“The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways.” – John F. Kennedy
One of the reasons people come here to vacation – or to live – is the beauty of this area. People love the broad vistas, the open space and the wildlife. We are blessed with a lot of public land. Approximately 42% of La Plata County is public, managed by the federal government, the state, the county, or cities and towns.
What often gets overlooked is that the rest of the land that you see as beautiful open space is generally ranch and farmland. These private lands are important to us not only for their beauty, but for their value to wildlife and our local economy.
But like the rest of Colorado, we are losing these agricultural lands. Colorado has led the nation over the last five years in agricultural land loss – 1.6 million acres. In 2025, farm and ranch bankruptcies were up 46% nationwide, and 75% here in the Southwest.
There are a lot of reasons for these problems, and they are often interrelated. As our population grows, there obviously is a need for more housing. We have a lot of low-density housing and second homes, which take up more land. As land is developed, it becomes more valuable in the economic sense. That raises the dollar value of land around it. As that rate rises, so does the tax load. I have talked to people who tell me that their tax load has increased 25% to 30% over the last five years because of the rise in value per acre.
Energy development also has an effect. Oil, coal and gas development have taken land out of production for a long time. Another threat is from solar farms. I have nothing at all against solar power. However, these gigantic solar arrays take large areas of land out of production and make it useless for most wildlife. Solar can be used effectively on individual buildings or small neighborhood arrays. The giant arrays from large companies, often foreign-owned, are unnecessary and also take away from the open views we enjoy.
This year is shaping up to be rougher on our producers. Anyone who shops for necessities, tools or building supplies can see that prices are increasing regularly. If you put fuel in your vehicle, it is obvious that prices are rising quickly. Food prices are rising, which has led some people to believe that farms are making a lot of money. But a very small percentage of that increase goes to the agricultural producers. For every dollar you spend at the grocery store, less than 6 cents goes to the producer. The inputs needed, from fuel to fertilizer, are rising fast, and because of the war with Iran and the closing of the Strait of Hormuz, they are forecast to rise even higher. Fertilizer may become difficult, if not impossible, to obtain.
I wish I could close this piece with great ideas on how to help our farmers and ranchers and protect our open space, but I can’t. But we can take steps to help. Find the farmers and ranchers who will sell direct and support them. Shop at the farmers market or stores in town that sell local products. I realize that many of us cannot afford to do that on a regular basis, but every little bit helps.
Most of these issues are a direct result of federal policies and actions. Call your representatives. Contact the USDA. Demand that they take action to protect American agriculture. The alternative is that our food system will be totally controlled by corporate interests and at the mercy of foreign food producers.
Scott Perez is a former working cowboy, guide and occasional actor. He earned a master’s degree in natural resource management from Cornell University and lives in the Animas River Valley.
