GREELEY, Colo. – Farmers and equipment dealers filled the 63rd annual Colorado Farm show, checking out new tractors and combines, connecting with friends, and quietly weighing the season ahead amid a troubling snowpack.
The three-day event drew 300 vendors and over 30,000 visitors, offering farmers a chance to inspect new gear up close and for the public to learn what the agriculture industry is all about.
“It’s the backbone of everything in northern Colorado,” said Event Center Chairman Tim Magnuson. “There probably wouldn’t be Greeley if there wasn’t ag.”
Organizers also highlighted support for the next generation. The show will award a little more than $29,000 in scholarships, including multi-year awards of up to $2,000.
“If we don't support the youth, we're not going to have anybody come back,” said Magnuson. “We will always need people in Agriculture.”
Still, concern over water looms. Mountain snowpack levels are at 58%, and growers warn that shortfalls could force tough choices on planting.
“There’s not a river that comes through Colorado. They all start in Colorado,” said Willy Sandau, a sales manager for 21st Century Equipment. “I have had people tell me that they aren't going to plant as many acres this year because they won't have the water to irrigate their crops.”
“In agriculture, most of us all are eternal optimists,” said Magnuson. “But if we don't get a snowpack, we're not going to have any surface water, and that's what waters a lot of this community around Greeley… We need feet and feet and feet of snow to get caught up.”
Depending on their operation, some farmers have access to well water, though it is more expensive to bring out of the ground. Some have the option of buying water from their neighbors who may be growing crops that need less water, and many have insurance to help in bad years, even if it may not cover 100% of their losses.
“Some people are pretty nervous with the snowpack in the mountains… They've been out in the field, still working stuff up till a couple weeks ago,” said Sandau. “Others are [saying]… we’ve been here. We’ve had these years before and we’re just ready to start a new year.”