On Jan. 19, Colorado Mesa University and the Business Incubator Center unveiled the results of their groundbreaking study — Western Slope Agriculture Report — to a packed conference room of ranchers, farmers and community leaders. “This study places us on a level playing field,” said ranc her Janie VanWinkle. “We’ve made assumptions for years, but this study gives us data, which clarifies all of it. It tells us what kind of an economic driver agriculture is.” Grapes grow on the vineyards at Sauvage Spectrum Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in Palisade, Colo. Winemaker Kaibab Sauvage grows the grapes at the vineyard while Patric Matysiewski makes the wine. (The Denver Gazette, Christian Murdock) The study is the first of its kind, looking at the five counties that make up the heart of the Western Slope agricultural community: Rio Blanco, Garfield, Mesa, Delta and Montrose. In 2024, the Business Incubator Center (BIC) was one of 65 communities across the United States to receive grants from the Economic Recovery Corps, a partnership between the U.S. Economic Development Administration and International Economic Development Council, to study a specific issue. With that funding, the BIC launched AgriWest, an economic development initiative “intended to support agricultural sustainability and food security systems in Western Colorado.” In July 2024, VanWinkle was named the first AgriWest Fellow, a 2.5-year fellowship during which she has developed partnerships, secured funding and promoted innovative solutions for Western Colorado’s agricultural needs. To conduct the study, AgriWest brought on board Colorado Mesa University professor of economics Nathan Perry, Ph.D. Perry has conducted several economic impact studies, including on oil and gas and outdoor recreation and regularly presents on the economic conditions of the Western Slope, Colorado and the national economy. “This study is one of the most comprehensive, region-wide assessments of Western Slope agriculture,” said Perry. “With it we offer a clear, data-driven understanding of where agriculture stands today on the Western Slope and what lies ahead.” Dalida Sassoon Bollig, the BIC’s CEO, said that the study highlights the impact of agriculture and the data will “translate into policies that our chambers of commerce and associations can take with them and create action items to help our agriculture community.” The study confirmed what both VanWinkle and Perry already knew — how vital agriculture is to the five Western Slope counties but also how fragile it is. In the five-county region, agriculture supports more than 9,000 jobs, contributes $287.1 million to regional GDP and generates over $719 million in total economic output, which places it with Western Colorado’s most consequential sectors. One worrying finding is that, while farms increased from 4,321 in 2002 to 5,836 in 2022, land in farms fell from 1,763,289 acres to 1,609,971 acres. The average farm size also dropped from 408 acres to 276 acres. Perry said the declining farm lands, coupled with the increase in the number of farms, indicates an increasing reliance on smaller farms. In the five counties, 69.3% of farms comprised less than 50 acres, and 46.5% reported less than $2,500 in annual sales.  “We don’t just need hobby farms,” said Bollig. “We need to discuss systems so that hobby farms can scale. We just aren’t seeing large viable producers coming up through the ranks.” According to Perry, that also points to another major issue facing agriculture — what to do with the farm or ranch when the existing family can’t work anymore. In the five Western Slope counties, only 7.3% of producers are under the age of 35 and only 52.9% of producers anticipate the business being passed down to the next generation. “I do lay awake at night worrying for our communities,” VanWinkle said. “I spoke with a producer in Montana, and they share the same concern. We need to have the conversation with the younger generation about whether they are taking over the farm.” Said Perry, “Agriculture is an important legacy of this region. But the census data shows us an aging population and only half of producers have their succession figured out. It’s hard to settle a cattle ranch. You need a family to take the ranch, or else agriculture leaves that part of the landscape.” Perry argued that it’s difficult to quantify the economic impact of an agriculture landscape. “Agricultural landscapes increase the quality of life, and they attract and retain businesses and the workforce,” Perry said. “It leads to that Western Slope feel. It’s why people like to live here.”” According to Bollig, the long-term viability for the agricultural sector depends not only on water and land availability but on “sound business planning, access to capital, operational efficiency, workforce strategies, innovation and succession readiness.” Producers often don’t see themselves as businesses, Bollig argued, but the report made it clear that the agricultural sector is an entrepreneurial one. Over 57.68% of producers have diversified their income streams with agri-tourism, direct-to-consumer sales and outfitting. “We need to encourage business acumen,” Bollig said, “and strategically support them so that they can stay rooted here in the community. The decisions made in the coming years will shape … the long-term economic health of the region.” AgriWest will make two other presentations: On Jan. 29 for Garfield and Rio Blanco counties and on Jan. 30 for Delta and Montrose. The RSVP can be found at https://gjincubator.org/economic-impact-of-ag-on-western-co/ ...read more read less