Coloradans want to know where their food comes from – and they want it to come from nearby family farms – but finding out is harder than it should be, say farmers and agricultural industry leaders.
Younger generations are leading the charge on demanding locally sourced food. They’re starting farm-to-table restaurants, making farmers markets trendy and paying a premium for locally sourced food. But getting the most accurate message out to consumers about where their food comes from and how it is grown is easier said than done.
As part of Colorado Proud month – as proclaimed by Gov. John Hickenlooper and celebrated with a campaign theme each year – partners in Colorado’s agricultural industry will tour the state this month to show the faces of agriculture.
The Colorado Proud program provides a guarantee to consumers that their food was grown, raised or processed in the state. The program started in …show more content…
“I know people who look for these labels in grocery stores because they feel like they’re helping a neighbor.”
The label is one way to connect consumers to the right products, but producers at a Colorado Proud panel at Union Station on Wednesday said perceptions of farms can make or break the success of Colorado’s agricultural industry – an important piece of the state’s economy. It contributes $41 billion to the gross domestic product each year, or about 12 percent, according to Colorado Proud.
Petrocco Farms’ Kate Petrocco, whose land spans 3,000 acres from Brighton to north of Greeley, said that consumers don’t necessarily understand how their food is produced. She said people ask her whether Petrocco Farms is a “real farm.” With more than 100 employees and distribution to grocery stores, the operation disrupts perceptions of a traditional family farm, even though it would be impossible to compete