MONTE VISTA— Former Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture Don Brown will be the featured speaker at this year’s Southern Rocky Mountain Agricultural Conference, speaking on Wednesday afternoon, updating the Colorado Division of Agriculture’s work from domestic issues to international trade.

Brown was appointed the Colorado commissioner of agriculture by Governor John Hickenlooper in January 2015.

Brown, a third-generation farmer in Yuma County, has run several successful businesses while spending most of his career managing and growing his family’s extensive farm operations. He has also been active in water conservation, energy development and technology innovation issues within the industry.

Don and his wife Peggy have three children who continue to call Colorado home. The Brown family farm was homesteaded in 1911 and has been designated as a Centennial Farm. Don’s parents, Cleo and Jennie, were pioneers in pivot irrigation in Yuma County. He continues that pioneering spirit today through his study of the Ogallala Aquifer and holds two U.S. patents for his fence post systems.

Brown is a recipient of the Bill Seward Memorial Award - Lifetime Achievement for Outstanding Cattle Producer and the Yuma Soil Conservation District Outstanding Conservationist. He is active in the National Cattlemen’s Association, Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, National Corn Growers and the Colorado Corn Growers Association and has also served as president of the Yuma County Cattlemen’s Association. Brown is a former Colorado State President of the Future Farmers of America and participates in various community organizations.

He graduated with a degree in agriculture from Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, and received a vocational agriculture education degree with honors from Colorado State University.

As commissioner, Brown led the department’s daily operations, directed its 300 employees, and oversaw the agency’s seven divisions: Animal Health; Brand Inspection; Colorado State Fair; Conservation Services; Inspection and Consumer Services; Markets and Plant Industry.

Kate Greenberg was appointed the Colorado commissioner of agriculture by Governor Jared Polis in December 2018.

Brown’s September visit to the Valley

The Colorado Agricultural Commission held a town hall and commission meeting on Sept. 24 at the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee in Monte Vista to discuss today’s agricultural challenges and successes in the state.

Topics discussed included the 2018 Farm Bill, Colorado’s hemp crop, NAFTA, tariffs and the development of potato markets in other countries.

“I like to get into the communities and get a feel for how things are going agriculturally,” said Former Colorado Agricultural Commissioner Don Brown.

Local SLV farmers Segundo Diaz and Alvin Kunugi attended. The two men serve as commission board members representing District 3 and are statutorily granted the authority to advise and work with the Colorado Department of Agriculture. The commission is important to local farmers for a variety of reasons, said Diaz. Not only do they keep an eye on farming trends and rules, they oversee the department’s budget, make recommendations to the commissioner and recommend the appointment of members to a number of advisory boards and committees. “They also benefit us by looking at opportunities to open up new markets,” Diaz added. 

Hemp was a point of discussion at the meeting. “Colorado currently has the largest hemp acreage in the nation at about 30,000 acres,” Brown said. Interest in hemp as a crop is growing in the San Luis Valley due to the plant’s drought hardiness and potential as a commodity.

The hemp market is still in its infancy. “There are different hemp plants grown for seed, oil and fiber, and we have yet to see if we have a market for fiber as a commodity,” Brown said. “We also need to see if there is enough demand for hemp fiber over cotton. The marketplace has a great way of shaking things out, but that’s still one of the unknowns.”

The impacts on the U.S. farming community from the dismantling of NAFTA were also discussed. Mexico and Canada are top importers of Colorado agricultural products, from corn and wheat to hay and potatoes. Mexico recently imposed tariffs on processed potatoes, like French fries, which left Colorado’s fresh potato market unscathed. But it’s hard to measure the impact, Brown said. “Since there are tariffs, that means there is less going in to the country. And that means damage to the fresh market to some degree.”

In breaking news just days after the meeting, the USMCA (U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement) trade agreement was put into place between the U.S., Canada and Mexico. USMCA largely maintains NAFTA’s framework, including free trade between the three countries.

But trade concerns extend beyond NAFTA. “We are negotiating on all fronts, including China and the European Union,” Brown said. “And we dropped out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. So that’s the entire world.” Then there are the tariffs placed on U.S. soybeans by China. While Colorado isn’t big into soybean crops, the potential inability for soybean farmers to sell their product for a fair price could mean growing other crops, like potatoes. This could help Colorado’s potato seed sales. But it may also create more competition down the road.