Polis, Greenberg tour Vision Angus

In an effort to hear directly from farmers, ranchers and local leaders working to boost Colorado’s agriculture economy and to protect Colorado’s water, Gov. Jared Polis traveled along the Eastern Plains on Wednesday, July 6, including a stop at Vision Angus near Amherst.

Polis and Commissioner of Agriculture Kate Greenberg toured Vision Angus, a family-owned ranch and farm in Phillips County that has been passed down for four generations.

Brent Vieselmeyer of Vision Angus said that it was a really positive experience. “As a family, we firmly believe that when given the opportunity to advocate for agriculture and our way of life, it is extremely important to do so,” he said.

Vision Angus is a second-year recipient of the Agricultural Workforce Development Program, which aims to keep developing the next generation of farmers and ensure Colorado’s agriculture industries’ continued growth.

Theron Roll is a summer intern at Vision Angus, and his wages are partially funded by a grant received through the Agricultural Workforce Development Program.

“It was great to be in Sedgwick, Phillips, Yuma, Kit Carson, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Lincoln and Elbert counties hearing directly from producers and discussing how our administration is working together even more to protect Colorado’s water, grow Colorado’s thriving agriculture industry, and support our hardworking farmers and ranchers,” said Polis.  

Polis started his eastern Colorado tour by visiting Julesburg Gauge on the South Platte River to discuss water issues.

After the Vision Angus tour, he headed to the South Republican State Wildlife Area and was joined by board members and other officials to discuss groundwater conservation in Yuma County.

The Republican River Basin is supported by Senate Bill 22-028, which creates groundwater compact compliance and sustainability fund water conservation efforts in order to protect the water supply and retain irrigation systems in the river basins across Colorado.

Polis then visited the Eads Fire Department in Elbert County and met with first responders to discuss the Polis administration’s continued support for first responders, including legislation that the governor signed into law this year to provide additional resources and support for volunteer firefighters.

He traveled to Kit Carson County to visit the Old Town Museum. The museum is a historic site that has been restored to display the history of the Colorado plains and local agriculture.

Polis later stopped in Cheyenne County to sit down with local leaders and county commissioners from Cheyenne and Kiowa counties to discuss soil health and drought resilience efforts.

Cheyenne Conservation District will receive support from SB22-195, a bipartisan law signed by Polis that allocates additional annual funding for conservation districts across the state.

Polis rounded out his tour by visiting two recipients of the Colorado Proud grant, Grant Grains and the Cleantec Mushroom Facility in Lincoln and Elbert counties, where he discussed the administration’s support for producers and discussed tax relief for farmers, including a bipartisan bill the governor signed into law in the form of SB21-293.