Colorado Department of Agriculture on Facebook

The Colorado Department of Agriculture strives to provide timely, accurate information. We have now joined Facebook to help share those messages.

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COSDA 2010 Conference Video: "Communication"

Check out the most recent COSDA video, 'Communication,' developed in partnership with the Texas Department of Agriculture and AMS Pictures. It features insight from communication experts Peter Shankman, Karen Hughes and AMS' Natalie Glover.

COSDA 2010 Conference Video: "Welcome to Texas"

The 2010 COSDA Conference was a great success! Thank you to everyone who was able to attend. For those of you who could not make it, AMS Pictures provided this video of the event. “Welcome to Texas” provides a high-level overview of the entire event, including key conference speakers and tours. If you know of colleagues who weren’t able to attend this year’s conference be sure to forward this video along to them.

New Marketing Director for Colorado Department of Agriculture

LAKEWOOD, Colo. – Tim Burleigh of Denver, Colorado has been named Markets Division Director for the Colorado Department of Agriculture. Burleigh began his new position earlier this week.

“I am pleased Tim has accepted this position. The Markets Division plays a vital role in Colorado’s agriculture and his experience and leadership can help companies expand their current operations on a local, regional, national, and international level,” said Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture John Stulp.

Burleigh has a wealth of experience in agricultural marketing:

• Most recently, Burleigh was the Regional Director for the US Soybean Export Council in the Middle East. His duties include overseeing the management and implementation of programs designed to promote the awareness, utilization, and preference for US soybeans.


• Burleigh has also provided agribusiness consulting services. While in this position, he worked cooperatively with CDA’s Markets Division on a project to launch the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program to Colorado’s specialty crop producers.


• Burleigh has also served as the Denver branch manager and broker for Conticommodity Services, developed market opportunities for the US Wheat Associates, and has worked collaboratively with US farmers throughout the years.

“There are tremendous opportunities for Colorado to market our agricultural products; I hope my experience and knowledge will help expand those already developed and help our industry to foster new opportunities statewide, nationwide, and in the global marketplace,” said Burleigh.

Burleigh replaces Tom Lipetzky, now the Department Chief Financial and Operations Officer.

The main purpose of the Markets Division is to promote the sale of Colorado products. The Division offers assistance in promotion, research, exporting, business start-up and expansion. The Markets Division also publishes numerous directories and resource materials to help market Colorado products effectively.

The Colorado Proud program is a primary domestic marketing tool promoted through CDA’s Markets Division. Colorado Proud helps consumers, restaurants and retailers identify and purchase Colorado food and agricultural products that are grown, raised or processed in the state.

The Fruit and Vegetable Section provides a quality inspection service to the produce industry of Colorado. The inspection service ensures the shipment of high quality fruits and vegetables and enhances Colorado's reputation as a supplier of superior produce.

Whether companies are looking for domestic or international assistance or need to have produce inspected, the Markets Division is available to help. For more information, visit www.coloradoagriculture.com.

Texas Department of Agriculture's Wine Passport Program Wins Award

The Texas Department of Agriculture's Texas Winery Passport Program won the 2010 North American Agriculture Marketing Officials (NAAMO) Agricultural Marketing Excellence award!

The winery passport program works in new and innovative ways to offer incentives to visitors experiencing Texas wine country. Through the program, more than 1 million travelers visit Texas vineyards and wineries, while meeting the winemakers who take pride in their craft. Thanks to those winemakers, Texas is the fifth-leading wine-producing state in the nation.

When travelers redeem their passports, not only does TDA send them a reward or connect them with a reward-donating winery that offers tastings, dinners or overnight stays, the agency also receives valuable feedback about consumer interests that serves as essential market research.

NAAMO awarded TDA and Texas this honor above all other U.S. states and Canadian provinces. To learn more about the Texas Winery Passport Program, visit www.gotexanwine.org.

Congratulations again to TDA's Marketing and Promotion Division for superior strategy and excellent execution!

Commissioner Farmer supports federal bills protecting producers from costly regulation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
For more information contact:
Bill Clary
(502) 564-1137

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer supports federal legislation that would prevent the government from requiring farmers to get additional permits under the Clean Water Act for using pesticides that are applied consistent with federal pesticide law.

Bills filed in the U.S. House and Senate would clarify that producers who apply pesticides in compliance with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) are not subject to Clean Water Act permits. The measures stem from a federal appeals court decision that overturned an Environmental Protection Agency rule that exempted permitting of certain pesticide applications from the Clean Water Act. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minnesota), Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Oklahoma), and Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-Arkansas) and Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia) have filed similar legislation to address the situation.

“The court ruling reversed decades of sound federal policy on pesticide use,” Commissioner Farmer said. “This legislation would prohibit the government from placing a costly and unnecessary burden on our producers that would result in little or no benefit to the environment.”

FIFRA was enacted by Congress to control all aspects of pesticide registration, sales and use. The EPA has never issued a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit under the Clean Water Act for the application of a pesticide, and in 2006 the agency specifically exempted permitting of certain pesticide applications from the Clean Water Act. The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2009 that the EPA did not have the authority to exempt pesticides from the Clean Water Act.

Agricultural Finance Loans Approved

For Immediate Release
Contact:
Sandra Gardner
(502) 564-4627 x. 223
(502) 330-2105

agpolicy.ky.gov

Kentucky Agricultural Finance Corporation Approves More Than $315,000 in Loans

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Oct. 1, 2010) -The Kentucky Agricultural Finance Corporation (KAFC), chaired by Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer, today approved $315,938 in agricultural loans for projects in the Commonwealth during their regular monthly business meeting.

KAFC participates with lenders to provide financing to producers making capital expenditures for agricultural projects through the Agricultural Infrastructure Loan Program. Eligible projects include permanent farm structures with attached equipment that improves the profitability of farming operations. An Agricultural Infrastructure loan was approved for a total of $100,000 in Metcalfe County.

The Beginning Farmer Loan Program is designed to assist individuals with some farming experience who desire to develop, expand or buy into a farming operation. Beginning farmers may qualify for financing to purchase livestock, equipment or agriculture facilities; to secure permanent working capital; and to make a down payment on real estate or invest in a partnership or LLC. Beginning Farmer loans totaled $215,938 and included one recipient from Daviess County.

For more information on the programs offered by the KAFC, contact Bill McCloskey, director of financial services, at (502) 564-4627 or visit the KAFC Webpage at kafc.ky.gov.