Morgan counties In 2009 onion acreage in the state was about 8000 and that decreased to about 7500 last year In the past there were two types of onions grown in Weld - a crop that was

transplanted from starts in southern climate such as Texas or Arizona which is sent to market right after harvest and a second that is produced from seed and can be stored to be marketed over the fall and winter months Transplant onions however represent only a small percentage of those grown in northern Colorado probably 5 percent or less The Western Slope once had upwards of 3000 acre of onions but that has declined to between 500 and 1000 as growers in that part of the state deal with early frosts which onions canrsquot stand and transportation problems There are more than half dozen produce companies in Adams and Weld counties that grow and market onions Weld is home to Community Supported Agriculture farms that offer a wide variety of produce to their members Those farms provide a wide selection of organically grown vegetables along with egg meat products and honey They also bring those products to area farmers markets and some take online andor telephone orders In addition several roadside stands around the county offer seasonal products Weld is also home to Hungenberg Produce the only commercial carrot producer in the state with close to 1000 acres The company also grows cabbage and onion sets both of which are shipped to various markets in the state and nation There were 2900 acres of cabbage harvested in the state in 2010 according to the statistics office which produced almost 1334 million pounds that had a value of $153 million The arearsquos largest commercial producer of sweet corn is Sakata Farms of Brighton which grows the crop in Adams and Weld counties Sweet corn also produced on the Western Slope saw 7500 acres harvested in 2010 producing more than 1125 million pounds with a value of $163 million Martin Produce of Greeley and Strohauer Farms of La Salle market potatoes with Strohauer offering a wide range of fingerling potatoes in addition to those sent to supermarkets Both operations also grow and market onions while Strohauer also has a line of broiler onions pearl onions shallots and cipollini onions

The 2012 Census of Agriculture will be the next ag census released It will be available in 2013

COUNTY TOTAL SALES CROPS LIVESTOCK

2007 CENSUS OfAGRICULTURE mARKETVALUE Of PRODUCTION

Fresno Calif $373 billion $25 billion $12 billion

Tulare Calif $333 billion $12 billion $21 billion

Kern Calif $32 billion $25 billion $6527 million

Merced Calif $23 billion $8793 million $14 billion

Monterey Calif $217 billion $213 billion $391 million

Stanislaus Calif $182 billion $736 million $11 billion

San Joaquin Calif $156 billion $9916 million $5726 million

Weld Colo $154 billion $2727 million $126 billion

Kings Calif $135 billion $651 million $706 million

Ventura Calif $131 billion $13 billion $131 million

1

3

5

7

9

22

44

66

88

1010

ERIC BELLAmYebellamygreeleytribunecom

DIVERSITY IS NAmE Of GAmE INWELD VEGETABLE PRODUCTION

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Since Weld is one of the top 10 agriculture counties in the nation itrsquos no surprise that agritourism is establishing a foothold here Agritourism according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture covers a wide variety of recreational educational and other leisure activities and services related to agriculture that take place on or off the farm or ranch and that connect consumers with the heritage natural resources or culinary experience they value There are three general classifications of the agritourism activities mdash on-farmranch food-based and heritage activities According to the latest Census of Agriculture released in 2007 there were 679 Colorado farms that offered agritourism and recreational services totaling almost $33 million in farm income Those numbers have likely increased during the past four years The next ag census will be released in 2013 based on 2012 numbers In 2006 according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture and Colorado State University economists Colorado agritourism locations hosted 13 million visitors which resulted in a $22 billion overall economic impact Wendy White a marketing specialist for the department of agriculture said there are no updated figures available from that original survey conducted by CSU with grant funding

AGRITOURISM STROnG In weldAndeRSOn FARMS6728 Weld County Road 325 Erie(303) 828-5210wwwandersonfarmscom

COlORAdO CATTle COMpAnyamp GUeST RAnCh70008 Weld County Road 132 New Raymer(970) 437-5345wwwcoloradocattlecompanycom

COlORAdO wInGSpORT41132 Weld County Road 13 Ft Collins(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ewe BeT RAnCh1850 E Highway 60 Loveland(970) 635-2370wwwewebetranchcom

FRITzleR FAMIly CORn MAze15630 Highway 256 La Salle (970) 737-2129wwwFritzlerMazecom

MIlleR FARMS9040 Highway 66 Platteville(970) 785-6133wwwmillerfarmsnet

MOnROe ORGAnIC FARMS llC25525 Weld County Road 48 Kersey(970) 284-7941wwwmonroefarmcom

pAwnee SpORTSMenS CenTeR40419 Weld County Road 71 Briggsdale(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ROCky plAInS BISOn RAnCh4022 Weld County Road 11 Dacono (303) 833-3791wwwrockyplainscom

wIndSOR dAIRy6427 Weld County Road 685 Windsor(970) 674-0571wwwwindsordairycom

MAzzOTTIrsquoS pUMpkIn pATCh24120 Weld County Road 8 Hudson(303) 536-4089wwwmazzottifarmscom

TIGGeS FARM12404 Weld County Road 645 Greeley(970) 686-7225notillkathycomcastnet

wIld weST MAze6876 Weld County Road 47 Hudson(303) 536-9200wwwwildwestmazecom

Source wwwcoloradoagritourismcom Fritzler Family Corn Maze

15 RAISedIn weld

260 Factory RoadEaton CO 80615(970) 454-4000

wwwaglandinccom

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It was a catastrophe avoided area farmers said In 2009 the state produced about 98 million bushels of winter wheat ranking behind only Kansas Although Colorado produced 105 million bushels in 2010 the state dropped to No 5 in the national rankings (Crop failures in Texas and Oklahoma had helped move Colorado up in the national standings two years ago)On an average during the past 10 years Colorado is eighth in US winter wheat production Coloradorsquos 2010 winter wheat production was the statersquos largest since 1985 before farmers started entering a federal program encouraging them to take some land out of production In addition to historic total production Coloradorsquos wheat farmers also recorded the best yields in the state history at 455 bushels per acre topping the 1999 standard of 438 Weld County ranked 10th in the state last year in total production of winter wheat with the 129500 acres harvested producing 58 million bushels Kit Carson County led the way for Colorado harvesting 252500 acres of winter wheat and producing 138 million bushels Yields in Kit Carson County were 546 bushels per acre The estimated value of Coloradorsquos winter wheat crop in 2010 was $592 million with spring wheat adding another $14 million for a grand total of $606 million in overall wheat value Winter wheat is grown on dryland regions of the country ranging from one end of the nation to the other Itrsquos planted in early fall and emerges hopefully then goes into dormancy over the winter months In the spring once the soil temperatures warm the crop begins growing depending on rain for moisture and traditionally in Weld County harvest starts around July 4 and can continue into early August

After a couple record-breaking years Coloradorsquos wheat farmers were relieved just to get 2011rsquos crop harvested mdash let alone record above-average yields Colorado ranked No 2 in the nation for total winter wheat production in 2009 mdash the statersquos highest ranking ever in that category mdash and followed that up with recording the best total production in state history in 2010 But this yearrsquos crop got off to a much rockier start A lack of moisture last fall that lasted

into the spring had farmers in the region anticipating a poor harvest mdash that is until May rains revived the crop and then some According to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the winter wheat harvested in Colorado this summer recorded yields of 40 bushels per acre mdash well above the 10-year average for 316 mdash with total production of about 80 million bushels mdash topping the 10-year average of 67 million bushels in that category

JIM RYDBOMjrydbomgreeleytribunecom

8RAISEDIN WELD RECORDS COLORADO CROp RECORD HIgH AND LOWS

fOR ACREAgE YIELD AND pRODuCtION

BARLEYAcres Harvested 971000 1945 4000 197980 1879Yield per Acre 135 bushels 2009 15 bushels 1925 1879production (bushels) 2254 million 1945 104000 1879 1879

CORNAcres Harvested 1527 million 1933 23000 1879 1879Yield per Acre 160 bushels 1988 66 bushels 1934 1879production (bushels) 159 million 1999 400000 1881 1879

CORN fOR SILAgEAcres Harvested 299000 1972 30000 1928 1919Yield per Acre 245 tons 2010 25 tons 1934 1919production (tons) 523 million 1972 127000 1925 1919

ALL DRY BEANSAcres Harvested 460000 1943 5000 1909 1909Yield per Acre 2170 pounds 2002 174 pounds 1932 1909production (pounds) 4725 million 1990 29 million 1909 1909

ALL HAYAcres Harvested 168 million 1923 117 million 1910 1909Yield per Acre 326 tons 1998 116 tons 1934 1909production (tons) 478 million 2001 145 million 1934 1909

ONIONSAcres Harvested 17800 1995 700 1918 1918Yield per Acre 50000 pounds 2004 12000 pounds 1934 1918production (pounds) 6141 million 1995 97 million 1918 1918

ALL pOtAtOESAcres Harvested 136000 1922 6000 187980 1879Yield per Acre 4000 pounds 2009 3330 pounds 1889 1879production (pounds) 325 billion 1996 216 million 1880 1879

SugAR BEEtSAcres Harvested 242000 1930 2500 1985 1905Yield per Acre 295 tons 2010 93 tons 19081934 1905production (tons) 33 million 1930 46000 1985 1905

ALL WHEAtAcres Harvested 352 million 1985 11000 1869 1869Yield per Acre 455 bushels 2010 88 bushels 1934 1869production (bushels) 1393 million 1985 275000 1869 1869

COLORADO LIvEStOCk RECORD HIgHS AND LOWS

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

CAttLEAll Cattle 375 million head 1973 47000 head 1867 1867Beef Cows 112 million head 1974 406000 head 1927 1920Milk Cows 300000 head 1934 2000 head 1867 1867Calf Crop 112 million head 1973 482000 head 1927 1924Cattle on feed 12 million head 2001 87000 head 1935 1928

HOgSAll Hogs 910000 head 1999 2000 head 1866 1866Breeding Hogs 210000 head 1999 20000 head 1984 1963Market Hogs 705000 head 2005 143000 head 1965 1963pig Crop 29 million head 2000 377000 head 1988 1988

SHEEp AND LAMBSAll 375 million head 1930 360000 head 2004 1920Market 335000 head 1998 165000 head 2002 1994Breeding 19 million head 1942 180000 head 2004-05 1920Lamb Crop 1375 million head 1943 175000 head 2003 1924

COLORADO WHEAt CROp BREAkINgRECORDS SuRpRISINg fARMERS

It was a catastrophe avoided area farmers said In 2009 the state produced about 98 million bushels of winter wheat ranking behind only Kansas Although Colorado produced 105 million bushels in 2010 the state dropped to No 5 in the national rankings (Crop failures in Texas and Oklahoma had helped move Colorado up in the national standings two years ago)On an average during the past 10 years Colorado is eighth in US winter wheat production Coloradorsquos 2010 winter wheat production was the statersquos largest since 1985 before farmers started entering a federal program encouraging them to take some land out of production In addition to historic total production Coloradorsquos wheat farmers also recorded the best yields in the state history at 455 bushels per acre topping the 1999 standard of 438 Weld County ranked 10th in the state last year in total production of winter wheat with the 129500 acres harvested producing 58 million bushels Kit Carson County led the way for Colorado harvesting 252500 acres of winter wheat and producing 138 million bushels Yields in Kit Carson County were 546 bushels per acre The estimated value of Coloradorsquos winter wheat crop in 2010 was $592 million with spring wheat adding another $14 million for a grand total of $606 million in overall wheat value Winter wheat is grown on dryland regions of the country ranging from one end of the nation to the other Itrsquos planted in early fall and emerges hopefully then goes into dormancy over the winter months In the spring once the soil temperatures warm the crop begins growing depending on rain for moisture and traditionally in Weld County harvest starts around July 4 and can continue into early August

After a couple record-breaking years Coloradorsquos wheat farmers were relieved just to get 2011rsquos crop harvested mdash let alone record above-average yields Colorado ranked No 2 in the nation for total winter wheat production in 2009 mdash the statersquos highest ranking ever in that category mdash and followed that up with recording the best total production in state history in 2010 But this yearrsquos crop got off to a much rockier start A lack of moisture last fall that lasted

into the spring had farmers in the region anticipating a poor harvest mdash that is until May rains revived the crop and then some According to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the winter wheat harvested in Colorado this summer recorded yields of 40 bushels per acre mdash well above the 10-year average for 316 mdash with total production of about 80 million bushels mdash topping the 10-year average of 67 million bushels in that category

JIM RYDBOMjrydbomgreeleytribunecom

8RAISEDIN WELD RECORDS COLORADO CROp RECORD HIgH AND LOWS

fOR ACREAgE YIELD AND pRODuCtION

BARLEYAcres Harvested 971000 1945 4000 197980 1879Yield per Acre 135 bushels 2009 15 bushels 1925 1879production (bushels) 2254 million 1945 104000 1879 1879

CORNAcres Harvested 1527 million 1933 23000 1879 1879Yield per Acre 160 bushels 1988 66 bushels 1934 1879production (bushels) 159 million 1999 400000 1881 1879

CORN fOR SILAgEAcres Harvested 299000 1972 30000 1928 1919Yield per Acre 245 tons 2010 25 tons 1934 1919production (tons) 523 million 1972 127000 1925 1919

ALL DRY BEANSAcres Harvested 460000 1943 5000 1909 1909Yield per Acre 2170 pounds 2002 174 pounds 1932 1909production (pounds) 4725 million 1990 29 million 1909 1909

ALL HAYAcres Harvested 168 million 1923 117 million 1910 1909Yield per Acre 326 tons 1998 116 tons 1934 1909production (tons) 478 million 2001 145 million 1934 1909

ONIONSAcres Harvested 17800 1995 700 1918 1918Yield per Acre 50000 pounds 2004 12000 pounds 1934 1918production (pounds) 6141 million 1995 97 million 1918 1918

ALL pOtAtOESAcres Harvested 136000 1922 6000 187980 1879Yield per Acre 4000 pounds 2009 3330 pounds 1889 1879production (pounds) 325 billion 1996 216 million 1880 1879

SugAR BEEtSAcres Harvested 242000 1930 2500 1985 1905Yield per Acre 295 tons 2010 93 tons 19081934 1905production (tons) 33 million 1930 46000 1985 1905

ALL WHEAtAcres Harvested 352 million 1985 11000 1869 1869Yield per Acre 455 bushels 2010 88 bushels 1934 1869production (bushels) 1393 million 1985 275000 1869 1869

COLORADO LIvEStOCk RECORD HIgHS AND LOWS

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

CAttLEAll Cattle 375 million head 1973 47000 head 1867 1867Beef Cows 112 million head 1974 406000 head 1927 1920Milk Cows 300000 head 1934 2000 head 1867 1867Calf Crop 112 million head 1973 482000 head 1927 1924Cattle on feed 12 million head 2001 87000 head 1935 1928

HOgSAll Hogs 910000 head 1999 2000 head 1866 1866Breeding Hogs 210000 head 1999 20000 head 1984 1963Market Hogs 705000 head 2005 143000 head 1965 1963pig Crop 29 million head 2000 377000 head 1988 1988

SHEEp AND LAMBSAll 375 million head 1930 360000 head 2004 1920Market 335000 head 1998 165000 head 2002 1994Breeding 19 million head 1942 180000 head 2004-05 1920Lamb Crop 1375 million head 1943 175000 head 2003 1924

COLORADO WHEAt CROp BREAkINgRECORDS SuRpRISINg fARMERS

The increase in dry bean production in Colorado during recent years continued its steady climb upward in 2010 According to the Colorado office of the National Agriculture Statistics Service Colorado farmers harvested 66000 acres of dry beans for a total production of 1254 million pounds up from the 53000 acres harvested in 2009 and the 848 million pounds producedThe state ranked eighth in the nation in dry bean production in 2010 Also last year Coloradorsquos beans were valued at a total of $301 million up from $257 million in 2009 A decline in dry beans began in 1998 and was attributed to a variety of factors including the drought years of the early 2000s and higher prices for other crops The acreage of dry beans - primarily pinto beans in Colorado but including light red kidney great northern black or turtle beans Anasazi garbanzo navy pink yellow and small red beans - was as low as 44000 after there were 155000 acres of dry beans harvested in the state back in 1998 Weld Countyrsquos dry bean production numbers werenrsquot included in the 2010 NASS report but in 2009 there were 6400 acres of beans harvested

in Weld ranking it fourth in the state behind Yuma Dolores and Montezuma counties Before the late 1990s decline upwards of 20000 acres of the crop had been grown in Weld The recent rebound in acreage is due in part to a return of irrigation water availability and improved prices driven by export markets The majority of beans produced in Weld are exported to Mexico The pinto bean is a staple of Mexican cooking and is widely available dried and canned Red kidney beans are commonly used in making chili while the other beans are used in salads and a variety of other dishes Weld farmers usually plant their crop between May 20 and July 1 depending on weather conditions Harvesting starts in late August and wraps up in September or early October Beans grow on vines which at harvest are cut at the ground The vines are then put in windrows to dry before farmers move through the fields with a combine The combine with a head designed specifically for beans gathers the vines and shakes the beans out of their pods into a hopper The combine then ejects the remaining debris back on the field

Bean production on the reBound in colorado10raiSed

in Weld

eric BellaMYebellamygreeleytribunecom

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Excludes Taxes Stock G5080

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Driven to do whatrsquos RIGHT

There are two types of corn grown for livestock feed rations in Weld County Corn for grain historically has taken more than 100000 acres of farmland in Weld on an annual basis while corn for silage ranges from 40000 to 45000 acres each year Taken together corn is among one of the top three crops grown in the county in terms of acreage Winter wheat and hay are the other major crops In 2007 corn moved up to the leading crop produced in Colorado in terms of total value and production Corn for silage is the first of the two corn crops to come out of the ground each year and because of Weldrsquos large livestock operation it leads the state in the production of silage each year producing in excess of 1 million tons per year The Colorado office for the National Agricultural Statistics Service didnrsquot have a county-by-county breakdown of the statersquos corn for silage production in its 2010 report However according to that report it was a record year for the statersquos crop as a whole The statersquos farmers harvested 100000 acres of corn for silage and produced 245 million tons for a record yield of 245 tons per acre - topping the mark of 24 tons per acre set in 1998 and 1999

The easiest way to distinguish the two types of corn is by its stalk height and size of the ear Corn for silage grows to be 10 feet or taller but has a very thin ear corn for grain has a shorter stalk and fuller ear Corn for silage is cut at the ground by a harvester who chops the stalk and ear before throwing the mixture into waiting trucks There is a small window in late summer or early fall that the crop can be harvested with the right moisture content It is then taken to pits where it can be stored and used as part of the feed ration for beef cattle dairy and other livestock operations Corn for grain is harvested with combines and the kernels collected by the machine are then flaked and used in livestock feed rations and in recent years for the production of ethanol to be mixed with gasoline The by-product from ethanol plants however goes back to livestock feeding and dairy operations to be used as part of the feed ration Because of the large number of beef cattle and dairies in Weld the county continues to be a corn-deficient area As such it imports corn from other counties in Colorado as well as other states Both crops are planted from mid-April to early June depending on weather conditions and the

harvest of corn for grain usually starts in the later part of August and is complete by early October In 2010 according to the Colorado office for the National Agricultural Statistics Service 93700 acres of corn for grain were harvested in Weld producing 182 million bushels ranking it third in the state behind Yuma and Kit Carson counties which were first and second respectively Yuma County has led the nation in corn for grain production in recent years The 2010 NASS report didnrsquot have numbers for corn for silage In 2009 about 45000 acres of corn for silage were planted

Corn Comes in two varietiesbut serves the same purpose

11 raiseDin weLD

MILLET BARLEY OTHER SMALL-GRAIN CROPS A STAPLE OF WELD AGRICULTURE While winter wheat is the major small-grain crop in Weld others are dotted across the landscape including millet - the only crop in which Colorado ranks fi rst in the nation for production According to the Rocky Mountain Agribusiness Association Coloradorsquos millet farmers produce half of the countryrsquos supply Millet has traditionally been used in the US mainly for birdseed and some baking and beer brewing but globally according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture it sustains one-third of the worldrsquos population Compared to 2010 US millet exports are up 63 percent and Colorado exports have risen 87 percent states the RMAA The gluten-free crop is also fi nding more uses domestically as gluten-free products are a rising trend Well-known companies such as Betty Crocker and General Mills are using millet to offer products to those wanting to eliminate gluten from their diets and for people with celiac disease who otherwise canrsquot tolerate the proteins in wheat rye and barley According to the Colorado offi ce of the National Agricultural Statistics Service in 2010 the statersquos farmers harvested 215000 acres of millet producing 71 million bushels Those numbers were up from 2009 when Colorado farmers harvested 150000 acres producing 53 million bushels The Colorado northeastern plains is the region where most of the statersquos millet is grown A breakdown of millet production by county wasnrsquot available in the 2010 NASS report Sunfl owers have seen an overall increase in popularity in the past few years Like millet it is a small-grain crop that needs little water and is a good rotation crop used by wheat farmers as the deep-root system aerates the soil while also bringing those dryland farmers another source of income In recent years Weld County has ranked second in the state in the production of sunfl owers trailing only Kiowa County in the southeast part of Colorado - although the majority of the crop is grown in the northern and eastern

areas of the state In 2010 Weld County produced more than 106 million pounds of sunfl owers from 6400 acres Production numbers were not available for Kiowa County in the 2010 report to see how Weld compared Sunfl owers are grown for their oil and for birdseed or other similar uses In Weld most of the crop is the oil variety the county produced more than 5 million pounds for that purpose in 2008 Much of the countyrsquos barley crop is grown under contact and is used for the brewing of beer at the Miller-Coors plant in Golden In 2010 Weld farmers harvested 7600 acres of barley - down from the 12400 acres harvested in 2009 - and produced 740000 bushels - also a drop from last year when the county produced almost 12 million bushels Weldrsquos 2010 barley numbers again ranked the county fourth in the state behind Rio Grande Saguache and Alamosa counties all in southern Colorado Barley grown under contract must meet strict requirements by the brewing company If it doesnrsquot it is used as animal feed at a considerably lower price than that of brewing barley Sorghum for grain is one of the lesser crops in Weld The crops can be planted on wheat ground that is heavily hailed early in the season allowing farmers to get a crop off those fi elds Oats is another of those crops that is limited in acreage and in all cases those crops are used as livestock feed In 2010 the agricultural statistics offi ce reported that the statersquos millet crop had a value at $305 (double what it was the previous year) barley was at $306 million (down from the $548 million value in 2009) sunfl owers were at $358 million (up from $218 million in 2009) and sorghum for grain was valued at $371 million (up from $20 million in 2009) A value for sorghum for silage in 2010 was not available However in 2009 it was valued at $24 million

production of sunfl owers trailing only Kiowa County in the southeast part of Colorado - although the majority of the crop is grown in the northern and eastern

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14RAISEDIN WELD VEGETABLES

As an old saying goes if itrsquos not grown somewhere in Weld County then it may not be needed And when it comes to vegetables Weld farmers grow just about everything from asparagus to zucchini In 2010 according to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the statersquos vegetable growers produced more than 5757 million pounds from four fresh market crops - onions sweet corn cabbage cantaloupe They had a value of $825 million In 2009 the state produced 5657 million pounds for a total value of about $72 million In Weld County vegetable farmers dealt with severe weather conditions in 2009 and again in 2010 as early hail and wind storms took their toll In many cases however some of those crops were replanted and as the harvest season got started the quality of those crops was at least average The state statistics office does not track vegetable acreage by county because of disclosure requirements of individual operators While the acreage of vegetables took a downturn at the beginning of the century due to a lack of irrigation water some of that was returned in the past three years when water was more readily available due to average to above average snowpack in the mountains and higher amounts of precipitation As a result the state was ranked in the top 10 in the nation for the production of the four fresh market crops in 2010 led by cantaloupe (ranked No 4) storage onions - the majority of which are grown in the northern part of the state - at No 6 and cabbage and sweet corn both at No 7 In addition the state ranks high in potatoes - fifth in the nation - but the majority of that crop is now produced in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado while there are only two large potato producers left in Weld County Traditionally about 60 percent of the storage onion crop is grown in northern Colorado which includes Weld Adams Larimer and Morgan counties In 2009 onion acreage in the state was about 8000 and that decreased to about 7500 last year In the past there were two types of onions grown in Weld - a crop that was

transplanted from starts in southern climate such as Texas or Arizona which is sent to market right after harvest and a second that is produced from seed and can be stored to be marketed over the fall and winter months Transplant onions however represent only a small percentage of those grown in northern Colorado probably 5 percent or less The Western Slope once had upwards of 3000 acre of onions but that has declined to between 500 and 1000 as growers in that part of the state deal with early frosts which onions canrsquot stand and transportation problems There are more than half dozen produce companies in Adams and Weld counties that grow and market onions Weld is home to Community Supported Agriculture farms that offer a wide variety of produce to their members Those farms provide a wide selection of organically grown vegetables along with egg meat products and honey They also bring those products to area farmers markets and some take online andor telephone orders In addition several roadside stands around the county offer seasonal products Weld is also home to Hungenberg Produce the only commercial carrot producer in the state with close to 1000 acres The company also grows cabbage and onion sets both of which are shipped to various markets in the state and nation There were 2900 acres of cabbage harvested in the state in 2010 according to the statistics office which produced almost 1334 million pounds that had a value of $153 million The arearsquos largest commercial producer of sweet corn is Sakata Farms of Brighton which grows the crop in Adams and Weld counties Sweet corn also produced on the Western Slope saw 7500 acres harvested in 2010 producing more than 1125 million pounds with a value of $163 million Martin Produce of Greeley and Strohauer Farms of La Salle market potatoes with Strohauer offering a wide range of fingerling potatoes in addition to those sent to supermarkets Both operations also grow and market onions while Strohauer also has a line of broiler onions pearl onions shallots and cipollini onions

The 2012 Census of Agriculture will be the next ag census released It will be available in 2013

COUNTY TOTAL SALES CROPS LIVESTOCK

2007 CENSUS OfAGRICULTURE mARKETVALUE Of PRODUCTION

Fresno Calif $373 billion $25 billion $12 billion

Tulare Calif $333 billion $12 billion $21 billion

Kern Calif $32 billion $25 billion $6527 million

Merced Calif $23 billion $8793 million $14 billion

Monterey Calif $217 billion $213 billion $391 million

Stanislaus Calif $182 billion $736 million $11 billion

San Joaquin Calif $156 billion $9916 million $5726 million

Weld Colo $154 billion $2727 million $126 billion

Kings Calif $135 billion $651 million $706 million

Ventura Calif $131 billion $13 billion $131 million

1

3

5

7

9

22

44

66

88

1010

ERIC BELLAmYebellamygreeleytribunecom

DIVERSITY IS NAmE Of GAmE INWELD VEGETABLE PRODUCTION

SCRATCH amp DENT SALEGAS bull WOOD bull PELLET bull CORN bull BIOMASS

NO Interest for 6 Months WACASK ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL TAX CREDIT ON

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CURRENT SPECIAL 60 BAGS OF FREE PELLETS

WITH A NEW HARMAN STOVE PURCHASE

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Since Weld is one of the top 10 agriculture counties in the nation itrsquos no surprise that agritourism is establishing a foothold here Agritourism according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture covers a wide variety of recreational educational and other leisure activities and services related to agriculture that take place on or off the farm or ranch and that connect consumers with the heritage natural resources or culinary experience they value There are three general classifications of the agritourism activities mdash on-farmranch food-based and heritage activities According to the latest Census of Agriculture released in 2007 there were 679 Colorado farms that offered agritourism and recreational services totaling almost $33 million in farm income Those numbers have likely increased during the past four years The next ag census will be released in 2013 based on 2012 numbers In 2006 according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture and Colorado State University economists Colorado agritourism locations hosted 13 million visitors which resulted in a $22 billion overall economic impact Wendy White a marketing specialist for the department of agriculture said there are no updated figures available from that original survey conducted by CSU with grant funding

AGRITOURISM STROnG In weldAndeRSOn FARMS6728 Weld County Road 325 Erie(303) 828-5210wwwandersonfarmscom

COlORAdO CATTle COMpAnyamp GUeST RAnCh70008 Weld County Road 132 New Raymer(970) 437-5345wwwcoloradocattlecompanycom

COlORAdO wInGSpORT41132 Weld County Road 13 Ft Collins(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ewe BeT RAnCh1850 E Highway 60 Loveland(970) 635-2370wwwewebetranchcom

FRITzleR FAMIly CORn MAze15630 Highway 256 La Salle (970) 737-2129wwwFritzlerMazecom

MIlleR FARMS9040 Highway 66 Platteville(970) 785-6133wwwmillerfarmsnet

MOnROe ORGAnIC FARMS llC25525 Weld County Road 48 Kersey(970) 284-7941wwwmonroefarmcom

pAwnee SpORTSMenS CenTeR40419 Weld County Road 71 Briggsdale(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ROCky plAInS BISOn RAnCh4022 Weld County Road 11 Dacono (303) 833-3791wwwrockyplainscom

wIndSOR dAIRy6427 Weld County Road 685 Windsor(970) 674-0571wwwwindsordairycom

MAzzOTTIrsquoS pUMpkIn pATCh24120 Weld County Road 8 Hudson(303) 536-4089wwwmazzottifarmscom

TIGGeS FARM12404 Weld County Road 645 Greeley(970) 686-7225notillkathycomcastnet

wIld weST MAze6876 Weld County Road 47 Hudson(303) 536-9200wwwwildwestmazecom

Source wwwcoloradoagritourismcom Fritzler Family Corn Maze

15 RAISedIn weld

260 Factory RoadEaton CO 80615(970) 454-4000

wwwaglandinccom

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It was a catastrophe avoided area farmers said In 2009 the state produced about 98 million bushels of winter wheat ranking behind only Kansas Although Colorado produced 105 million bushels in 2010 the state dropped to No 5 in the national rankings (Crop failures in Texas and Oklahoma had helped move Colorado up in the national standings two years ago)On an average during the past 10 years Colorado is eighth in US winter wheat production Coloradorsquos 2010 winter wheat production was the statersquos largest since 1985 before farmers started entering a federal program encouraging them to take some land out of production In addition to historic total production Coloradorsquos wheat farmers also recorded the best yields in the state history at 455 bushels per acre topping the 1999 standard of 438 Weld County ranked 10th in the state last year in total production of winter wheat with the 129500 acres harvested producing 58 million bushels Kit Carson County led the way for Colorado harvesting 252500 acres of winter wheat and producing 138 million bushels Yields in Kit Carson County were 546 bushels per acre The estimated value of Coloradorsquos winter wheat crop in 2010 was $592 million with spring wheat adding another $14 million for a grand total of $606 million in overall wheat value Winter wheat is grown on dryland regions of the country ranging from one end of the nation to the other Itrsquos planted in early fall and emerges hopefully then goes into dormancy over the winter months In the spring once the soil temperatures warm the crop begins growing depending on rain for moisture and traditionally in Weld County harvest starts around July 4 and can continue into early August

After a couple record-breaking years Coloradorsquos wheat farmers were relieved just to get 2011rsquos crop harvested mdash let alone record above-average yields Colorado ranked No 2 in the nation for total winter wheat production in 2009 mdash the statersquos highest ranking ever in that category mdash and followed that up with recording the best total production in state history in 2010 But this yearrsquos crop got off to a much rockier start A lack of moisture last fall that lasted

into the spring had farmers in the region anticipating a poor harvest mdash that is until May rains revived the crop and then some According to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the winter wheat harvested in Colorado this summer recorded yields of 40 bushels per acre mdash well above the 10-year average for 316 mdash with total production of about 80 million bushels mdash topping the 10-year average of 67 million bushels in that category

JIM RYDBOMjrydbomgreeleytribunecom

8RAISEDIN WELD RECORDS COLORADO CROp RECORD HIgH AND LOWS

fOR ACREAgE YIELD AND pRODuCtION

BARLEYAcres Harvested 971000 1945 4000 197980 1879Yield per Acre 135 bushels 2009 15 bushels 1925 1879production (bushels) 2254 million 1945 104000 1879 1879

CORNAcres Harvested 1527 million 1933 23000 1879 1879Yield per Acre 160 bushels 1988 66 bushels 1934 1879production (bushels) 159 million 1999 400000 1881 1879

CORN fOR SILAgEAcres Harvested 299000 1972 30000 1928 1919Yield per Acre 245 tons 2010 25 tons 1934 1919production (tons) 523 million 1972 127000 1925 1919

ALL DRY BEANSAcres Harvested 460000 1943 5000 1909 1909Yield per Acre 2170 pounds 2002 174 pounds 1932 1909production (pounds) 4725 million 1990 29 million 1909 1909

ALL HAYAcres Harvested 168 million 1923 117 million 1910 1909Yield per Acre 326 tons 1998 116 tons 1934 1909production (tons) 478 million 2001 145 million 1934 1909

ONIONSAcres Harvested 17800 1995 700 1918 1918Yield per Acre 50000 pounds 2004 12000 pounds 1934 1918production (pounds) 6141 million 1995 97 million 1918 1918

ALL pOtAtOESAcres Harvested 136000 1922 6000 187980 1879Yield per Acre 4000 pounds 2009 3330 pounds 1889 1879production (pounds) 325 billion 1996 216 million 1880 1879

SugAR BEEtSAcres Harvested 242000 1930 2500 1985 1905Yield per Acre 295 tons 2010 93 tons 19081934 1905production (tons) 33 million 1930 46000 1985 1905

ALL WHEAtAcres Harvested 352 million 1985 11000 1869 1869Yield per Acre 455 bushels 2010 88 bushels 1934 1869production (bushels) 1393 million 1985 275000 1869 1869

COLORADO LIvEStOCk RECORD HIgHS AND LOWS

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

RECORD HIgH YEAR RECORD LOW YEAR YEAR RECORDS BEgAN

CAttLEAll Cattle 375 million head 1973 47000 head 1867 1867Beef Cows 112 million head 1974 406000 head 1927 1920Milk Cows 300000 head 1934 2000 head 1867 1867Calf Crop 112 million head 1973 482000 head 1927 1924Cattle on feed 12 million head 2001 87000 head 1935 1928

HOgSAll Hogs 910000 head 1999 2000 head 1866 1866Breeding Hogs 210000 head 1999 20000 head 1984 1963Market Hogs 705000 head 2005 143000 head 1965 1963pig Crop 29 million head 2000 377000 head 1988 1988

SHEEp AND LAMBSAll 375 million head 1930 360000 head 2004 1920Market 335000 head 1998 165000 head 2002 1994Breeding 19 million head 1942 180000 head 2004-05 1920Lamb Crop 1375 million head 1943 175000 head 2003 1924

COLORADO WHEAt CROp BREAkINgRECORDS SuRpRISINg fARMERS

The increase in dry bean production in Colorado during recent years continued its steady climb upward in 2010 According to the Colorado office of the National Agriculture Statistics Service Colorado farmers harvested 66000 acres of dry beans for a total production of 1254 million pounds up from the 53000 acres harvested in 2009 and the 848 million pounds producedThe state ranked eighth in the nation in dry bean production in 2010 Also last year Coloradorsquos beans were valued at a total of $301 million up from $257 million in 2009 A decline in dry beans began in 1998 and was attributed to a variety of factors including the drought years of the early 2000s and higher prices for other crops The acreage of dry beans - primarily pinto beans in Colorado but including light red kidney great northern black or turtle beans Anasazi garbanzo navy pink yellow and small red beans - was as low as 44000 after there were 155000 acres of dry beans harvested in the state back in 1998 Weld Countyrsquos dry bean production numbers werenrsquot included in the 2010 NASS report but in 2009 there were 6400 acres of beans harvested

in Weld ranking it fourth in the state behind Yuma Dolores and Montezuma counties Before the late 1990s decline upwards of 20000 acres of the crop had been grown in Weld The recent rebound in acreage is due in part to a return of irrigation water availability and improved prices driven by export markets The majority of beans produced in Weld are exported to Mexico The pinto bean is a staple of Mexican cooking and is widely available dried and canned Red kidney beans are commonly used in making chili while the other beans are used in salads and a variety of other dishes Weld farmers usually plant their crop between May 20 and July 1 depending on weather conditions Harvesting starts in late August and wraps up in September or early October Beans grow on vines which at harvest are cut at the ground The vines are then put in windrows to dry before farmers move through the fields with a combine The combine with a head designed specifically for beans gathers the vines and shakes the beans out of their pods into a hopper The combine then ejects the remaining debris back on the field

Bean production on the reBound in colorado10raiSed

in Weld

eric BellaMYebellamygreeleytribunecom

$299Month2011 Sierra 1500 Ext Cab SLE39 Months $3000 Due at Signing 10k MilesYear

Excludes Taxes Stock G5080

2011 Sierra 1500 Ext Cab SLE39 Months $3000 Due at Signing 10k MilesYear

Excludes Taxes Stock G5080

HWY 34 amp 47th Ave Greeley 9703521313 wwwWeldCountyGaragecom

Driven to do whatrsquos RIGHT

There are two types of corn grown for livestock feed rations in Weld County Corn for grain historically has taken more than 100000 acres of farmland in Weld on an annual basis while corn for silage ranges from 40000 to 45000 acres each year Taken together corn is among one of the top three crops grown in the county in terms of acreage Winter wheat and hay are the other major crops In 2007 corn moved up to the leading crop produced in Colorado in terms of total value and production Corn for silage is the first of the two corn crops to come out of the ground each year and because of Weldrsquos large livestock operation it leads the state in the production of silage each year producing in excess of 1 million tons per year The Colorado office for the National Agricultural Statistics Service didnrsquot have a county-by-county breakdown of the statersquos corn for silage production in its 2010 report However according to that report it was a record year for the statersquos crop as a whole The statersquos farmers harvested 100000 acres of corn for silage and produced 245 million tons for a record yield of 245 tons per acre - topping the mark of 24 tons per acre set in 1998 and 1999

The easiest way to distinguish the two types of corn is by its stalk height and size of the ear Corn for silage grows to be 10 feet or taller but has a very thin ear corn for grain has a shorter stalk and fuller ear Corn for silage is cut at the ground by a harvester who chops the stalk and ear before throwing the mixture into waiting trucks There is a small window in late summer or early fall that the crop can be harvested with the right moisture content It is then taken to pits where it can be stored and used as part of the feed ration for beef cattle dairy and other livestock operations Corn for grain is harvested with combines and the kernels collected by the machine are then flaked and used in livestock feed rations and in recent years for the production of ethanol to be mixed with gasoline The by-product from ethanol plants however goes back to livestock feeding and dairy operations to be used as part of the feed ration Because of the large number of beef cattle and dairies in Weld the county continues to be a corn-deficient area As such it imports corn from other counties in Colorado as well as other states Both crops are planted from mid-April to early June depending on weather conditions and the

harvest of corn for grain usually starts in the later part of August and is complete by early October In 2010 according to the Colorado office for the National Agricultural Statistics Service 93700 acres of corn for grain were harvested in Weld producing 182 million bushels ranking it third in the state behind Yuma and Kit Carson counties which were first and second respectively Yuma County has led the nation in corn for grain production in recent years The 2010 NASS report didnrsquot have numbers for corn for silage In 2009 about 45000 acres of corn for silage were planted

Corn Comes in two varietiesbut serves the same purpose

11 raiseDin weLD

MILLET BARLEY OTHER SMALL-GRAIN CROPS A STAPLE OF WELD AGRICULTURE While winter wheat is the major small-grain crop in Weld others are dotted across the landscape including millet - the only crop in which Colorado ranks fi rst in the nation for production According to the Rocky Mountain Agribusiness Association Coloradorsquos millet farmers produce half of the countryrsquos supply Millet has traditionally been used in the US mainly for birdseed and some baking and beer brewing but globally according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture it sustains one-third of the worldrsquos population Compared to 2010 US millet exports are up 63 percent and Colorado exports have risen 87 percent states the RMAA The gluten-free crop is also fi nding more uses domestically as gluten-free products are a rising trend Well-known companies such as Betty Crocker and General Mills are using millet to offer products to those wanting to eliminate gluten from their diets and for people with celiac disease who otherwise canrsquot tolerate the proteins in wheat rye and barley According to the Colorado offi ce of the National Agricultural Statistics Service in 2010 the statersquos farmers harvested 215000 acres of millet producing 71 million bushels Those numbers were up from 2009 when Colorado farmers harvested 150000 acres producing 53 million bushels The Colorado northeastern plains is the region where most of the statersquos millet is grown A breakdown of millet production by county wasnrsquot available in the 2010 NASS report Sunfl owers have seen an overall increase in popularity in the past few years Like millet it is a small-grain crop that needs little water and is a good rotation crop used by wheat farmers as the deep-root system aerates the soil while also bringing those dryland farmers another source of income In recent years Weld County has ranked second in the state in the production of sunfl owers trailing only Kiowa County in the southeast part of Colorado - although the majority of the crop is grown in the northern and eastern

areas of the state In 2010 Weld County produced more than 106 million pounds of sunfl owers from 6400 acres Production numbers were not available for Kiowa County in the 2010 report to see how Weld compared Sunfl owers are grown for their oil and for birdseed or other similar uses In Weld most of the crop is the oil variety the county produced more than 5 million pounds for that purpose in 2008 Much of the countyrsquos barley crop is grown under contact and is used for the brewing of beer at the Miller-Coors plant in Golden In 2010 Weld farmers harvested 7600 acres of barley - down from the 12400 acres harvested in 2009 - and produced 740000 bushels - also a drop from last year when the county produced almost 12 million bushels Weldrsquos 2010 barley numbers again ranked the county fourth in the state behind Rio Grande Saguache and Alamosa counties all in southern Colorado Barley grown under contract must meet strict requirements by the brewing company If it doesnrsquot it is used as animal feed at a considerably lower price than that of brewing barley Sorghum for grain is one of the lesser crops in Weld The crops can be planted on wheat ground that is heavily hailed early in the season allowing farmers to get a crop off those fi elds Oats is another of those crops that is limited in acreage and in all cases those crops are used as livestock feed In 2010 the agricultural statistics offi ce reported that the statersquos millet crop had a value at $305 (double what it was the previous year) barley was at $306 million (down from the $548 million value in 2009) sunfl owers were at $358 million (up from $218 million in 2009) and sorghum for grain was valued at $371 million (up from $20 million in 2009) A value for sorghum for silage in 2010 was not available However in 2009 it was valued at $24 million

production of sunfl owers trailing only Kiowa County in the southeast part of Colorado - although the majority of the crop is grown in the northern and eastern

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14RAISEDIN WELD VEGETABLES

As an old saying goes if itrsquos not grown somewhere in Weld County then it may not be needed And when it comes to vegetables Weld farmers grow just about everything from asparagus to zucchini In 2010 according to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the statersquos vegetable growers produced more than 5757 million pounds from four fresh market crops - onions sweet corn cabbage cantaloupe They had a value of $825 million In 2009 the state produced 5657 million pounds for a total value of about $72 million In Weld County vegetable farmers dealt with severe weather conditions in 2009 and again in 2010 as early hail and wind storms took their toll In many cases however some of those crops were replanted and as the harvest season got started the quality of those crops was at least average The state statistics office does not track vegetable acreage by county because of disclosure requirements of individual operators While the acreage of vegetables took a downturn at the beginning of the century due to a lack of irrigation water some of that was returned in the past three years when water was more readily available due to average to above average snowpack in the mountains and higher amounts of precipitation As a result the state was ranked in the top 10 in the nation for the production of the four fresh market crops in 2010 led by cantaloupe (ranked No 4) storage onions - the majority of which are grown in the northern part of the state - at No 6 and cabbage and sweet corn both at No 7 In addition the state ranks high in potatoes - fifth in the nation - but the majority of that crop is now produced in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado while there are only two large potato producers left in Weld County Traditionally about 60 percent of the storage onion crop is grown in northern Colorado which includes Weld Adams Larimer and Morgan counties In 2009 onion acreage in the state was about 8000 and that decreased to about 7500 last year In the past there were two types of onions grown in Weld - a crop that was

transplanted from starts in southern climate such as Texas or Arizona which is sent to market right after harvest and a second that is produced from seed and can be stored to be marketed over the fall and winter months Transplant onions however represent only a small percentage of those grown in northern Colorado probably 5 percent or less The Western Slope once had upwards of 3000 acre of onions but that has declined to between 500 and 1000 as growers in that part of the state deal with early frosts which onions canrsquot stand and transportation problems There are more than half dozen produce companies in Adams and Weld counties that grow and market onions Weld is home to Community Supported Agriculture farms that offer a wide variety of produce to their members Those farms provide a wide selection of organically grown vegetables along with egg meat products and honey They also bring those products to area farmers markets and some take online andor telephone orders In addition several roadside stands around the county offer seasonal products Weld is also home to Hungenberg Produce the only commercial carrot producer in the state with close to 1000 acres The company also grows cabbage and onion sets both of which are shipped to various markets in the state and nation There were 2900 acres of cabbage harvested in the state in 2010 according to the statistics office which produced almost 1334 million pounds that had a value of $153 million The arearsquos largest commercial producer of sweet corn is Sakata Farms of Brighton which grows the crop in Adams and Weld counties Sweet corn also produced on the Western Slope saw 7500 acres harvested in 2010 producing more than 1125 million pounds with a value of $163 million Martin Produce of Greeley and Strohauer Farms of La Salle market potatoes with Strohauer offering a wide range of fingerling potatoes in addition to those sent to supermarkets Both operations also grow and market onions while Strohauer also has a line of broiler onions pearl onions shallots and cipollini onions

The 2012 Census of Agriculture will be the next ag census released It will be available in 2013

COUNTY TOTAL SALES CROPS LIVESTOCK

2007 CENSUS OfAGRICULTURE mARKETVALUE Of PRODUCTION

Fresno Calif $373 billion $25 billion $12 billion

Tulare Calif $333 billion $12 billion $21 billion

Kern Calif $32 billion $25 billion $6527 million

Merced Calif $23 billion $8793 million $14 billion

Monterey Calif $217 billion $213 billion $391 million

Stanislaus Calif $182 billion $736 million $11 billion

San Joaquin Calif $156 billion $9916 million $5726 million

Weld Colo $154 billion $2727 million $126 billion

Kings Calif $135 billion $651 million $706 million

Ventura Calif $131 billion $13 billion $131 million

1

3

5

7

9

22

44

66

88

1010

ERIC BELLAmYebellamygreeleytribunecom

DIVERSITY IS NAmE Of GAmE INWELD VEGETABLE PRODUCTION

SCRATCH amp DENT SALEGAS bull WOOD bull PELLET bull CORN bull BIOMASS

NO Interest for 6 Months WACASK ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL TAX CREDIT ON

PELLET WOOD STOVES AND INSERTS

CURRENT SPECIAL 60 BAGS OF FREE PELLETS

WITH A NEW HARMAN STOVE PURCHASE

SALE STARTS SEPTEMBER 16TH - SEPTEMBER 27TH

8 min North of Greeley on Hwy 85 Eaton bull 970-454-2542Hours M-F 730-700 Sat 800-600 Sun 900-500 bull wwwpoulsenacehardwarecom

NORTHERN COLORADOrsquoS BEST STOCKED STOVE amp FIREPLACE CENTER

NOW $399WITH COUPON

NOW$850OFF

NOW$977OFF

NOW$500 OFF

NOW$900OFF

NOW$707OFF

NOW$707OFF$977 OFFSale

UP TO

Since Weld is one of the top 10 agriculture counties in the nation itrsquos no surprise that agritourism is establishing a foothold here Agritourism according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture covers a wide variety of recreational educational and other leisure activities and services related to agriculture that take place on or off the farm or ranch and that connect consumers with the heritage natural resources or culinary experience they value There are three general classifications of the agritourism activities mdash on-farmranch food-based and heritage activities According to the latest Census of Agriculture released in 2007 there were 679 Colorado farms that offered agritourism and recreational services totaling almost $33 million in farm income Those numbers have likely increased during the past four years The next ag census will be released in 2013 based on 2012 numbers In 2006 according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture and Colorado State University economists Colorado agritourism locations hosted 13 million visitors which resulted in a $22 billion overall economic impact Wendy White a marketing specialist for the department of agriculture said there are no updated figures available from that original survey conducted by CSU with grant funding

AGRITOURISM STROnG In weldAndeRSOn FARMS6728 Weld County Road 325 Erie(303) 828-5210wwwandersonfarmscom

COlORAdO CATTle COMpAnyamp GUeST RAnCh70008 Weld County Road 132 New Raymer(970) 437-5345wwwcoloradocattlecompanycom

COlORAdO wInGSpORT41132 Weld County Road 13 Ft Collins(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ewe BeT RAnCh1850 E Highway 60 Loveland(970) 635-2370wwwewebetranchcom

FRITzleR FAMIly CORn MAze15630 Highway 256 La Salle (970) 737-2129wwwFritzlerMazecom

MIlleR FARMS9040 Highway 66 Platteville(970) 785-6133wwwmillerfarmsnet

MOnROe ORGAnIC FARMS llC25525 Weld County Road 48 Kersey(970) 284-7941wwwmonroefarmcom

pAwnee SpORTSMenS CenTeR40419 Weld County Road 71 Briggsdale(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ROCky plAInS BISOn RAnCh4022 Weld County Road 11 Dacono (303) 833-3791wwwrockyplainscom

wIndSOR dAIRy6427 Weld County Road 685 Windsor(970) 674-0571wwwwindsordairycom

MAzzOTTIrsquoS pUMpkIn pATCh24120 Weld County Road 8 Hudson(303) 536-4089wwwmazzottifarmscom

TIGGeS FARM12404 Weld County Road 645 Greeley(970) 686-7225notillkathycomcastnet

wIld weST MAze6876 Weld County Road 47 Hudson(303) 536-9200wwwwildwestmazecom

Source wwwcoloradoagritourismcom Fritzler Family Corn Maze

15 RAISedIn weld

260 Factory RoadEaton CO 80615(970) 454-4000

wwwaglandinccom

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• 004pdf
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The increase in dry bean production in Colorado during recent years continued its steady climb upward in 2010 According to the Colorado office of the National Agriculture Statistics Service Colorado farmers harvested 66000 acres of dry beans for a total production of 1254 million pounds up from the 53000 acres harvested in 2009 and the 848 million pounds producedThe state ranked eighth in the nation in dry bean production in 2010 Also last year Coloradorsquos beans were valued at a total of $301 million up from $257 million in 2009 A decline in dry beans began in 1998 and was attributed to a variety of factors including the drought years of the early 2000s and higher prices for other crops The acreage of dry beans - primarily pinto beans in Colorado but including light red kidney great northern black or turtle beans Anasazi garbanzo navy pink yellow and small red beans - was as low as 44000 after there were 155000 acres of dry beans harvested in the state back in 1998 Weld Countyrsquos dry bean production numbers werenrsquot included in the 2010 NASS report but in 2009 there were 6400 acres of beans harvested

in Weld ranking it fourth in the state behind Yuma Dolores and Montezuma counties Before the late 1990s decline upwards of 20000 acres of the crop had been grown in Weld The recent rebound in acreage is due in part to a return of irrigation water availability and improved prices driven by export markets The majority of beans produced in Weld are exported to Mexico The pinto bean is a staple of Mexican cooking and is widely available dried and canned Red kidney beans are commonly used in making chili while the other beans are used in salads and a variety of other dishes Weld farmers usually plant their crop between May 20 and July 1 depending on weather conditions Harvesting starts in late August and wraps up in September or early October Beans grow on vines which at harvest are cut at the ground The vines are then put in windrows to dry before farmers move through the fields with a combine The combine with a head designed specifically for beans gathers the vines and shakes the beans out of their pods into a hopper The combine then ejects the remaining debris back on the field

Bean production on the reBound in colorado10raiSed

in Weld

eric BellaMYebellamygreeleytribunecom

$299Month2011 Sierra 1500 Ext Cab SLE39 Months $3000 Due at Signing 10k MilesYear

Excludes Taxes Stock G5080

2011 Sierra 1500 Ext Cab SLE39 Months $3000 Due at Signing 10k MilesYear

Excludes Taxes Stock G5080

HWY 34 amp 47th Ave Greeley 9703521313 wwwWeldCountyGaragecom

Driven to do whatrsquos RIGHT

There are two types of corn grown for livestock feed rations in Weld County Corn for grain historically has taken more than 100000 acres of farmland in Weld on an annual basis while corn for silage ranges from 40000 to 45000 acres each year Taken together corn is among one of the top three crops grown in the county in terms of acreage Winter wheat and hay are the other major crops In 2007 corn moved up to the leading crop produced in Colorado in terms of total value and production Corn for silage is the first of the two corn crops to come out of the ground each year and because of Weldrsquos large livestock operation it leads the state in the production of silage each year producing in excess of 1 million tons per year The Colorado office for the National Agricultural Statistics Service didnrsquot have a county-by-county breakdown of the statersquos corn for silage production in its 2010 report However according to that report it was a record year for the statersquos crop as a whole The statersquos farmers harvested 100000 acres of corn for silage and produced 245 million tons for a record yield of 245 tons per acre - topping the mark of 24 tons per acre set in 1998 and 1999

The easiest way to distinguish the two types of corn is by its stalk height and size of the ear Corn for silage grows to be 10 feet or taller but has a very thin ear corn for grain has a shorter stalk and fuller ear Corn for silage is cut at the ground by a harvester who chops the stalk and ear before throwing the mixture into waiting trucks There is a small window in late summer or early fall that the crop can be harvested with the right moisture content It is then taken to pits where it can be stored and used as part of the feed ration for beef cattle dairy and other livestock operations Corn for grain is harvested with combines and the kernels collected by the machine are then flaked and used in livestock feed rations and in recent years for the production of ethanol to be mixed with gasoline The by-product from ethanol plants however goes back to livestock feeding and dairy operations to be used as part of the feed ration Because of the large number of beef cattle and dairies in Weld the county continues to be a corn-deficient area As such it imports corn from other counties in Colorado as well as other states Both crops are planted from mid-April to early June depending on weather conditions and the

harvest of corn for grain usually starts in the later part of August and is complete by early October In 2010 according to the Colorado office for the National Agricultural Statistics Service 93700 acres of corn for grain were harvested in Weld producing 182 million bushels ranking it third in the state behind Yuma and Kit Carson counties which were first and second respectively Yuma County has led the nation in corn for grain production in recent years The 2010 NASS report didnrsquot have numbers for corn for silage In 2009 about 45000 acres of corn for silage were planted

Corn Comes in two varietiesbut serves the same purpose

11 raiseDin weLD

MILLET BARLEY OTHER SMALL-GRAIN CROPS A STAPLE OF WELD AGRICULTURE While winter wheat is the major small-grain crop in Weld others are dotted across the landscape including millet - the only crop in which Colorado ranks fi rst in the nation for production According to the Rocky Mountain Agribusiness Association Coloradorsquos millet farmers produce half of the countryrsquos supply Millet has traditionally been used in the US mainly for birdseed and some baking and beer brewing but globally according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture it sustains one-third of the worldrsquos population Compared to 2010 US millet exports are up 63 percent and Colorado exports have risen 87 percent states the RMAA The gluten-free crop is also fi nding more uses domestically as gluten-free products are a rising trend Well-known companies such as Betty Crocker and General Mills are using millet to offer products to those wanting to eliminate gluten from their diets and for people with celiac disease who otherwise canrsquot tolerate the proteins in wheat rye and barley According to the Colorado offi ce of the National Agricultural Statistics Service in 2010 the statersquos farmers harvested 215000 acres of millet producing 71 million bushels Those numbers were up from 2009 when Colorado farmers harvested 150000 acres producing 53 million bushels The Colorado northeastern plains is the region where most of the statersquos millet is grown A breakdown of millet production by county wasnrsquot available in the 2010 NASS report Sunfl owers have seen an overall increase in popularity in the past few years Like millet it is a small-grain crop that needs little water and is a good rotation crop used by wheat farmers as the deep-root system aerates the soil while also bringing those dryland farmers another source of income In recent years Weld County has ranked second in the state in the production of sunfl owers trailing only Kiowa County in the southeast part of Colorado - although the majority of the crop is grown in the northern and eastern

areas of the state In 2010 Weld County produced more than 106 million pounds of sunfl owers from 6400 acres Production numbers were not available for Kiowa County in the 2010 report to see how Weld compared Sunfl owers are grown for their oil and for birdseed or other similar uses In Weld most of the crop is the oil variety the county produced more than 5 million pounds for that purpose in 2008 Much of the countyrsquos barley crop is grown under contact and is used for the brewing of beer at the Miller-Coors plant in Golden In 2010 Weld farmers harvested 7600 acres of barley - down from the 12400 acres harvested in 2009 - and produced 740000 bushels - also a drop from last year when the county produced almost 12 million bushels Weldrsquos 2010 barley numbers again ranked the county fourth in the state behind Rio Grande Saguache and Alamosa counties all in southern Colorado Barley grown under contract must meet strict requirements by the brewing company If it doesnrsquot it is used as animal feed at a considerably lower price than that of brewing barley Sorghum for grain is one of the lesser crops in Weld The crops can be planted on wheat ground that is heavily hailed early in the season allowing farmers to get a crop off those fi elds Oats is another of those crops that is limited in acreage and in all cases those crops are used as livestock feed In 2010 the agricultural statistics offi ce reported that the statersquos millet crop had a value at $305 (double what it was the previous year) barley was at $306 million (down from the $548 million value in 2009) sunfl owers were at $358 million (up from $218 million in 2009) and sorghum for grain was valued at $371 million (up from $20 million in 2009) A value for sorghum for silage in 2010 was not available However in 2009 it was valued at $24 million

production of sunfl owers trailing only Kiowa County in the southeast part of Colorado - although the majority of the crop is grown in the northern and eastern

SALES MON-FRI 830AM-8PM bull SAT 830AM-7PM - PARTS amp SERVICE MON-FRI 7AM-6PM bull SAT 8AM-2PM - COLLISION CENTER MON-FRI 730AM-530PM

GHENTMOTORSCOM866-244-4368 35 AVE amp 34 BYPASS

GREELEY

ALL APPLICATIONS ACCEPTEDALL VEHICLES SUBJECT TO PRIOR SALE EMPLOYEE PRICE INCLUDES EMPLOYEE PRICE amp REBATES ALL VEHICLES ARE FIRST COME FIRST SERVED SOME PHOTOS FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY

NORTHERN COLORADOrsquoS NEWEST GM CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED VEHICLE DEALER

2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO Reg Cab WT

923146MSRP $27755

$22948 EmployeePrice

2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO Reg Cab WT

923146MSRP $27755

$22948Employee

924085MSRP $35075

$30379 EmployeePrice

924085MSRP $35075

$30379EmployeePrice

2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 25004WD WT REG CAB

2011 CHEVROLET TAHOE 4WD LS

914037MSRP $43105

$37719EmployeePrice

2011 CHEVROLET TAHOE 4WD LS

MSRP $43105

$37719EmployeeEmployeePrice

2011 CADILLAC STSLUXURY PACKAGE

931021MSRP $58540

$46692

2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA LT SEDAN

904044MSRP $28160

$22904 EmployeePrice

LT SEDAN

904044MSRP $28160

2011 CHEVROLET EQUINOXAWD 2LT

912083MSRP $36319

$34796 EmployeePrice

2011 CHEVROLET EQUINOXAWD 2LT

MSRP $36319

2011 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 4WD 12 TON LT

913031MSRP $55145

$48730 EmployeePrice

2011 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 4WD 12 TON LT

MSRP $55145

$48730

2011 CHEVROLET CAMARO SSCONVERTIBLE

940079MSRP $43570

$40771 EmployeePrice

CONVERTIBLE

940079MSRP $43570

$40771Employee

2011

14RAISEDIN WELD VEGETABLES

As an old saying goes if itrsquos not grown somewhere in Weld County then it may not be needed And when it comes to vegetables Weld farmers grow just about everything from asparagus to zucchini In 2010 according to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the statersquos vegetable growers produced more than 5757 million pounds from four fresh market crops - onions sweet corn cabbage cantaloupe They had a value of $825 million In 2009 the state produced 5657 million pounds for a total value of about $72 million In Weld County vegetable farmers dealt with severe weather conditions in 2009 and again in 2010 as early hail and wind storms took their toll In many cases however some of those crops were replanted and as the harvest season got started the quality of those crops was at least average The state statistics office does not track vegetable acreage by county because of disclosure requirements of individual operators While the acreage of vegetables took a downturn at the beginning of the century due to a lack of irrigation water some of that was returned in the past three years when water was more readily available due to average to above average snowpack in the mountains and higher amounts of precipitation As a result the state was ranked in the top 10 in the nation for the production of the four fresh market crops in 2010 led by cantaloupe (ranked No 4) storage onions - the majority of which are grown in the northern part of the state - at No 6 and cabbage and sweet corn both at No 7 In addition the state ranks high in potatoes - fifth in the nation - but the majority of that crop is now produced in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado while there are only two large potato producers left in Weld County Traditionally about 60 percent of the storage onion crop is grown in northern Colorado which includes Weld Adams Larimer and Morgan counties In 2009 onion acreage in the state was about 8000 and that decreased to about 7500 last year In the past there were two types of onions grown in Weld - a crop that was

transplanted from starts in southern climate such as Texas or Arizona which is sent to market right after harvest and a second that is produced from seed and can be stored to be marketed over the fall and winter months Transplant onions however represent only a small percentage of those grown in northern Colorado probably 5 percent or less The Western Slope once had upwards of 3000 acre of onions but that has declined to between 500 and 1000 as growers in that part of the state deal with early frosts which onions canrsquot stand and transportation problems There are more than half dozen produce companies in Adams and Weld counties that grow and market onions Weld is home to Community Supported Agriculture farms that offer a wide variety of produce to their members Those farms provide a wide selection of organically grown vegetables along with egg meat products and honey They also bring those products to area farmers markets and some take online andor telephone orders In addition several roadside stands around the county offer seasonal products Weld is also home to Hungenberg Produce the only commercial carrot producer in the state with close to 1000 acres The company also grows cabbage and onion sets both of which are shipped to various markets in the state and nation There were 2900 acres of cabbage harvested in the state in 2010 according to the statistics office which produced almost 1334 million pounds that had a value of $153 million The arearsquos largest commercial producer of sweet corn is Sakata Farms of Brighton which grows the crop in Adams and Weld counties Sweet corn also produced on the Western Slope saw 7500 acres harvested in 2010 producing more than 1125 million pounds with a value of $163 million Martin Produce of Greeley and Strohauer Farms of La Salle market potatoes with Strohauer offering a wide range of fingerling potatoes in addition to those sent to supermarkets Both operations also grow and market onions while Strohauer also has a line of broiler onions pearl onions shallots and cipollini onions

The 2012 Census of Agriculture will be the next ag census released It will be available in 2013

COUNTY TOTAL SALES CROPS LIVESTOCK

2007 CENSUS OfAGRICULTURE mARKETVALUE Of PRODUCTION

Fresno Calif $373 billion $25 billion $12 billion

Tulare Calif $333 billion $12 billion $21 billion

Kern Calif $32 billion $25 billion $6527 million

Merced Calif $23 billion $8793 million $14 billion

Monterey Calif $217 billion $213 billion $391 million

Stanislaus Calif $182 billion $736 million $11 billion

San Joaquin Calif $156 billion $9916 million $5726 million

Weld Colo $154 billion $2727 million $126 billion

Kings Calif $135 billion $651 million $706 million

Ventura Calif $131 billion $13 billion $131 million

1

3

5

7

9

22

44

66

88

1010

ERIC BELLAmYebellamygreeleytribunecom

DIVERSITY IS NAmE Of GAmE INWELD VEGETABLE PRODUCTION

SCRATCH amp DENT SALEGAS bull WOOD bull PELLET bull CORN bull BIOMASS

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UP TO

Since Weld is one of the top 10 agriculture counties in the nation itrsquos no surprise that agritourism is establishing a foothold here Agritourism according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture covers a wide variety of recreational educational and other leisure activities and services related to agriculture that take place on or off the farm or ranch and that connect consumers with the heritage natural resources or culinary experience they value There are three general classifications of the agritourism activities mdash on-farmranch food-based and heritage activities According to the latest Census of Agriculture released in 2007 there were 679 Colorado farms that offered agritourism and recreational services totaling almost $33 million in farm income Those numbers have likely increased during the past four years The next ag census will be released in 2013 based on 2012 numbers In 2006 according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture and Colorado State University economists Colorado agritourism locations hosted 13 million visitors which resulted in a $22 billion overall economic impact Wendy White a marketing specialist for the department of agriculture said there are no updated figures available from that original survey conducted by CSU with grant funding

AGRITOURISM STROnG In weldAndeRSOn FARMS6728 Weld County Road 325 Erie(303) 828-5210wwwandersonfarmscom

COlORAdO CATTle COMpAnyamp GUeST RAnCh70008 Weld County Road 132 New Raymer(970) 437-5345wwwcoloradocattlecompanycom

COlORAdO wInGSpORT41132 Weld County Road 13 Ft Collins(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ewe BeT RAnCh1850 E Highway 60 Loveland(970) 635-2370wwwewebetranchcom

FRITzleR FAMIly CORn MAze15630 Highway 256 La Salle (970) 737-2129wwwFritzlerMazecom

MIlleR FARMS9040 Highway 66 Platteville(970) 785-6133wwwmillerfarmsnet

MOnROe ORGAnIC FARMS llC25525 Weld County Road 48 Kersey(970) 284-7941wwwmonroefarmcom

pAwnee SpORTSMenS CenTeR40419 Weld County Road 71 Briggsdale(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ROCky plAInS BISOn RAnCh4022 Weld County Road 11 Dacono (303) 833-3791wwwrockyplainscom

wIndSOR dAIRy6427 Weld County Road 685 Windsor(970) 674-0571wwwwindsordairycom

MAzzOTTIrsquoS pUMpkIn pATCh24120 Weld County Road 8 Hudson(303) 536-4089wwwmazzottifarmscom

TIGGeS FARM12404 Weld County Road 645 Greeley(970) 686-7225notillkathycomcastnet

wIld weST MAze6876 Weld County Road 47 Hudson(303) 536-9200wwwwildwestmazecom

Source wwwcoloradoagritourismcom Fritzler Family Corn Maze

15 RAISedIn weld

260 Factory RoadEaton CO 80615(970) 454-4000

wwwaglandinccom

• 001pdf
• 002pdf
• 003pdf
• 004pdf
• 005pdf
• 006pdf
• 007pdf
• 008pdf
• 009pdf
• 010pdf
• 011pdf
• 012pdf
• 013pdf
• 014pdf
• 015pdf
• 016pdf

$299Month2011 Sierra 1500 Ext Cab SLE39 Months $3000 Due at Signing 10k MilesYear

Excludes Taxes Stock G5080

2011 Sierra 1500 Ext Cab SLE39 Months $3000 Due at Signing 10k MilesYear

Excludes Taxes Stock G5080

HWY 34 amp 47th Ave Greeley 9703521313 wwwWeldCountyGaragecom

Driven to do whatrsquos RIGHT

There are two types of corn grown for livestock feed rations in Weld County Corn for grain historically has taken more than 100000 acres of farmland in Weld on an annual basis while corn for silage ranges from 40000 to 45000 acres each year Taken together corn is among one of the top three crops grown in the county in terms of acreage Winter wheat and hay are the other major crops In 2007 corn moved up to the leading crop produced in Colorado in terms of total value and production Corn for silage is the first of the two corn crops to come out of the ground each year and because of Weldrsquos large livestock operation it leads the state in the production of silage each year producing in excess of 1 million tons per year The Colorado office for the National Agricultural Statistics Service didnrsquot have a county-by-county breakdown of the statersquos corn for silage production in its 2010 report However according to that report it was a record year for the statersquos crop as a whole The statersquos farmers harvested 100000 acres of corn for silage and produced 245 million tons for a record yield of 245 tons per acre - topping the mark of 24 tons per acre set in 1998 and 1999

The easiest way to distinguish the two types of corn is by its stalk height and size of the ear Corn for silage grows to be 10 feet or taller but has a very thin ear corn for grain has a shorter stalk and fuller ear Corn for silage is cut at the ground by a harvester who chops the stalk and ear before throwing the mixture into waiting trucks There is a small window in late summer or early fall that the crop can be harvested with the right moisture content It is then taken to pits where it can be stored and used as part of the feed ration for beef cattle dairy and other livestock operations Corn for grain is harvested with combines and the kernels collected by the machine are then flaked and used in livestock feed rations and in recent years for the production of ethanol to be mixed with gasoline The by-product from ethanol plants however goes back to livestock feeding and dairy operations to be used as part of the feed ration Because of the large number of beef cattle and dairies in Weld the county continues to be a corn-deficient area As such it imports corn from other counties in Colorado as well as other states Both crops are planted from mid-April to early June depending on weather conditions and the

harvest of corn for grain usually starts in the later part of August and is complete by early October In 2010 according to the Colorado office for the National Agricultural Statistics Service 93700 acres of corn for grain were harvested in Weld producing 182 million bushels ranking it third in the state behind Yuma and Kit Carson counties which were first and second respectively Yuma County has led the nation in corn for grain production in recent years The 2010 NASS report didnrsquot have numbers for corn for silage In 2009 about 45000 acres of corn for silage were planted

Corn Comes in two varietiesbut serves the same purpose

11 raiseDin weLD

MILLET BARLEY OTHER SMALL-GRAIN CROPS A STAPLE OF WELD AGRICULTURE While winter wheat is the major small-grain crop in Weld others are dotted across the landscape including millet - the only crop in which Colorado ranks fi rst in the nation for production According to the Rocky Mountain Agribusiness Association Coloradorsquos millet farmers produce half of the countryrsquos supply Millet has traditionally been used in the US mainly for birdseed and some baking and beer brewing but globally according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture it sustains one-third of the worldrsquos population Compared to 2010 US millet exports are up 63 percent and Colorado exports have risen 87 percent states the RMAA The gluten-free crop is also fi nding more uses domestically as gluten-free products are a rising trend Well-known companies such as Betty Crocker and General Mills are using millet to offer products to those wanting to eliminate gluten from their diets and for people with celiac disease who otherwise canrsquot tolerate the proteins in wheat rye and barley According to the Colorado offi ce of the National Agricultural Statistics Service in 2010 the statersquos farmers harvested 215000 acres of millet producing 71 million bushels Those numbers were up from 2009 when Colorado farmers harvested 150000 acres producing 53 million bushels The Colorado northeastern plains is the region where most of the statersquos millet is grown A breakdown of millet production by county wasnrsquot available in the 2010 NASS report Sunfl owers have seen an overall increase in popularity in the past few years Like millet it is a small-grain crop that needs little water and is a good rotation crop used by wheat farmers as the deep-root system aerates the soil while also bringing those dryland farmers another source of income In recent years Weld County has ranked second in the state in the production of sunfl owers trailing only Kiowa County in the southeast part of Colorado - although the majority of the crop is grown in the northern and eastern

areas of the state In 2010 Weld County produced more than 106 million pounds of sunfl owers from 6400 acres Production numbers were not available for Kiowa County in the 2010 report to see how Weld compared Sunfl owers are grown for their oil and for birdseed or other similar uses In Weld most of the crop is the oil variety the county produced more than 5 million pounds for that purpose in 2008 Much of the countyrsquos barley crop is grown under contact and is used for the brewing of beer at the Miller-Coors plant in Golden In 2010 Weld farmers harvested 7600 acres of barley - down from the 12400 acres harvested in 2009 - and produced 740000 bushels - also a drop from last year when the county produced almost 12 million bushels Weldrsquos 2010 barley numbers again ranked the county fourth in the state behind Rio Grande Saguache and Alamosa counties all in southern Colorado Barley grown under contract must meet strict requirements by the brewing company If it doesnrsquot it is used as animal feed at a considerably lower price than that of brewing barley Sorghum for grain is one of the lesser crops in Weld The crops can be planted on wheat ground that is heavily hailed early in the season allowing farmers to get a crop off those fi elds Oats is another of those crops that is limited in acreage and in all cases those crops are used as livestock feed In 2010 the agricultural statistics offi ce reported that the statersquos millet crop had a value at $305 (double what it was the previous year) barley was at $306 million (down from the $548 million value in 2009) sunfl owers were at $358 million (up from $218 million in 2009) and sorghum for grain was valued at $371 million (up from $20 million in 2009) A value for sorghum for silage in 2010 was not available However in 2009 it was valued at $24 million

production of sunfl owers trailing only Kiowa County in the southeast part of Colorado - although the majority of the crop is grown in the northern and eastern

SALES MON-FRI 830AM-8PM bull SAT 830AM-7PM - PARTS amp SERVICE MON-FRI 7AM-6PM bull SAT 8AM-2PM - COLLISION CENTER MON-FRI 730AM-530PM

GHENTMOTORSCOM866-244-4368 35 AVE amp 34 BYPASS

GREELEY

ALL APPLICATIONS ACCEPTEDALL VEHICLES SUBJECT TO PRIOR SALE EMPLOYEE PRICE INCLUDES EMPLOYEE PRICE amp REBATES ALL VEHICLES ARE FIRST COME FIRST SERVED SOME PHOTOS FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY

NORTHERN COLORADOrsquoS NEWEST GM CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED VEHICLE DEALER

2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO Reg Cab WT

923146MSRP $27755

$22948 EmployeePrice

2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO Reg Cab WT

923146MSRP $27755

$22948Employee

924085MSRP $35075

$30379 EmployeePrice

924085MSRP $35075

$30379EmployeePrice

2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 25004WD WT REG CAB

2011 CHEVROLET TAHOE 4WD LS

914037MSRP $43105

$37719EmployeePrice

2011 CHEVROLET TAHOE 4WD LS

MSRP $43105

$37719EmployeeEmployeePrice

2011 CADILLAC STSLUXURY PACKAGE

931021MSRP $58540

$46692

2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA LT SEDAN

904044MSRP $28160

$22904 EmployeePrice

LT SEDAN

904044MSRP $28160

2011 CHEVROLET EQUINOXAWD 2LT

912083MSRP $36319

$34796 EmployeePrice

2011 CHEVROLET EQUINOXAWD 2LT

MSRP $36319

2011 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 4WD 12 TON LT

913031MSRP $55145

$48730 EmployeePrice

2011 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 4WD 12 TON LT

MSRP $55145

$48730

2011 CHEVROLET CAMARO SSCONVERTIBLE

940079MSRP $43570

$40771 EmployeePrice

CONVERTIBLE

940079MSRP $43570

$40771Employee

2011

14RAISEDIN WELD VEGETABLES

As an old saying goes if itrsquos not grown somewhere in Weld County then it may not be needed And when it comes to vegetables Weld farmers grow just about everything from asparagus to zucchini In 2010 according to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the statersquos vegetable growers produced more than 5757 million pounds from four fresh market crops - onions sweet corn cabbage cantaloupe They had a value of $825 million In 2009 the state produced 5657 million pounds for a total value of about $72 million In Weld County vegetable farmers dealt with severe weather conditions in 2009 and again in 2010 as early hail and wind storms took their toll In many cases however some of those crops were replanted and as the harvest season got started the quality of those crops was at least average The state statistics office does not track vegetable acreage by county because of disclosure requirements of individual operators While the acreage of vegetables took a downturn at the beginning of the century due to a lack of irrigation water some of that was returned in the past three years when water was more readily available due to average to above average snowpack in the mountains and higher amounts of precipitation As a result the state was ranked in the top 10 in the nation for the production of the four fresh market crops in 2010 led by cantaloupe (ranked No 4) storage onions - the majority of which are grown in the northern part of the state - at No 6 and cabbage and sweet corn both at No 7 In addition the state ranks high in potatoes - fifth in the nation - but the majority of that crop is now produced in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado while there are only two large potato producers left in Weld County Traditionally about 60 percent of the storage onion crop is grown in northern Colorado which includes Weld Adams Larimer and Morgan counties In 2009 onion acreage in the state was about 8000 and that decreased to about 7500 last year In the past there were two types of onions grown in Weld - a crop that was

transplanted from starts in southern climate such as Texas or Arizona which is sent to market right after harvest and a second that is produced from seed and can be stored to be marketed over the fall and winter months Transplant onions however represent only a small percentage of those grown in northern Colorado probably 5 percent or less The Western Slope once had upwards of 3000 acre of onions but that has declined to between 500 and 1000 as growers in that part of the state deal with early frosts which onions canrsquot stand and transportation problems There are more than half dozen produce companies in Adams and Weld counties that grow and market onions Weld is home to Community Supported Agriculture farms that offer a wide variety of produce to their members Those farms provide a wide selection of organically grown vegetables along with egg meat products and honey They also bring those products to area farmers markets and some take online andor telephone orders In addition several roadside stands around the county offer seasonal products Weld is also home to Hungenberg Produce the only commercial carrot producer in the state with close to 1000 acres The company also grows cabbage and onion sets both of which are shipped to various markets in the state and nation There were 2900 acres of cabbage harvested in the state in 2010 according to the statistics office which produced almost 1334 million pounds that had a value of $153 million The arearsquos largest commercial producer of sweet corn is Sakata Farms of Brighton which grows the crop in Adams and Weld counties Sweet corn also produced on the Western Slope saw 7500 acres harvested in 2010 producing more than 1125 million pounds with a value of $163 million Martin Produce of Greeley and Strohauer Farms of La Salle market potatoes with Strohauer offering a wide range of fingerling potatoes in addition to those sent to supermarkets Both operations also grow and market onions while Strohauer also has a line of broiler onions pearl onions shallots and cipollini onions

The 2012 Census of Agriculture will be the next ag census released It will be available in 2013

COUNTY TOTAL SALES CROPS LIVESTOCK

2007 CENSUS OfAGRICULTURE mARKETVALUE Of PRODUCTION

Fresno Calif $373 billion $25 billion $12 billion

Tulare Calif $333 billion $12 billion $21 billion

Kern Calif $32 billion $25 billion $6527 million

Merced Calif $23 billion $8793 million $14 billion

Monterey Calif $217 billion $213 billion $391 million

Stanislaus Calif $182 billion $736 million $11 billion

San Joaquin Calif $156 billion $9916 million $5726 million

Weld Colo $154 billion $2727 million $126 billion

Kings Calif $135 billion $651 million $706 million

Ventura Calif $131 billion $13 billion $131 million

1

3

5

7

9

22

44

66

88

1010

ERIC BELLAmYebellamygreeleytribunecom

DIVERSITY IS NAmE Of GAmE INWELD VEGETABLE PRODUCTION

SCRATCH amp DENT SALEGAS bull WOOD bull PELLET bull CORN bull BIOMASS

NO Interest for 6 Months WACASK ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL TAX CREDIT ON

PELLET WOOD STOVES AND INSERTS

CURRENT SPECIAL 60 BAGS OF FREE PELLETS

WITH A NEW HARMAN STOVE PURCHASE

SALE STARTS SEPTEMBER 16TH - SEPTEMBER 27TH

8 min North of Greeley on Hwy 85 Eaton bull 970-454-2542Hours M-F 730-700 Sat 800-600 Sun 900-500 bull wwwpoulsenacehardwarecom

NORTHERN COLORADOrsquoS BEST STOCKED STOVE amp FIREPLACE CENTER

NOW $399WITH COUPON

NOW$850OFF

NOW$977OFF

NOW$500 OFF

NOW$900OFF

NOW$707OFF

NOW$707OFF$977 OFFSale

UP TO

Since Weld is one of the top 10 agriculture counties in the nation itrsquos no surprise that agritourism is establishing a foothold here Agritourism according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture covers a wide variety of recreational educational and other leisure activities and services related to agriculture that take place on or off the farm or ranch and that connect consumers with the heritage natural resources or culinary experience they value There are three general classifications of the agritourism activities mdash on-farmranch food-based and heritage activities According to the latest Census of Agriculture released in 2007 there were 679 Colorado farms that offered agritourism and recreational services totaling almost $33 million in farm income Those numbers have likely increased during the past four years The next ag census will be released in 2013 based on 2012 numbers In 2006 according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture and Colorado State University economists Colorado agritourism locations hosted 13 million visitors which resulted in a $22 billion overall economic impact Wendy White a marketing specialist for the department of agriculture said there are no updated figures available from that original survey conducted by CSU with grant funding

AGRITOURISM STROnG In weldAndeRSOn FARMS6728 Weld County Road 325 Erie(303) 828-5210wwwandersonfarmscom

COlORAdO CATTle COMpAnyamp GUeST RAnCh70008 Weld County Road 132 New Raymer(970) 437-5345wwwcoloradocattlecompanycom

COlORAdO wInGSpORT41132 Weld County Road 13 Ft Collins(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ewe BeT RAnCh1850 E Highway 60 Loveland(970) 635-2370wwwewebetranchcom

FRITzleR FAMIly CORn MAze15630 Highway 256 La Salle (970) 737-2129wwwFritzlerMazecom

MIlleR FARMS9040 Highway 66 Platteville(970) 785-6133wwwmillerfarmsnet

MOnROe ORGAnIC FARMS llC25525 Weld County Road 48 Kersey(970) 284-7941wwwmonroefarmcom

pAwnee SpORTSMenS CenTeR40419 Weld County Road 71 Briggsdale(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ROCky plAInS BISOn RAnCh4022 Weld County Road 11 Dacono (303) 833-3791wwwrockyplainscom

wIndSOR dAIRy6427 Weld County Road 685 Windsor(970) 674-0571wwwwindsordairycom

MAzzOTTIrsquoS pUMpkIn pATCh24120 Weld County Road 8 Hudson(303) 536-4089wwwmazzottifarmscom

TIGGeS FARM12404 Weld County Road 645 Greeley(970) 686-7225notillkathycomcastnet

wIld weST MAze6876 Weld County Road 47 Hudson(303) 536-9200wwwwildwestmazecom

Source wwwcoloradoagritourismcom Fritzler Family Corn Maze

15 RAISedIn weld

260 Factory RoadEaton CO 80615(970) 454-4000

wwwaglandinccom

• 001pdf
• 002pdf
• 003pdf
• 004pdf
• 005pdf
• 006pdf
• 007pdf
• 008pdf
• 009pdf
• 010pdf
• 011pdf
• 012pdf
• 013pdf
• 014pdf
• 015pdf
• 016pdf

MILLET BARLEY OTHER SMALL-GRAIN CROPS A STAPLE OF WELD AGRICULTURE While winter wheat is the major small-grain crop in Weld others are dotted across the landscape including millet - the only crop in which Colorado ranks fi rst in the nation for production According to the Rocky Mountain Agribusiness Association Coloradorsquos millet farmers produce half of the countryrsquos supply Millet has traditionally been used in the US mainly for birdseed and some baking and beer brewing but globally according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture it sustains one-third of the worldrsquos population Compared to 2010 US millet exports are up 63 percent and Colorado exports have risen 87 percent states the RMAA The gluten-free crop is also fi nding more uses domestically as gluten-free products are a rising trend Well-known companies such as Betty Crocker and General Mills are using millet to offer products to those wanting to eliminate gluten from their diets and for people with celiac disease who otherwise canrsquot tolerate the proteins in wheat rye and barley According to the Colorado offi ce of the National Agricultural Statistics Service in 2010 the statersquos farmers harvested 215000 acres of millet producing 71 million bushels Those numbers were up from 2009 when Colorado farmers harvested 150000 acres producing 53 million bushels The Colorado northeastern plains is the region where most of the statersquos millet is grown A breakdown of millet production by county wasnrsquot available in the 2010 NASS report Sunfl owers have seen an overall increase in popularity in the past few years Like millet it is a small-grain crop that needs little water and is a good rotation crop used by wheat farmers as the deep-root system aerates the soil while also bringing those dryland farmers another source of income In recent years Weld County has ranked second in the state in the production of sunfl owers trailing only Kiowa County in the southeast part of Colorado - although the majority of the crop is grown in the northern and eastern

areas of the state In 2010 Weld County produced more than 106 million pounds of sunfl owers from 6400 acres Production numbers were not available for Kiowa County in the 2010 report to see how Weld compared Sunfl owers are grown for their oil and for birdseed or other similar uses In Weld most of the crop is the oil variety the county produced more than 5 million pounds for that purpose in 2008 Much of the countyrsquos barley crop is grown under contact and is used for the brewing of beer at the Miller-Coors plant in Golden In 2010 Weld farmers harvested 7600 acres of barley - down from the 12400 acres harvested in 2009 - and produced 740000 bushels - also a drop from last year when the county produced almost 12 million bushels Weldrsquos 2010 barley numbers again ranked the county fourth in the state behind Rio Grande Saguache and Alamosa counties all in southern Colorado Barley grown under contract must meet strict requirements by the brewing company If it doesnrsquot it is used as animal feed at a considerably lower price than that of brewing barley Sorghum for grain is one of the lesser crops in Weld The crops can be planted on wheat ground that is heavily hailed early in the season allowing farmers to get a crop off those fi elds Oats is another of those crops that is limited in acreage and in all cases those crops are used as livestock feed In 2010 the agricultural statistics offi ce reported that the statersquos millet crop had a value at $305 (double what it was the previous year) barley was at $306 million (down from the $548 million value in 2009) sunfl owers were at $358 million (up from $218 million in 2009) and sorghum for grain was valued at $371 million (up from $20 million in 2009) A value for sorghum for silage in 2010 was not available However in 2009 it was valued at $24 million

production of sunfl owers trailing only Kiowa County in the southeast part of Colorado - although the majority of the crop is grown in the northern and eastern

SALES MON-FRI 830AM-8PM bull SAT 830AM-7PM - PARTS amp SERVICE MON-FRI 7AM-6PM bull SAT 8AM-2PM - COLLISION CENTER MON-FRI 730AM-530PM

GHENTMOTORSCOM866-244-4368 35 AVE amp 34 BYPASS

GREELEY

ALL APPLICATIONS ACCEPTEDALL VEHICLES SUBJECT TO PRIOR SALE EMPLOYEE PRICE INCLUDES EMPLOYEE PRICE amp REBATES ALL VEHICLES ARE FIRST COME FIRST SERVED SOME PHOTOS FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY

NORTHERN COLORADOrsquoS NEWEST GM CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED VEHICLE DEALER

2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO Reg Cab WT

923146MSRP $27755

$22948 EmployeePrice

2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO Reg Cab WT

923146MSRP $27755

$22948Employee

924085MSRP $35075

$30379 EmployeePrice

924085MSRP $35075

$30379EmployeePrice

2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 25004WD WT REG CAB

2011 CHEVROLET TAHOE 4WD LS

914037MSRP $43105

$37719EmployeePrice

2011 CHEVROLET TAHOE 4WD LS

MSRP $43105

$37719EmployeeEmployeePrice

2011 CADILLAC STSLUXURY PACKAGE

931021MSRP $58540

$46692

2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA LT SEDAN

904044MSRP $28160

$22904 EmployeePrice

LT SEDAN

904044MSRP $28160

2011 CHEVROLET EQUINOXAWD 2LT

912083MSRP $36319

$34796 EmployeePrice

2011 CHEVROLET EQUINOXAWD 2LT

MSRP $36319

2011 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 4WD 12 TON LT

913031MSRP $55145

$48730 EmployeePrice

2011 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 4WD 12 TON LT

MSRP $55145

$48730

2011 CHEVROLET CAMARO SSCONVERTIBLE

940079MSRP $43570

$40771 EmployeePrice

CONVERTIBLE

940079MSRP $43570

$40771Employee

2011

14RAISEDIN WELD VEGETABLES

As an old saying goes if itrsquos not grown somewhere in Weld County then it may not be needed And when it comes to vegetables Weld farmers grow just about everything from asparagus to zucchini In 2010 according to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the statersquos vegetable growers produced more than 5757 million pounds from four fresh market crops - onions sweet corn cabbage cantaloupe They had a value of $825 million In 2009 the state produced 5657 million pounds for a total value of about $72 million In Weld County vegetable farmers dealt with severe weather conditions in 2009 and again in 2010 as early hail and wind storms took their toll In many cases however some of those crops were replanted and as the harvest season got started the quality of those crops was at least average The state statistics office does not track vegetable acreage by county because of disclosure requirements of individual operators While the acreage of vegetables took a downturn at the beginning of the century due to a lack of irrigation water some of that was returned in the past three years when water was more readily available due to average to above average snowpack in the mountains and higher amounts of precipitation As a result the state was ranked in the top 10 in the nation for the production of the four fresh market crops in 2010 led by cantaloupe (ranked No 4) storage onions - the majority of which are grown in the northern part of the state - at No 6 and cabbage and sweet corn both at No 7 In addition the state ranks high in potatoes - fifth in the nation - but the majority of that crop is now produced in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado while there are only two large potato producers left in Weld County Traditionally about 60 percent of the storage onion crop is grown in northern Colorado which includes Weld Adams Larimer and Morgan counties In 2009 onion acreage in the state was about 8000 and that decreased to about 7500 last year In the past there were two types of onions grown in Weld - a crop that was

transplanted from starts in southern climate such as Texas or Arizona which is sent to market right after harvest and a second that is produced from seed and can be stored to be marketed over the fall and winter months Transplant onions however represent only a small percentage of those grown in northern Colorado probably 5 percent or less The Western Slope once had upwards of 3000 acre of onions but that has declined to between 500 and 1000 as growers in that part of the state deal with early frosts which onions canrsquot stand and transportation problems There are more than half dozen produce companies in Adams and Weld counties that grow and market onions Weld is home to Community Supported Agriculture farms that offer a wide variety of produce to their members Those farms provide a wide selection of organically grown vegetables along with egg meat products and honey They also bring those products to area farmers markets and some take online andor telephone orders In addition several roadside stands around the county offer seasonal products Weld is also home to Hungenberg Produce the only commercial carrot producer in the state with close to 1000 acres The company also grows cabbage and onion sets both of which are shipped to various markets in the state and nation There were 2900 acres of cabbage harvested in the state in 2010 according to the statistics office which produced almost 1334 million pounds that had a value of $153 million The arearsquos largest commercial producer of sweet corn is Sakata Farms of Brighton which grows the crop in Adams and Weld counties Sweet corn also produced on the Western Slope saw 7500 acres harvested in 2010 producing more than 1125 million pounds with a value of $163 million Martin Produce of Greeley and Strohauer Farms of La Salle market potatoes with Strohauer offering a wide range of fingerling potatoes in addition to those sent to supermarkets Both operations also grow and market onions while Strohauer also has a line of broiler onions pearl onions shallots and cipollini onions

The 2012 Census of Agriculture will be the next ag census released It will be available in 2013

COUNTY TOTAL SALES CROPS LIVESTOCK

2007 CENSUS OfAGRICULTURE mARKETVALUE Of PRODUCTION

Fresno Calif $373 billion $25 billion $12 billion

Tulare Calif $333 billion $12 billion $21 billion

Kern Calif $32 billion $25 billion $6527 million

Merced Calif $23 billion $8793 million $14 billion

Monterey Calif $217 billion $213 billion $391 million

Stanislaus Calif $182 billion $736 million $11 billion

San Joaquin Calif $156 billion $9916 million $5726 million

Weld Colo $154 billion $2727 million $126 billion

Kings Calif $135 billion $651 million $706 million

Ventura Calif $131 billion $13 billion $131 million

1

3

5

7

9

22

44

66

88

1010

ERIC BELLAmYebellamygreeleytribunecom

DIVERSITY IS NAmE Of GAmE INWELD VEGETABLE PRODUCTION

SCRATCH amp DENT SALEGAS bull WOOD bull PELLET bull CORN bull BIOMASS

NO Interest for 6 Months WACASK ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL TAX CREDIT ON

PELLET WOOD STOVES AND INSERTS

CURRENT SPECIAL 60 BAGS OF FREE PELLETS

WITH A NEW HARMAN STOVE PURCHASE

SALE STARTS SEPTEMBER 16TH - SEPTEMBER 27TH

8 min North of Greeley on Hwy 85 Eaton bull 970-454-2542Hours M-F 730-700 Sat 800-600 Sun 900-500 bull wwwpoulsenacehardwarecom

NORTHERN COLORADOrsquoS BEST STOCKED STOVE amp FIREPLACE CENTER

NOW $399WITH COUPON

NOW$850OFF

NOW$977OFF

NOW$500 OFF

NOW$900OFF

NOW$707OFF

NOW$707OFF$977 OFFSale

UP TO

Since Weld is one of the top 10 agriculture counties in the nation itrsquos no surprise that agritourism is establishing a foothold here Agritourism according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture covers a wide variety of recreational educational and other leisure activities and services related to agriculture that take place on or off the farm or ranch and that connect consumers with the heritage natural resources or culinary experience they value There are three general classifications of the agritourism activities mdash on-farmranch food-based and heritage activities According to the latest Census of Agriculture released in 2007 there were 679 Colorado farms that offered agritourism and recreational services totaling almost $33 million in farm income Those numbers have likely increased during the past four years The next ag census will be released in 2013 based on 2012 numbers In 2006 according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture and Colorado State University economists Colorado agritourism locations hosted 13 million visitors which resulted in a $22 billion overall economic impact Wendy White a marketing specialist for the department of agriculture said there are no updated figures available from that original survey conducted by CSU with grant funding

AGRITOURISM STROnG In weldAndeRSOn FARMS6728 Weld County Road 325 Erie(303) 828-5210wwwandersonfarmscom

COlORAdO CATTle COMpAnyamp GUeST RAnCh70008 Weld County Road 132 New Raymer(970) 437-5345wwwcoloradocattlecompanycom

COlORAdO wInGSpORT41132 Weld County Road 13 Ft Collins(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ewe BeT RAnCh1850 E Highway 60 Loveland(970) 635-2370wwwewebetranchcom

FRITzleR FAMIly CORn MAze15630 Highway 256 La Salle (970) 737-2129wwwFritzlerMazecom

MIlleR FARMS9040 Highway 66 Platteville(970) 785-6133wwwmillerfarmsnet

MOnROe ORGAnIC FARMS llC25525 Weld County Road 48 Kersey(970) 284-7941wwwmonroefarmcom

pAwnee SpORTSMenS CenTeR40419 Weld County Road 71 Briggsdale(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ROCky plAInS BISOn RAnCh4022 Weld County Road 11 Dacono (303) 833-3791wwwrockyplainscom

wIndSOR dAIRy6427 Weld County Road 685 Windsor(970) 674-0571wwwwindsordairycom

MAzzOTTIrsquoS pUMpkIn pATCh24120 Weld County Road 8 Hudson(303) 536-4089wwwmazzottifarmscom

TIGGeS FARM12404 Weld County Road 645 Greeley(970) 686-7225notillkathycomcastnet

wIld weST MAze6876 Weld County Road 47 Hudson(303) 536-9200wwwwildwestmazecom

Source wwwcoloradoagritourismcom Fritzler Family Corn Maze

15 RAISedIn weld

260 Factory RoadEaton CO 80615(970) 454-4000

wwwaglandinccom

• 001pdf
• 002pdf
• 003pdf
• 004pdf
• 005pdf
• 006pdf
• 007pdf
• 008pdf
• 009pdf
• 010pdf
• 011pdf
• 012pdf
• 013pdf
• 014pdf
• 015pdf
• 016pdf

SALES MON-FRI 830AM-8PM bull SAT 830AM-7PM - PARTS amp SERVICE MON-FRI 7AM-6PM bull SAT 8AM-2PM - COLLISION CENTER MON-FRI 730AM-530PM

GHENTMOTORSCOM866-244-4368 35 AVE amp 34 BYPASS

GREELEY

ALL APPLICATIONS ACCEPTEDALL VEHICLES SUBJECT TO PRIOR SALE EMPLOYEE PRICE INCLUDES EMPLOYEE PRICE amp REBATES ALL VEHICLES ARE FIRST COME FIRST SERVED SOME PHOTOS FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY

NORTHERN COLORADOrsquoS NEWEST GM CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED VEHICLE DEALER

2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO Reg Cab WT

923146MSRP $27755

$22948 EmployeePrice

2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO Reg Cab WT

923146MSRP $27755

$22948Employee

924085MSRP $35075

$30379 EmployeePrice

924085MSRP $35075

$30379EmployeePrice

2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 25004WD WT REG CAB

2011 CHEVROLET TAHOE 4WD LS

914037MSRP $43105

$37719EmployeePrice

2011 CHEVROLET TAHOE 4WD LS

MSRP $43105

$37719EmployeeEmployeePrice

2011 CADILLAC STSLUXURY PACKAGE

931021MSRP $58540

$46692

2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA LT SEDAN

904044MSRP $28160

$22904 EmployeePrice

LT SEDAN

904044MSRP $28160

2011 CHEVROLET EQUINOXAWD 2LT

912083MSRP $36319

$34796 EmployeePrice

2011 CHEVROLET EQUINOXAWD 2LT

MSRP $36319

2011 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 4WD 12 TON LT

913031MSRP $55145

$48730 EmployeePrice

2011 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 4WD 12 TON LT

MSRP $55145

$48730

2011 CHEVROLET CAMARO SSCONVERTIBLE

940079MSRP $43570

$40771 EmployeePrice

CONVERTIBLE

940079MSRP $43570

$40771Employee

2011

14RAISEDIN WELD VEGETABLES

As an old saying goes if itrsquos not grown somewhere in Weld County then it may not be needed And when it comes to vegetables Weld farmers grow just about everything from asparagus to zucchini In 2010 according to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the statersquos vegetable growers produced more than 5757 million pounds from four fresh market crops - onions sweet corn cabbage cantaloupe They had a value of $825 million In 2009 the state produced 5657 million pounds for a total value of about $72 million In Weld County vegetable farmers dealt with severe weather conditions in 2009 and again in 2010 as early hail and wind storms took their toll In many cases however some of those crops were replanted and as the harvest season got started the quality of those crops was at least average The state statistics office does not track vegetable acreage by county because of disclosure requirements of individual operators While the acreage of vegetables took a downturn at the beginning of the century due to a lack of irrigation water some of that was returned in the past three years when water was more readily available due to average to above average snowpack in the mountains and higher amounts of precipitation As a result the state was ranked in the top 10 in the nation for the production of the four fresh market crops in 2010 led by cantaloupe (ranked No 4) storage onions - the majority of which are grown in the northern part of the state - at No 6 and cabbage and sweet corn both at No 7 In addition the state ranks high in potatoes - fifth in the nation - but the majority of that crop is now produced in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado while there are only two large potato producers left in Weld County Traditionally about 60 percent of the storage onion crop is grown in northern Colorado which includes Weld Adams Larimer and Morgan counties In 2009 onion acreage in the state was about 8000 and that decreased to about 7500 last year In the past there were two types of onions grown in Weld - a crop that was

transplanted from starts in southern climate such as Texas or Arizona which is sent to market right after harvest and a second that is produced from seed and can be stored to be marketed over the fall and winter months Transplant onions however represent only a small percentage of those grown in northern Colorado probably 5 percent or less The Western Slope once had upwards of 3000 acre of onions but that has declined to between 500 and 1000 as growers in that part of the state deal with early frosts which onions canrsquot stand and transportation problems There are more than half dozen produce companies in Adams and Weld counties that grow and market onions Weld is home to Community Supported Agriculture farms that offer a wide variety of produce to their members Those farms provide a wide selection of organically grown vegetables along with egg meat products and honey They also bring those products to area farmers markets and some take online andor telephone orders In addition several roadside stands around the county offer seasonal products Weld is also home to Hungenberg Produce the only commercial carrot producer in the state with close to 1000 acres The company also grows cabbage and onion sets both of which are shipped to various markets in the state and nation There were 2900 acres of cabbage harvested in the state in 2010 according to the statistics office which produced almost 1334 million pounds that had a value of $153 million The arearsquos largest commercial producer of sweet corn is Sakata Farms of Brighton which grows the crop in Adams and Weld counties Sweet corn also produced on the Western Slope saw 7500 acres harvested in 2010 producing more than 1125 million pounds with a value of $163 million Martin Produce of Greeley and Strohauer Farms of La Salle market potatoes with Strohauer offering a wide range of fingerling potatoes in addition to those sent to supermarkets Both operations also grow and market onions while Strohauer also has a line of broiler onions pearl onions shallots and cipollini onions

The 2012 Census of Agriculture will be the next ag census released It will be available in 2013

COUNTY TOTAL SALES CROPS LIVESTOCK

2007 CENSUS OfAGRICULTURE mARKETVALUE Of PRODUCTION

Fresno Calif $373 billion $25 billion $12 billion

Tulare Calif $333 billion $12 billion $21 billion

Kern Calif $32 billion $25 billion $6527 million

Merced Calif $23 billion $8793 million $14 billion

Monterey Calif $217 billion $213 billion $391 million

Stanislaus Calif $182 billion $736 million $11 billion

San Joaquin Calif $156 billion $9916 million $5726 million

Weld Colo $154 billion $2727 million $126 billion

Kings Calif $135 billion $651 million $706 million

Ventura Calif $131 billion $13 billion $131 million

1

3

5

7

9

22

44

66

88

1010

ERIC BELLAmYebellamygreeleytribunecom

DIVERSITY IS NAmE Of GAmE INWELD VEGETABLE PRODUCTION

SCRATCH amp DENT SALEGAS bull WOOD bull PELLET bull CORN bull BIOMASS

NO Interest for 6 Months WACASK ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL TAX CREDIT ON

PELLET WOOD STOVES AND INSERTS

CURRENT SPECIAL 60 BAGS OF FREE PELLETS

WITH A NEW HARMAN STOVE PURCHASE

SALE STARTS SEPTEMBER 16TH - SEPTEMBER 27TH

8 min North of Greeley on Hwy 85 Eaton bull 970-454-2542Hours M-F 730-700 Sat 800-600 Sun 900-500 bull wwwpoulsenacehardwarecom

NORTHERN COLORADOrsquoS BEST STOCKED STOVE amp FIREPLACE CENTER

NOW $399WITH COUPON

NOW$850OFF

NOW$977OFF

NOW$500 OFF

NOW$900OFF

NOW$707OFF

NOW$707OFF$977 OFFSale

UP TO

Since Weld is one of the top 10 agriculture counties in the nation itrsquos no surprise that agritourism is establishing a foothold here Agritourism according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture covers a wide variety of recreational educational and other leisure activities and services related to agriculture that take place on or off the farm or ranch and that connect consumers with the heritage natural resources or culinary experience they value There are three general classifications of the agritourism activities mdash on-farmranch food-based and heritage activities According to the latest Census of Agriculture released in 2007 there were 679 Colorado farms that offered agritourism and recreational services totaling almost $33 million in farm income Those numbers have likely increased during the past four years The next ag census will be released in 2013 based on 2012 numbers In 2006 according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture and Colorado State University economists Colorado agritourism locations hosted 13 million visitors which resulted in a $22 billion overall economic impact Wendy White a marketing specialist for the department of agriculture said there are no updated figures available from that original survey conducted by CSU with grant funding

AGRITOURISM STROnG In weldAndeRSOn FARMS6728 Weld County Road 325 Erie(303) 828-5210wwwandersonfarmscom

COlORAdO CATTle COMpAnyamp GUeST RAnCh70008 Weld County Road 132 New Raymer(970) 437-5345wwwcoloradocattlecompanycom

COlORAdO wInGSpORT41132 Weld County Road 13 Ft Collins(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ewe BeT RAnCh1850 E Highway 60 Loveland(970) 635-2370wwwewebetranchcom

FRITzleR FAMIly CORn MAze15630 Highway 256 La Salle (970) 737-2129wwwFritzlerMazecom

MIlleR FARMS9040 Highway 66 Platteville(970) 785-6133wwwmillerfarmsnet

MOnROe ORGAnIC FARMS llC25525 Weld County Road 48 Kersey(970) 284-7941wwwmonroefarmcom

pAwnee SpORTSMenS CenTeR40419 Weld County Road 71 Briggsdale(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ROCky plAInS BISOn RAnCh4022 Weld County Road 11 Dacono (303) 833-3791wwwrockyplainscom

wIndSOR dAIRy6427 Weld County Road 685 Windsor(970) 674-0571wwwwindsordairycom

MAzzOTTIrsquoS pUMpkIn pATCh24120 Weld County Road 8 Hudson(303) 536-4089wwwmazzottifarmscom

TIGGeS FARM12404 Weld County Road 645 Greeley(970) 686-7225notillkathycomcastnet

wIld weST MAze6876 Weld County Road 47 Hudson(303) 536-9200wwwwildwestmazecom

Source wwwcoloradoagritourismcom Fritzler Family Corn Maze

15 RAISedIn weld

260 Factory RoadEaton CO 80615(970) 454-4000

wwwaglandinccom

• 001pdf
• 002pdf
• 003pdf
• 004pdf
• 005pdf
• 006pdf
• 007pdf
• 008pdf
• 009pdf
• 010pdf
• 011pdf
• 012pdf
• 013pdf
• 014pdf
• 015pdf
• 016pdf

14RAISEDIN WELD VEGETABLES

As an old saying goes if itrsquos not grown somewhere in Weld County then it may not be needed And when it comes to vegetables Weld farmers grow just about everything from asparagus to zucchini In 2010 according to the Colorado office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service the statersquos vegetable growers produced more than 5757 million pounds from four fresh market crops - onions sweet corn cabbage cantaloupe They had a value of $825 million In 2009 the state produced 5657 million pounds for a total value of about $72 million In Weld County vegetable farmers dealt with severe weather conditions in 2009 and again in 2010 as early hail and wind storms took their toll In many cases however some of those crops were replanted and as the harvest season got started the quality of those crops was at least average The state statistics office does not track vegetable acreage by county because of disclosure requirements of individual operators While the acreage of vegetables took a downturn at the beginning of the century due to a lack of irrigation water some of that was returned in the past three years when water was more readily available due to average to above average snowpack in the mountains and higher amounts of precipitation As a result the state was ranked in the top 10 in the nation for the production of the four fresh market crops in 2010 led by cantaloupe (ranked No 4) storage onions - the majority of which are grown in the northern part of the state - at No 6 and cabbage and sweet corn both at No 7 In addition the state ranks high in potatoes - fifth in the nation - but the majority of that crop is now produced in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado while there are only two large potato producers left in Weld County Traditionally about 60 percent of the storage onion crop is grown in northern Colorado which includes Weld Adams Larimer and Morgan counties In 2009 onion acreage in the state was about 8000 and that decreased to about 7500 last year In the past there were two types of onions grown in Weld - a crop that was

transplanted from starts in southern climate such as Texas or Arizona which is sent to market right after harvest and a second that is produced from seed and can be stored to be marketed over the fall and winter months Transplant onions however represent only a small percentage of those grown in northern Colorado probably 5 percent or less The Western Slope once had upwards of 3000 acre of onions but that has declined to between 500 and 1000 as growers in that part of the state deal with early frosts which onions canrsquot stand and transportation problems There are more than half dozen produce companies in Adams and Weld counties that grow and market onions Weld is home to Community Supported Agriculture farms that offer a wide variety of produce to their members Those farms provide a wide selection of organically grown vegetables along with egg meat products and honey They also bring those products to area farmers markets and some take online andor telephone orders In addition several roadside stands around the county offer seasonal products Weld is also home to Hungenberg Produce the only commercial carrot producer in the state with close to 1000 acres The company also grows cabbage and onion sets both of which are shipped to various markets in the state and nation There were 2900 acres of cabbage harvested in the state in 2010 according to the statistics office which produced almost 1334 million pounds that had a value of $153 million The arearsquos largest commercial producer of sweet corn is Sakata Farms of Brighton which grows the crop in Adams and Weld counties Sweet corn also produced on the Western Slope saw 7500 acres harvested in 2010 producing more than 1125 million pounds with a value of $163 million Martin Produce of Greeley and Strohauer Farms of La Salle market potatoes with Strohauer offering a wide range of fingerling potatoes in addition to those sent to supermarkets Both operations also grow and market onions while Strohauer also has a line of broiler onions pearl onions shallots and cipollini onions

The 2012 Census of Agriculture will be the next ag census released It will be available in 2013

COUNTY TOTAL SALES CROPS LIVESTOCK

2007 CENSUS OfAGRICULTURE mARKETVALUE Of PRODUCTION

Fresno Calif $373 billion $25 billion $12 billion

Tulare Calif $333 billion $12 billion $21 billion

Kern Calif $32 billion $25 billion $6527 million

Merced Calif $23 billion $8793 million $14 billion

Monterey Calif $217 billion $213 billion $391 million

Stanislaus Calif $182 billion $736 million $11 billion

San Joaquin Calif $156 billion $9916 million $5726 million

Weld Colo $154 billion $2727 million $126 billion

Kings Calif $135 billion $651 million $706 million

Ventura Calif $131 billion $13 billion $131 million

1

3

5

7

9

22

44

66

88

1010

ERIC BELLAmYebellamygreeleytribunecom

DIVERSITY IS NAmE Of GAmE INWELD VEGETABLE PRODUCTION

SCRATCH amp DENT SALEGAS bull WOOD bull PELLET bull CORN bull BIOMASS

NO Interest for 6 Months WACASK ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL TAX CREDIT ON

PELLET WOOD STOVES AND INSERTS

CURRENT SPECIAL 60 BAGS OF FREE PELLETS

WITH A NEW HARMAN STOVE PURCHASE

SALE STARTS SEPTEMBER 16TH - SEPTEMBER 27TH

8 min North of Greeley on Hwy 85 Eaton bull 970-454-2542Hours M-F 730-700 Sat 800-600 Sun 900-500 bull wwwpoulsenacehardwarecom

NORTHERN COLORADOrsquoS BEST STOCKED STOVE amp FIREPLACE CENTER

NOW $399WITH COUPON

NOW$850OFF

NOW$977OFF

NOW$500 OFF

NOW$900OFF

NOW$707OFF

NOW$707OFF$977 OFFSale

UP TO

Since Weld is one of the top 10 agriculture counties in the nation itrsquos no surprise that agritourism is establishing a foothold here Agritourism according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture covers a wide variety of recreational educational and other leisure activities and services related to agriculture that take place on or off the farm or ranch and that connect consumers with the heritage natural resources or culinary experience they value There are three general classifications of the agritourism activities mdash on-farmranch food-based and heritage activities According to the latest Census of Agriculture released in 2007 there were 679 Colorado farms that offered agritourism and recreational services totaling almost $33 million in farm income Those numbers have likely increased during the past four years The next ag census will be released in 2013 based on 2012 numbers In 2006 according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture and Colorado State University economists Colorado agritourism locations hosted 13 million visitors which resulted in a $22 billion overall economic impact Wendy White a marketing specialist for the department of agriculture said there are no updated figures available from that original survey conducted by CSU with grant funding

AGRITOURISM STROnG In weldAndeRSOn FARMS6728 Weld County Road 325 Erie(303) 828-5210wwwandersonfarmscom

COlORAdO CATTle COMpAnyamp GUeST RAnCh70008 Weld County Road 132 New Raymer(970) 437-5345wwwcoloradocattlecompanycom

COlORAdO wInGSpORT41132 Weld County Road 13 Ft Collins(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ewe BeT RAnCh1850 E Highway 60 Loveland(970) 635-2370wwwewebetranchcom

FRITzleR FAMIly CORn MAze15630 Highway 256 La Salle (970) 737-2129wwwFritzlerMazecom

MIlleR FARMS9040 Highway 66 Platteville(970) 785-6133wwwmillerfarmsnet

MOnROe ORGAnIC FARMS llC25525 Weld County Road 48 Kersey(970) 284-7941wwwmonroefarmcom

pAwnee SpORTSMenS CenTeR40419 Weld County Road 71 Briggsdale(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ROCky plAInS BISOn RAnCh4022 Weld County Road 11 Dacono (303) 833-3791wwwrockyplainscom

wIndSOR dAIRy6427 Weld County Road 685 Windsor(970) 674-0571wwwwindsordairycom

MAzzOTTIrsquoS pUMpkIn pATCh24120 Weld County Road 8 Hudson(303) 536-4089wwwmazzottifarmscom

TIGGeS FARM12404 Weld County Road 645 Greeley(970) 686-7225notillkathycomcastnet

wIld weST MAze6876 Weld County Road 47 Hudson(303) 536-9200wwwwildwestmazecom

Source wwwcoloradoagritourismcom Fritzler Family Corn Maze

15 RAISedIn weld

260 Factory RoadEaton CO 80615(970) 454-4000

wwwaglandinccom

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SCRATCH amp DENT SALEGAS bull WOOD bull PELLET bull CORN bull BIOMASS

NO Interest for 6 Months WACASK ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL TAX CREDIT ON

PELLET WOOD STOVES AND INSERTS

CURRENT SPECIAL 60 BAGS OF FREE PELLETS

WITH A NEW HARMAN STOVE PURCHASE

SALE STARTS SEPTEMBER 16TH - SEPTEMBER 27TH

8 min North of Greeley on Hwy 85 Eaton bull 970-454-2542Hours M-F 730-700 Sat 800-600 Sun 900-500 bull wwwpoulsenacehardwarecom

NORTHERN COLORADOrsquoS BEST STOCKED STOVE amp FIREPLACE CENTER

NOW $399WITH COUPON

NOW$850OFF

NOW$977OFF

NOW$500 OFF

NOW$900OFF

NOW$707OFF

NOW$707OFF$977 OFFSale

UP TO

Since Weld is one of the top 10 agriculture counties in the nation itrsquos no surprise that agritourism is establishing a foothold here Agritourism according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture covers a wide variety of recreational educational and other leisure activities and services related to agriculture that take place on or off the farm or ranch and that connect consumers with the heritage natural resources or culinary experience they value There are three general classifications of the agritourism activities mdash on-farmranch food-based and heritage activities According to the latest Census of Agriculture released in 2007 there were 679 Colorado farms that offered agritourism and recreational services totaling almost $33 million in farm income Those numbers have likely increased during the past four years The next ag census will be released in 2013 based on 2012 numbers In 2006 according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture and Colorado State University economists Colorado agritourism locations hosted 13 million visitors which resulted in a $22 billion overall economic impact Wendy White a marketing specialist for the department of agriculture said there are no updated figures available from that original survey conducted by CSU with grant funding

AGRITOURISM STROnG In weldAndeRSOn FARMS6728 Weld County Road 325 Erie(303) 828-5210wwwandersonfarmscom

COlORAdO CATTle COMpAnyamp GUeST RAnCh70008 Weld County Road 132 New Raymer(970) 437-5345wwwcoloradocattlecompanycom

COlORAdO wInGSpORT41132 Weld County Road 13 Ft Collins(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ewe BeT RAnCh1850 E Highway 60 Loveland(970) 635-2370wwwewebetranchcom

FRITzleR FAMIly CORn MAze15630 Highway 256 La Salle (970) 737-2129wwwFritzlerMazecom

MIlleR FARMS9040 Highway 66 Platteville(970) 785-6133wwwmillerfarmsnet

MOnROe ORGAnIC FARMS llC25525 Weld County Road 48 Kersey(970) 284-7941wwwmonroefarmcom

pAwnee SpORTSMenS CenTeR40419 Weld County Road 71 Briggsdale(970) 482-7574wwwpawneesportscom

ROCky plAInS BISOn RAnCh4022 Weld County Road 11 Dacono (303) 833-3791wwwrockyplainscom

wIndSOR dAIRy6427 Weld County Road 685 Windsor(970) 674-0571wwwwindsordairycom

MAzzOTTIrsquoS pUMpkIn pATCh24120 Weld County Road 8 Hudson(303) 536-4089wwwmazzottifarmscom

TIGGeS FARM12404 Weld County Road 645 Greeley(970) 686-7225notillkathycomcastnet

wIld weST MAze6876 Weld County Road 47 Hudson(303) 536-9200wwwwildwestmazecom

Source wwwcoloradoagritourismcom Fritzler Family Corn Maze

15 RAISedIn weld

260 Factory RoadEaton CO 80615(970) 454-4000

wwwaglandinccom

• 001pdf
• 002pdf
• 003pdf
• 004pdf
• 005pdf
• 006pdf
• 007pdf
• 008pdf
• 009pdf
• 010pdf
• 011pdf
• 012pdf
• 013pdf
• 014pdf
• 015pdf
• 016pdf

260 Factory RoadEaton CO 80615(970) 454-4000

wwwaglandinccom

• 001pdf
• 002pdf
• 003pdf
• 004pdf
• 005pdf
• 006pdf
• 007pdf
• 008pdf
• 009pdf
• 010pdf
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