All Entries in the "Agriculture" Category
Commissioners Awaiting Reply on Visit Invite to Governor
County commissioners in Prowers and southeast Colorado are waiting to see if Governor Hickenlooper will reply to their request that he visit the drought stricken areas of the state and view firsthand the economic and environmental impact the drought has wrought in this region for the past several years. On May 10, the governor issued […]
Public Access to Valco Pond by this Summer?
The Lamar City Council discussed opening a portion of Valco Ponds to the public this summer. City Administrator, John Sutherland suggested renaming the site North Gateway Park during the council’s Monday meeting, June 24. Last week he discussed the status of the 108 donated acres with the Prowers County Commissioners regarding vegetation and upkeep of the land. Until the […]
County Fire Ban and Marijuana Prohibitions Enacted
The Prowers County Commissioners voted to reinstitute the 2006 Fire Ban Ordinance during their meeting this past Thursday, June 20 (correction from June 30). The fire ban was enacted due to the number of Red Flag Days and the persistent drought conditions being experienced throughout southeastern Colorado. The fire ban does not restrict agriculturally […]
Caballeros & Clovers 4-H Camp a Success
Southeast Area – 4-H members from the Southeast Area and Las Animas County gathered June 12th and 13th for the inaugural area 4-H camp, “Caballeros and Clovers.” The camp was held in Kim at the Kim Equine Pavilion and Education Center. The main focus of the camp was to educate youth about the western lifestyle […]
Water Systems Back to Normal in Granada
Granada residents can return to normal water use as of today, June 21. Repairs on the pumping and chlorination system were made last night and the wells and holding tank are back to normal levels, according to Granada Town Clerk, Jackie Malone. The system went off-line the night before last because of electric problems […]
Southeast CO Unemployment Figures
Colorado Jobs Update from Department of Labor & Employment Nonfarm payroll jobs decreased 5,000 from April to May to 2,353,600 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments. Private sector payroll jobs decreased 4,900 and government decreased 100. According to the survey of households, the unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.9 percent. The number of […]
Granada Water System Damaged by Lightning? Residents Asked to Boil Drinking Water
Officials in Granada are recommending that residents boil their drinking water until further notice as the electrical system controlling the water pumps and purifier in the community is off line. Town Clerk Jackie Malone said the problem was discovered this morning, June 20, when Public Works Manager, John McMillan, went to take a reading […]
County Fire Ban to be Re-instituted this Month
The Prowers County Commissioners held their Tuesday, June 11 meeting at the Wiley Community Center this week and from there, attended an afternoon meeting in Las Animas focusing on future choices that will be made for the state’s prisons in southeast Colorado. A declining prisoner population may force some closures or alteration of prison operations […]
Water Supply Outlook from NWS, Pueblo
As of June 1, the 2013 snowpack was almost gone over the Upper Rio Grande Basin. For the Arkansas Basin, a decent amount of snow remained over the headwaters portion of the basin, but the snowpack was nearly gone over the remainder. In the Arkansas basin, the snowpack was at 86% of median overall, […]
NOXIOUS WEED ALERT: Leafy Spurge
NOXIOUS WEED ALERT: Leafy Spurge LAKEWOOD, Colo. – The Colorado Department of Agriculture works to stop the spread of noxious weeds across the state through a coordinated effort to detect and eradicate new invaders as well as manage well-established species. Currently, there are 74 species of plants in the state that are designated “noxious,” meaning […]
CO Ag Exports Drop in First Quarter
LAKEWOOD, Colo. – Since 2009, Colorado’s agricultural exports have increased by 72.7 percent; however, in the first quarter of 2013, there was a slight decrease of 2.7 percent from the prior year while total US agricultural exports were up 6.1 percent. A review of export trends for Colorado’s core commodities provided insights into the […]
Letter to the Editor from John Salazar, Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture
Colorado Department of Agriculture Opinion Article: June 2013 As tuffs of green begin to peek through the brown, dry land, spring’s warm weather brings hope of calves running through the fields and fresh fruits and vegetables growing abundant. Colorado farmers and ranchers are often overlooked for the vital role they play in all our lives […]
Heading to a Rodeo or Horse Show? Buying or Selling a Horse?
LAKEWOOD, Colo. – This time of year sends many Coloradans outside to enjoy our warm days and cool evenings; horseback riding is often a favorite summer activity and the Colorado Department of Agriculture reminds horse owners that state statutes require a “brand” inspection if they plan on buying, selling or transporting horses. Horse owners […]
State Drought and Precipitation Update from NRCS, National Resources Conservation Service
Late April and early May storms brought increased precipitation in the northern portion of the state and continued cool temperatures helped to maintain snowpack. However, storms largely missed the southern half of the state, which is experiencing increasingly severe drought conditions. Storage remains below average throughout most of the state and water providers are […]
Managing for Tough Times, Preparing for Good Times
June 6, 2013 from 1:00 – 4:30 p.m. Holly Senior & Community Center 129 South Main Street, Holly, CO The Northeast Prowers and Kiowa County Conservation Districts presents MANAGING FOR TOUGH TIMES, PREPARING FOR GOOD TIMES (farm/ranch drought management workshop) June 6, 2013 at the Holly Senior & Community Center, 129 South Main Street in Holly, CO […]
Cong. Gardner Visits Local Wheat Fields, Discusses Farm Bill
This past Friday , May 31, marked the third wheat field tour conducted by U.S. Congressman Cory Gardner since his election to represent the 4th District in Colorado, basically the eastern portion of the state, border to border with Nebraska and New Mexico. “I’ve covered the northeast corner in the first year, mid north in […]
What Came First, the Grass or the Livestock?
With the continued drought in Southeast Colorado, livestock producers need to be asking themselves a new twist to an age old question. Are you in the business of raising grass or raising livestock? If you do not have grass can you raise livestock on a pasture based operation? The next question that needs an […]
Colorado State Fair Goes Cashless
PUEBLO, Colo. – The Colorado State Fair is making a big change this year by going “cashless.” This means fair fans will be using a loadable smart card for their purchases during the 11-day event. While this provides a number of positive changes for fairgoers and staff, we understand there will also be questions […]
We Use How Much Water Each Day!!
The City of Lamar is in Stage 2 Water Restrictions as of May 14 because of drought conditions in the city and throughout the southeast corner of the state. Residents to the east and west of Highway 287 have three separate days a week in which to water their yards in two time periods. […]
Preparing for a New Growing Season
Emily Nieschburg and Courtney Neuhold were among some of the LiveWell members who accompanied a family this past Thursday evening, May 23, in preparing their plot of land at the Community Gardens near the High Plains Community Health Center. The garden is beginning its third year of operation and was developed to showcase […]