From farm to table: What do Colorado consumers really want?

By Jerry Sonnenberg and John Salazar
Guest Commentary, Denver Post The Idea Log

There are more than 36,000 farms in the state encompassing some 31 million acres. Agriculture continues to be a driving economic force, providing 170,000 jobs and contributing more than $40 billion to the state’s economy annually.

Over the years, Colorado producers have diversified to grow grapes, sunflowers, oats, mushrooms, fish, bison, ostrich, emu and more to fill the wants and needs of consumers, yet the more traditional commodities such as cattle, corn, dairy products, wheat and hay continue to lead product sales.

As diet trends come and go, Colorado’s farmers and ranchers adjust accordingly and fill our grocery stores with top-quality fruit, meat and vegetables.

So what do Colorado consumers really want? Variety? Quality? Organic? GMO-free? All of the above?


These are the questions that this year’s Governor’s Forum on Colorado Agriculture this week is aiming to address. The Feb. 27 forum at the Renaissance Hotel in Denver is geared to help connect producers and consumers to initiate ongoing dialogue about Coloradans’ food preferences. View full article...