In late August, I enjoyed an engaging conversation in the backyard of a farmer’s home in Platteville, Colorado. The Rocky Mountain Farmers Union selected me for one of their coveted endorsements. I am honored to receive it, particularly as they endorse only a few candidates and don’t limit them to one political party. After the endorsement, they invited me to hear directly from farmers. 

My conversation with farmers in Platteville, Colorado, in late August.

My work with the Farmers Union goes back over my eight years as Attorney General. Most notably, when Kroger proposed to take over Albertsons, many Coloradans–including many farmers–worried that this harmful merger, like past supermarket mergers, would be waved through. I listened to farmers (as well as consumers and workers) and I worked hard to make sure that did not happen. To support our challenge to the merger, I organized town halls across Colorado so farmers could tell me what they thought. I took their stories to court, and we helped stop the merger.

I remember vividly one farmer in Delta. When a previous grocery store merger happened, he faced real challenges in selling Palisade peaches in local Colorado supermarkets. Based on that experience, he opposed the Kroger/Albertsons merger. His message was loud and clear: More consolidation in grocery stores promises more of these harmful impacts–and that’s why I fought the Kroger/Albertsons merger and helped stop it.

At the Platteville backyard conversation, we talked about supply chains, local food distribution, and how effective management of the SNAP program can support local farmers. We talked about our opportunity to do more in Colorado, including thinking about food as a system and supporting local farmers and helping them find outlets for their products. We also talked about encouraging young people to know where their food comes from, support local farmers, and even consider becoming farmers or ranchers themselves. This is the type of collaboration I am committed to as our next Governor.

Given the ongoing drought, our conversation naturally turned to water. As I discussed at the Colorado Water Congress last month, these challenges are existential for our state. For farmers, the saying that “Colorado is a land where life is inscribed in water” hits home. The impact of water restrictions is make or break for them. As we face these challenges in water management, we must face them together and commit to never resorting to “buy and dry” schemes that have devastated rural communities.

As we sat together, we also talked about rural mental health. My friend JC Carrica is a leader on rural mental health, famously asking: “Do you look after your neighbor as close as your crop or herd?” When JC first learned about the challenges of mental health and the suicide rates in his community, he said: “As a fifth-generation resident of southeast Colorado, with deep ties to agriculture, it really opened my eyes to the fact that our marketing efforts were falling flat when it came to the mental wellbeing of farmers and ranchers, who are the main drivers of our economy.”  

Last weekend, I stopped by the Palisade Wine Festival to visit with my friend Bruce Tallbot, of Tallbot Farms, who is a leading Colorado farmer and a beloved seller of wines, cider, and peaches. Bruce told me about the tough winter Colorado faced, and how making it through this year as well as he did was a big accomplishment. Resilient farmers like Bruce help power Colorado’s economy. 

With Bruce Tallbot (Ieft) at the Palisade Wine Festival in Palisade, Colorado, last week

At the Wine Festival, I also saw how Colorado Mesa University is teaching students in culinary preparation and supporting our “experience economy.” The concept of an experience economy–focusing on offering experiences rather than selling things–is something we also discussed at Denver Startup Week last week. As Governor, I will lean into this concept and help promote the Palisade Wine Festival, Sundance Film Festival, outdoor recreation opportunities, and more. And we can lift up our agricultural economy and other sectors in the process.

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As Governor, my leadership will be rooted in showing up, listening, and delivering for all Coloradans. I am honored that the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union is behind me in this important work. Together, we will support our farmers, improve our food system, and build a more vibrant and robust rural Colorado.