September 2025 || Newsletter Edition 180

Ivy Koppel-Egierd

CSU Extension Intern

Ivy Koppel-Egierd is a fourth-year student at Colorado State University studying Soil and Crop Science with a concentration in Sustainable Agriculture. Additionally, she is minoring in Organic Agriculture, Horticulture, and Agricultural Business.

Originally from New Jersey, Ivy did not grow up around agriculture but has always loved getting her hands dirty. This summer, she interned with CSU Extension, researching lavender and heritage apple agritourism ventures. She built enterprise budgets for both production systems and researched regulatory barriers that may affect producers with lavender and heritage apple operations that include agritourism.

2025 Colorado State Fair: Growing Tradition

This year's Colorado State Fair is taking place from August 22nd-September 1st in Pueblo. There are many activities and educational opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy, including carnivals, rodeos, concerts, stock shows, demolition derbies, and more.

Gate admission tickets are $15 for adults and $7 for kids (children 4 and under are free). Admission fee covers admission to shows. Hours: Friday-Sunday: 11am-11pm

Buy tickets here.

Farmer Training Convergence at Old Fort in Hesperus

On September 5th and 6th, farmers and food systems supporters are invited to the Old Fort in Hesperus to share knowledge, resources, ideas, and inspiration. Register here!

Presentations will include:

• DIY Soil Health Testing Workshop from CSU IN-RICHES Team 
• Mobile Meat Processing Workshop
• Pollinators & Perennials in the Old Fort Education Garden
• Colorado Land Link panel of farmers and landowners
• Resources from Colorado Department of Agriculture
• Indigenous Knowledge Impacts at the Old Fort
• Farming Beyond the FIT Program
• Tips and tricks for connecting with USDA programs
• Southwest Young Farmers wellness workshop for farmers
• Updates from the Southwest Equitable Land Access Collaborative
• Field tours

Registration is live, and the cost to attend is $35 for both days or $20 per day (includes lunch). Contact ebell1@fortlewis.edu to request a scholarship. 

Discounted Range Meat Academy Courses

The Northwest and Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center is partnering with the Range Meat Academy to offer a final round of 75% discounts on course registrations for individuals living in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Washington, and Oregon. The online course includes the Meat Cutter and Meat Clerk certificate courses. A Spanish language version is also available.

To receive the discount, email tmbass@montana.edu and hunter.buffington@colostate.edu with your name, address, business and/or tribal meat enterprise affiliation by September 10th. Courses must be completed before December 31st, 2025.

Visit the website to learn more.

Experiential Short Courses with Pueblo Seed & Food Co.

Come join Pueblo Seed & Food Co. in the Canyon of the Ancients for short courses focused on the foodways of the Southwest, organic farming, soil health, and more.

Upcoming courses:

• The Great Chile and Garlic Experience - September 26-28th, 2025
• Maize & Millets - October 31st-November 2nd, 2025

The cost without lodging for all courses is $100, with add-on activities available. For questions, contact info@puebloseed.com.

2025 Collegiate Policy Challenge: Improving Health Outcomes

All current CSU students are invited to compete in the Collegiate Policy Challenge focused on improving health outcomes. Participants are instructed to take on a healthcare issue and produce a program to address it. Policy proposals should explain how you’ll pay for the program, address any legislative action to make it happen, and outline your political strategy for bringing it to life.

Each member of the winning team will be invited to present their policy proposal at the national meeting at the University of Chicago in February 2026. Travel costs for this trip will be fully covered. Winners of the national policy challenge will receive $500 each. Reach out to Sam.Houghteling@colostate.edu with any questions.

Key Dates:

• September 3rd – Student Open House
• September 17th – Sign up deadline for student participants
• November 19th – CSU Policy Challenge Pitchfest Event
• February 9th – Winning CSU Student Team competes at National Competition at UChicago
• March 9th – CSU Democracy Summit to showcase all CSU student finalist teams

Mentors will serve as a resource for the teams. If you are interested in being a mentor, contact Sam.Houghteling@colostate.edu.

Tribal Food Producer Information Session

Tribal food producers can connect and learn about resources to help their businesses at the Tribal Food Producer Virtual Information Session on September 10th at 10:30am MST. Packaged food makers looking to understand the requirements of labeling, packaging, and marketing a food product are invited to join this session. Register here.

Featured Speakers:

• Jen Falck (Oneida Nation): Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin's Department of Agriculture and Food Systems
• Jamie Rahrig: Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems and MSU Product Center
• Jazmin Bolan-Williamson: Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems

2025 Colorado Food & Agriculture Collision Pitch Competition

Join us for the 3rd Annual Colorado Food & Agriculture Collision Pitch Competition—a dynamic, in-person event celebrating the creativity and innovation of Colorado’s food and agriculture entrepreneurs. This statewide event brings together top businesses from six Colorado regions—from the western mountains to the eastern plains—to pitch their ideas on one stage. It’s a great opportunity to connect, get inspired, and support the future of Colorado’s food and agriculture industries. The event will take place on September 12th from 4:30pm-7:30pm at CSU Spur in Denver.

Registration is $25, which includes appetizers and one drink ticket. To secure your spot at this event, get tickets here.

Colorado Food Showcase

This mini expo/farmer's market-style event seeks to bring together Consumer Packaged Goods food entrepreneurs from around the state to sample and sell their products at CSU Spur's Second Saturday.

Visit CSU Spur on September 13th between 10am and 2pm to support these entrepreneurs and check out other on-site activities. This is a free community event, sign up is not necessary for attendees.

It is also free for entrepreneurs to exhibit. Email food.innovation@colostate.edu if you are interested in exhibiting.

Food Safety Training for Colorado Cottage Foods Producers

Learn how to safely produce food from home as a cottage food business. This online course covers a variety of topics, including: basic food safety, foods that are permissible under the updated Colorado Cottage Foods Act, ingredient labeling, special considerations for food preparation at high altitudes, and safe food sampling best practices.

Registration is $55; times are all in Mountain Standard or Daylight time. Click each date below to register and learn more about the program. For additional dates and to learn more, check the website here.

The next CSU Extension Cottage Food Safety Trainings will take place on:

• September 19, 9:00am-12:30pm, online, register
• September 25, 9:00am-12:30pm, in-person (Steamboat Springs), register
• October 3, 9:00am-12:30pm, online, register
• November 7, 9:00am-12:30pm, online, register
• November 13, 12:00-3:30pm, online, register

Agrivoltaics Farm Tours and Volunteer Days

The Colorado Agrivoltaics Learning Center is hosting a series of public tours of an agrivoltaic farms in Colorado. The tours will take place at Jack's Solar Garden in Longmont between August and October. Attendees will be introduced to agrivoltaics and learn about its potential benefits to farmers, biodiversity, and communities. Registration costs $17.50.

The Learning Center is also hosting volunteer days at their Medicinal Herb Garden, where participants will seed, weed, prep beds, and harvest.

Register for a tour or to volunteer here.

Idaho Food Business Foundations Workshop Series



Are you ready to launch your food business, grow your cottage food operation, or break into retail & wholesale? The Idaho Food Business Foundations workshop is a series covering everything from food safety to packaging, sourcing, and marketing—giving you the foundation to confidently produce, sell, and scale your product.

Workshop Schedule:

• September 23 – Foundations of Safe Food Handling
• October 7 - Food Safety 2: Advanced Practices and Compliance
• October 21 - Processing Methods for Small-Scale Food Manufacturing
• November 4 – Sanitation 1: Cleaning & Sanitizing Basics
• November 18 – Sanitation 2: Deep Cleaning & Microbial Control
• December 2 – Sourcing Local: Regional Ingredients for Your Value-Added or Specialty Food Products
• December 16 - Marketing and Distribution – Reaching Your Customer
• January 6, 2026 - Packaging & Labeling: Getting Retail Ready

Cost: $50 per class (Virtual and in-person options)

Bonus: Attend 5 or more classes and receive 4 hours of consulting FREE to help grow your business.

Register here.

National Annie's Project Facilitator Trainings

National Annie's Project is offering virtual facilitator trainings on the following dates:

• September 23-24: 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm (both days), Register here
• November 18-19: 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm (both days), Register here

Registration is free but limited to the first 20 participants. All 8 hours must be completed to be certified as an Annie's Project facilitator. If you are interested in hosting Annie's Project in your county, the first step is to take this course. Contact karisha@anniesproject.org with questions or for more information.

Native Grown & Gathered Food Expo

Join Tahoma Peak Solutions in Seattle, Washington for a vibrant gathering celebrating Native food systems and Tribal Food Sovereignty. This event unites Tribal nations, food producers, chefs, and advocates across the Northwest, Rocky Mountains, and beyond. Native entrepreneurs and businesses, buyers, conscious consumers, the Tribal community, Native nonprofits, and grassroots advocates are invited to attend. Visit the webpage to learn more.

The Food Expo will take place on October 1st through October 3rd. Key events include breakout sessions, panels, and marketplace exploration featuring Native producers, artisans, and vendors. Registration is $550 before July 15th and $600 before October 1st. Purchasing a pass to access only the food marketplace costs $10. Limited scholarships are available.

Register here.

Naturally Colorado's Fall Fling

The 2025 Fall Fling Showcase is one of Colorado's most vibrant gatherings in the natural products industry. The event takes place on October 15th, 5-9pm in Arvada.

Naturally Colorado member companies will sample, sell, and showcase their products to industry professionals, retailers, and the broader natural products community. This year, the showcase includes a dedicated Retail Hour designed for direct, meaningful connections with buyers from leading retailers across the state. Participants receive a display table, two event passes, and brand exposure through targeted promotional efforts reaching over 6,000 professionals. This is a unique opportunity to connect, celebrate, and grow alongside Colorado's most innovative and values-driven businesses. To learn more, visit the event page.

• Attendees: Register here. Tickets are $75 for members and $100 for nonmembers, with prices going up on September 10th.
• Innovative Brands: Apply here by September 15th to be part of the Showcase.
• Volunteers: Sign up here by September 26th and receive complimentary access.

Drive|Lead|Succeed Conference

The Economic Development Council of Colorado (EDCC) is hosting the annual Drive|Lead|Succeed Conference to nurture the growth of Colorado's economy. This year's theme is "Colorado's Economic Superheroes: Forging a More Vibrant Future." This conference delivers three days of resources, tools, strategies, and extensive networking opportunities. The conference takes place from October 26-29th at the Pueblo Convention Center. To join over 500+ statewide industry stakeholders, register here.

The event will:

• Unite industry leaders to exchange insights
• Introduce tools and solutions to address pressing economic issues within Colorado's professional economic development community
• Cultivate meaningful collaboration between economic development professionals, business and non-profit leaders, government officials, and more

EDCC is looking for sponsors for this event. Sponsors receive complementary registrations and secondary acknowledgements on event materials. EDCC sponsors are part of a broad network of economic development partners across the state. Become a sponsor here.

Cultivating Connections, Sowing Success

Join the Colorado Department of Education, Colorado School Nutrition Association, Nourish Colorado, and Greeley-Evans School District for Cultivating Connections, Sowing Successes. This will be a day for K12 operators, Colorado’s agricultural producers, and strategic partners to gather, learn, and connect around Farm to School in Colorado. You’ll meet producers, learn strategies from peers, get connected with resources, and attend hands-on, informative sessions! You can plan to spend most of the day at this completely free event.

The event will take place in two regions: Friday, November 14th in Brighton and Friday, December 12th in Grand Junction. Choose which one works best for you – or join for both! Be sure to get registered: 

• Brighton: https://bit.ly/FrontRange-FtS-Event 
• Grand Junction: https://bit.ly/WesternSlope-FtS-Event 

2025 National Sorghum Producers Yield Contest

Growers are invited to enter the 2025 National Sorghum Yield Contest. State and national winners will be selected from contestants in East and West regions across the Irrigated, Dryland No-Till, and Dryland Tillage divisions, with one overall winner chosen in the Food Grade category. Growers can choose between two protocol options for yield verification, read here to learn more.

The entry deadline for the 2025 contest is November 26th. All completed forms must be received by the NSP office no later than December 3rd. Click here to complete the entry form.

Center for Sorghum Improvement Seminar Series

The Center for Sorghum Improvement (CSI) at Kansas State University is hosting a monthly seminar series to engage researchers, industry leaders, and agricultural professional in meaningful discussions about sorghum research, from genetics to production practices to marketing opportunities.

View the seminar schedule and subscribe to the mailing list here.

For more information or to directly receive seminar notifications, contact Sarah Sexton-Bowser, managing director, at sarahann@ksu.edu.

2026 Sun Soil Water Summit

Join Pueblo Food Project, CSU Pueblo County Extension, and Partners to gather, learn, and share delicious food at the Sun Soil Water Summit. This weekend-long gathering at Pueblo Community College is focused on bringing the community closer to the food system. With several events celebrating local leaders, educating our peers, and uplifting local entrepreneurs, there is something for everyone at the summit.

• Pueblo Food Systems Awards and Gala - March 20th, 6:00pm-8:30pm: An evening of celebration as we honor leaders in the Pueblo Food System. We will enjoy local food, drinks, music, and an inaugural silent auction.
• Community Led Summit - March 21st, 8:00am-4:30pm: A gathering to learn, share, inspire, and catalyze community food systems change. This day-long conference will include keynote presentations, panel discussions, hands-on breakout sessions, and delicious food. This summit will help community members, organizations, and producers gain knowledge to better engage with our food system.
• Makers' Market and Happy Hour - March 21st, 4:30pm-7:00pm: Conference participants can explore ideas, try products, and support local food businesses while enjoying local beer and wine at the Makers' Market and Happy Hour. Makers and community organizations interested in a table are welcome to share their products and ideas.

Registration will open soon. If you are interested in volunteering, complete this form.

Farm Resilience Online Course

Learn practical strategies and tools to boost your farm’s resilience amidst the challenges of climate change. This self-paced, online course is designed specifically for farmers and ranchers in the West, focusing on real-world solutions and hands-on techniques.

Join a community of like-minded individuals and gain the knowledge you need to secure your farm's future. CSU was fortunate to partner with this program to develop some of the content and decision tools.

Enroll today and deepen your journey towards climate resilience and sustainability.  

Funding Opportunities

Colorado Grain Chain's 2025 Organic Grain Microgrant Program

The Colorado Grain Chain is accepting applications for the Organic Grain Microgrant Program until September 8th, 2025. This grant is intended for "makers" who turn organic grains into final products, as well s nonprofits, food hubs, groceries, and restaurants that support organic grain market development. Collaborative projects are strongly encouraged. Each grant will award $5,000. Learn more on the microgrant program website.

Email microgrant@coloradograinchain.com with questions.

Western Rural Development Center (WRDC) Grants

Multi-State Integrated Research and Extension Seed Grants

Submission Deadline: September 19th, 2025, 5:00pm MST

Submit by email to wrdc@uidaho.edu

To foster multistate collaboration and integration between research and extension activities, the WRDC is investing in the Multi-State Integrated Research and Extension Projects to address critical priorities in the Western U.S. Up to $30,000 will be awarded for each project.

Multi-state integrated projects must have active involvement from two or more Western land-grant institutions (both 1994 or 1862 institutions) or territories from start to finish and include research and extension activities that supplement and reinforce each other. To learn more, visit the program website.

Fellows Grant Program

Submission Deadline: September 19th, 2025, 5:00pm MST

Submit by email to wrdc@uidaho.edu

WRDC funds proposals that present innovative research and educational outreach to advance rural development in the Western United States. Only faculty from Land Grant Institutions in the Western Region are eligible for the Fellows Program. 

Fellows’ grant proposals can focus on research, extension, or a combination of both. Proposals must address local research and educational outreach needs, with a special emphasis on underserved communities, understudied geographic locations, or unexplored topics. This grant program aims to build local capacity to address critical emerging issues affecting Western rural communities. Each WRDC Fellow is awarded $15,000. To learn more, visit the program website.

Graduate Student Grant Program

Submission Deadline: September 19th, 2025, 5:00pm MST

Submit by email to wrdc@uidaho.edu

This grant program aims to address critical issues in Western rural development and enhance the quality of life of rural communities. It emphasizes research issues affecting underserved communities, understudied geographic locations, or unexplored topics. Graduate students will work with their advisor and the WRDC staff to pursue impactful research and outreach education that directly benefits rural communities in the Western Region.

Only full-time graduate students enrolled at accredited land-grant universities in the Western region are eligible to apply. Each Ph.D. student is awarded $18,000. To learn more, visit the program website.

Leadership Skills Development Program

Submission Deadline: September 12th, 2025, 5:00pm MST

Submit by email to wrdc@uidaho.edu

Faculty and staff from Land Grant Institutions in the Western Region are eligible for the Leadership Skill Development Mini-Grant Program. These grants can focus on research, extension, or a combination of both. Proposals must address building leadership skills within Extension or research communities, with an emphasis on faculty and staff leadership skill development and/or communities and partners served in the Western Region. To learn more, visit the program website.

Cultivation Station: A Colorado Proud Podcast

Cultivation Station is a business development podcast from the CO Department of Agriculture's Colorado Proud program. The podcast dives into the rich and diverse world of food and agricultural businesses. Whether you are just beginning to think about starting a food or ag business in Colorado, or your operation is up and running, there are many expert insights and insider tips to help you be successful.

Find the podcast episodes here.

Colorado Regional Food Summit Reports and Share Out

In early 2025, Colorado’s Regional Food Summit Event Series brought together over 1,000 community members from across the state to envision a more equitable, connected, and resilient food system. Hosted by local leaders at 15 different events, these convenings elevated local expertise and sparked collaboration across the food system. From farm tours to grower showcases, each gathering helped identify shared priorities, amplify regional perspectives, and strengthen the voices of food and farm practitioners in shaping statewide strategy.

The events were a key step in building momentum toward the next Colorado Food Summit and served as a reminder of the powerful work already happening on the ground. Together, we are cultivating change—rooted in community and growing statewide. Each month we will feature one region's report. All the reports can be found here.

Regional Highlight: Western Colorado

The Western Region hosted four events and convened more than 200 farmers, ranchers, food entrepreneurs, and community leaders to strengthen the region’s food system. Participants identified key priorities including developing more robust processing, aggregation, and distribution infrastructure; advocating for local and state policies that sustain agricultural viability; expanding outreach and education for producers and consumers; and addressing persistent workforce challenges around housing, retention, and youth engagement. Conversations highlighted both the opportunities and pressures facing the region—from rising input costs and limited coordination across the food system, to water scarcity and livestock health threats. Despite these hurdles, recent successes point to a resilient and innovative spirit, with new farm-to-institution partnerships, beginning farmer programs, land stewardship projects, and creative food access initiatives gaining momentum. The gatherings fostered a sense of shared commitment to building a food economy rooted in collaboration, adaptability, and long-term resilience.

Additional resources including a 2-page summary and the full western regional report can be found here.

Share Out Webinar

In this webinar, speakers share what they have learned and outline what is ahead for the Colorado Food Summit. The recording covers highlights from regional events, data and reports from across the state, feedback on a statewide report, and more. Watch the recording here.

Upcoming Governance Advisory Committee

Join us for the upcoming Governance Advisory Committee on September 5th from 10:00-11:30am. Spanish language translation will be available: https://zoom.us/j/9544719404?omn=97245470749

Introducing the Poudre Valley Community Farms Land Access Bulletin

Poudre Valley Community Farms is launching a bulletin designed to connect producers with land and water access opportunities across the Front Range. Each issue will feature current listings and announcements that support long-term access and stewardship, intended for producers seeking land and landowners looking to connect with growers.

Sign up for the bulletin here.

Read the Report on Farmers Market Organizations

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) partnered with Emory University and Arizona State University to research the varied structures of farmers market organizations to identify benefits, challenges, and services associated with externally managed farmers markets. The goal of the “Analyzing the Impacts of Farmers Markets Managed by Organizations” cooperative research agreement was to increase the general public’s understanding of the diverse forms that farmers markets in the United States take and the breadth of their activities. The project was conducted over two years (October 2022 to September 2024) and used mixed methods (an online environmental scan, listening sessions, focus groups, and semi-structured interviews) to explore the structures, activities, impacts and trends shaping farmers market organizations. Read the report here.

Colorado Food Systems Advisory Council (COFSAC) is seeking New Council Members

COFSAC is seeking nominations for our seats with terms expiring in October, 2025. These seats include: 

• Member with expertise in federal food and nutrition service programs (General Assembly Appointed). APPLY HERE  
• Representative of food wholesalers or food retailers (Appointed by the Governor’s Office). APPLY HERE  
• Representative of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Appointed by the Governor’s Office). APPLY HERE  
• Representative of a food distributor or a food hub (General Assembly Appointed). APPLY HERE  

The council will request to review all applications submitted by October 18th, 2025, and provide recommendations to the appropriate office. The General Assembly or the Governor will then make the final decision (over which they have full discretionary power) and inform those appointed as Council members. The Council will follow up with those not appointed to explore other opportunities for participation such as committee and working group initiatives. 

Nominate yourself or bring to the attention to someone in your circle who would be a good representative.

More information is available on our website.

List Your Business in USDA AMS Local Foods Directories

The USDA Local Foods Directories allow you to market your local food business to a wider nationwide audience. In particular, make sure your summer or fall-season agritourism venture is featured on the USDA Local Food Directories! To create a new listing, answer quick and easy questions about the status of your business so consumers can learn more about you.

Click here to sign up for the directory.

From Our Communities

National Soil Health Project: Probing Our Country's Soil Health

Probing Our Country's Soil Health is a project funded by the NRCS to build a national soil health database as well as new and improved tools for benchmarking and interpreting soil health metrics. Anonymous data will be used to expand a new tool called the Soil Health Assessment Protocol and Evaluation (SHAPE). This tool will provide better references for farmers looking to understand and build soil health. To learn more about SHAPE, watch this short video and read this article.

The project is seeking 50 farmer and rancher participants. Each will contribute 2 or 3 fields. Those interested in participating will need to:

• Sign up for a 1-hour Zoom Meeting where a facilitator will lead you through a management survey for 2 or 3 fields
• Grant access to fields for hand-probe soil sampling at 2 or 3 sampling sites from each field. Normally this will happen 3-6 months after the survey; you will be notified beforehand

**All contact information, farm management, and soil health data for participants will be kept confidential. The data that is published will protect the identity of participants.

Participating landowners will receive a personalized soil health report, a book regarding soil health, and a gift card. To enroll as a landowner participant, select a time from one of the following facilitator schedule links. Once these times have been filled, more will be made available:

• https://scheduler.zoom.us/kaitlin-flick
• https://scheduler.zoom.us/savannah-kitchen

If you have questions, please reach out to Dr. Matt Yost at matt.yost@usu.edu or 435-797-4210.

Join the Colorado Grain Chain

Consumers and businesses are encouraged to join the Colorado Grain Chain (CGC). Heritage and heirloom grains are a great way to diversify, build soil, and add value to Colorado's agricultural abundance. Through the Colorado Grown Grains Co-Brand strategy, the Colorado Grain Chain supports producers and makers with co-branded marketing materials, grain chain business access, and networking opportunities.

For more information, contact Audrey Paugh at connect@coloradograinchain.com or apply to become a member here.

New Consumer Food Insights Series Available

A series of Consumer Food Insights was published in late 2024. The survey, conducted in Winter 2023, captured current food shopping trends as well as changes in U.S. consumer food behaviors since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Click here to access the series providing regional data on market usage, including the Rocky Mountain Northwest region.

Connect with the Northwest and Rocky Mountain USDA Regional Food Business Center

Although USDA terminated funding to the Northwest Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center, we are continuing to support our 131 Business Builder grant awardees in 6 states. Learn more about these grants here.

Stay tuned for other Center updates here: https://nwrockymountainregionalfoodbusiness.com/ as we adapt our programming and outreach to this new environment.