A Rancher’s Wake-Up Call

The Van Winkle Ranch on Colorado’s Western Slope embodies four generations of agricultural stewardship. A recent article in Colorado Politics interviewed Janie Van Winkle about her perspective on the current political climate in the state. She says she’s contemplating selling her family’s ranch, something she once thought unimaginable. This statement should send shockwaves across the state, and beyond the boundaries of agriculture.

“The political environment is so toxic that if we do speak up at all, it falls on deaf ears,” Van Winkle said. “This is no longer an agriculture-friendly environment or atmosphere.”

Her family’s story is not isolated. It is symbolic of a broader and dangerous trend in Colorado: the erosion of respect, support, and representation for agriculture and rural communities.

Agriculture is Colorado’s Second-Largest Economic Driver

Agriculture is Colorado’s second-largest economic driver:

• Agriculture in Colorado contributes more than $47 billion annually to the economy and supports over 195,000 jobs.
• Over 35,000 farms and ranches span 30.2 million acres, with an average farm size of 837 acres.
• Cattle, corn, hay, dairy, and wheat are among the top commodities.
• Exports of Colorado cattle alone reached $4.5 billion in 2024, placing the state in the top 10 nationally for beef exports.

In Weld County, where AGPROfessionals is proud to be headquartered, agriculture remains the lifeblood:

• Over $2.38 billion in commodity sales in 2022
• Nearly 875,000 acres of cropland
• Still Colorado’s top ag-producing county, even amidst decline

Yet despite these contributions, farmers and ranchers across the state are facing an avalanche of policy hostility, cultural dismissal, and political alienation.

Urban-Rural Divide

The growing divide between Colorado’s urban centers and rural regions is no longer a subtle rift. As highlighted in Colorado Politics’ Rural Reckoning series, rural counties feel underrepresented, underfunded, and under attack. Key points from Colorado Politics’ Rural Reckoning investigation:

• Colorado has 53 rural counties, yet 11 urban counties dominate political influence.
• Rural residents say Governor Polis governs Boulder and Denver, not for them.
• Rewilding, anti-ag ballot initiatives, infrastructure neglect, and wildlife policies are deepening the rift.

A Pattern of Policy Undermining Agriculture

The last several years have brought a relentless stream of initiatives and appointments that have undermined Colorado’s agricultural community. Below is a list of just some of the issues and political initiatives Colorado farmers and ranchers have been facing in recent years:

• Governor Polis Promotes the Impossible Burger: In 2019, the governor urged the Colorado Department of Agriculture to promote the Impossible Burger. It is important to note that the founders of Impossible have publicly stated their aim is to put animal agriculture out of business.
• Polis Makes "MeatOut Day" Proclamation: In 2021, Gov. Polis encouraged Coloradans to abstain from eating meat — in a state built on cattle, sheep, and stewardship. The message to producers? You're not part of Colorado’s future.
• Ballot Initiative IP 16: The proposal “Protect Animals from Unnecessary Suffering and Exploitation (PAUSE)” sought to amend Colorado laws to criminalize certain animal husbandry, reproductive, and medical practices, change slaughter ages, and remove cruelty law exemptions. Submitted in February 2021 for the November 2022 election, it was listed as Initiative 16 on March 17, 2021. Opponents challenged the title in court, arguing it violated the single-subject rule. Fortunately, it did not make it onto the ballot, but the fact that it was approved and listed in the first place is cause for concern.
• Appointment of Animal Rights Ideologue to the Colorado State Veterinary Board: Appointed to the Colorado State Veterinary Board, Ellen Kessler, an animal rights activist, publicly called 4-H clubs "child abuse," referred to ranchers as "lazy and nasty," and was later charged with 13 counts of animal cruelty and resigned from the board.
• Colorado House Bill 21-1286: The Energy Performance for Buildings Statute, was established with the goal of helping building owners increase energy efficiency, lower energy costs, and decrease greenhouse gas emissions. It requires buildings over 50,000 square feet to comply with new energy standards by 2030. According to the law, agricultural buildings are exempt. However, via policy and procedure at the state level, that was not the case. In this situation, AGPROfessionals were able to work with lawmakers for new language that made it clear, agricultural buildings were truly exempt.
• Wolf Reintroduction, Calf Killing Sprees and Land Threats: After narrowly passing in urban precincts, the wolf reintroduction program is wreaking havoc on ranchlands. Even more disturbing, a video circulating shows that state officials recently discussed the wolf issue, and one of the panelists advocated for protecting the wolves over farmers, ranchers, and private property owners. He suggested first offering to buy out ranchers who would sell their land “voluntarily” to support wolves, and then taking private lands from the remaining ranchers via eminent domain if necessary.
• Ballot Initiative #82: The Colorado Wildlife & Biodiversity Protection Act: If voted into law, this extreme measure would strip authority from Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Most glaringly, it would create a new unelected commission with unchecked power, explicitly leaving farmers, ranchers, and others involved in agriculture off the commission. We outlined these issues and more in an article on our website (see link below).
• Denver Ballot Initiative to Ban Processing Facilities in the City: A recent ballot initiative in Denver, Initiated Ordinance 309, also known as the slaughterhouse ban, aimed to prohibit the construction, maintenance, or use of slaughterhouses within the city limits. Voters rejected the slaughterhouse ban (Ordinance 309) on election day. Nearly 65% of ballots were cast against the measure.
• Denver Ballot Initiative to Ban the Sale of Fur Products: Initiated Ordinance 308, sought to ban the sale of fur products, which would have also banned the production and sale of cowboy hats in the city.
• Appointment of Rewilding Advocate to The Colorado State Land Board: Governor Polis appointed Nicole Rosmarino, a self-described rewilding advocate, as director of the State Land Board. Prior to her appointment, the Non-Governmental Organizations she worked for openly sought to “reclaim” ranchland for wolves and remove livestock from public lands. It is important to note that the land board oversees 2.8 million acres of state trust land, and Rosmarino’s vision conflicts directly with the constitutional mandate to generate revenue from state lands for Colorado’s school system.
• $3 Million of Denver Budget Dedicated to Anti-Meat Campaign: The City of Denver has allocated a $3 million budget for a marketing campaign promoting plant-based diets as a strategy to combat climate change. Colorado representative Ty Miller, along with a number of other rural state representatives, oppose this use of taxpayer funds, stating, “This initiative sends the wrong message and disrespects the ranchers and farmers who put food on Colorado tables.”
• Wolf Mandate Ballot Initiative Rejected: The Title Board sided with opponents who claimed Initiative #35 violated the state's single-subject rule. According to an article in Colorado Politics, campaign manager Patrick Davis, stated, "With this decision, the Title Board is denying the owners of livestock guardian and herding animals the chance for compensation for losses caused by a gray wolf and denying the professionals at the Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife the chance to be given flexibility to manage Colorado’s wolf population as they see fit,” and, "Additionally, Colorado voters were denied the opportunity to weigh in on prohibiting wolves from being imported into Colorado."

Farmers and Ranchers Are Not the Enemy

Whether it's wolves, water, or climate, agriculture is increasingly seen as a problem to be solved, not a partner. The truth is that agriculture provides for our every need, from food to fuel, fiber, and pharmaceuticals, yet this reality continues to be ignored. This narrative is not just wrong; it’s harmful. Its roots are in the United Nations’ FAO report, Livestock’s Long Shadow, which was disproved by Dr. Frank Mitloehner of UC Davis. He demonstrated that animal agriculture in the United States accounts for only a small part of greenhouse gas emissions. Even after the FAO was forced to withdraw its findings, the ideological attack on agriculture persists.

Where Do We Go from Here?

At AGPROfessionals, our roots began in Weld County, Colorado. Unfortunately, we have observed a troubling shift in Colorado over the past eight years. Once the backbone of state policy and values, agriculture now faces escalating ideological and bureaucratic challenges. We call on state leaders to recognize the contributions agriculture makes to the state of Colorado and to uphold constitutional mandates:

• Return Governance to the People: Appointments to boards governing agriculture, wildlife, and land use must reflect individuals grounded in rural realities and agricultural best practices, not ideologically driven outsiders. Board and commission appointments impacting land use should include experienced farmers and ranchers.
• Protect Private Property Rights: No ballot initiative or agency should have the power to trample private property rights, or destroy lawful businesses, especially for ideological agendas that destroy rural economies and the backbone of our state.
• Rebuild the Partnership: Colorado cannot thrive by ignoring and trampling on the rights of the people who feed, clothe, and power it. Meaningful engagement with rural communities requires legislators and Capitol leaders who understand agricultural economics, water policy, fire mitigation, and food security priorities.

Janie Van Winkle’s pause to consider selling her family ranch signals more than personal fatigue. It illustrates the risk of losing Colorado’s agricultural soul. The growing divide between urban ideologies and rural production is no accident. It comes from decisions that bypass working landowners, misalign governance appointments, and insert ideological agendas into land, wildlife, and food policy.

Links:

Energy Office Shakedown is a Hidden Tax HERE

Denver 309 Will Ban Meat Processing HERE

Article about Denver 309 HERE

New Ballot Initiative in Colorado HERE

Troubling Appointment for Colorado - By Western Justice HERE

Article about Rosemarino appointment HERE

Op-Ed by Scott James - Denver's 3 Million Dollar Meat Shaming Campaign HERE

Denver Urges Residents to Eat Less Meat HERE

Colorado Politics Series - The Urban Rural Divide HERE

The Fence Post Articles about the wolf problem in Colorado HERE and HERE

Colorado Politics article about Wolves HERE

The Fence Post Articles about Polis' appointment of Ellen Kesslet to CVMA Board HERE and HERE