By Greg Walcher | Commentary, GregWalcher.com
I met a guy at a golf course recently who expressed grave concern about the health of the grass this summer, because of Colorado’s ongoing drought. We hadn’t met before and knew nothing of each other’s backgrounds. But he entertained me with a tirade about Colorado’s waste of water, especially for agriculture. He asserted that 85 percent of Colorado’s precious water is used to raise livestock and feed for livestock, an outrage when there is so little for watering the greens and fairways.
I was tempted to ask the man if he is a vegetarian, but I didn’t because I already knew the answer. Of course he is not a vegetarian; he is one of those activists who wants everyone else to change their lifestyles. The kind who want everyone else to ride the bus, join carpools, turn off their air conditioners, stop watering lawns, and make other sacrifices he himself has never considered. I’d never met him, but I know him.
His numbers were questionable. Agriculture is often estimated to use 85 percent of the state’s developed water. However, that includes not only livestock and feed production, but also vegetables, potatoes, onions, sugar beets, fruit, vineyards, and nursery crops, collectively consuming 20–30 of the state’s developed water. Livestock production and growing livestock feed probably uses 60-70 percent of the water, not the 85 he claimed.
Yet those raw numbers tell only a minor part of the story. Most people may not associate Colorado with farming and ranching, like Nebraska or Wyoming. But agriculture is central to the state’s economy, history, culture, and way of life.
Colorado produces the nation’s finest peaches, but not the most – that would be California. The San Luis Valley is famous for its potatoes, but Idaho’s are better known. Colorado is the center of the nation’s lamb industry, but has fewer sheep than Texas. The Centennial State is not the center of the corn belt – that’s Iowa. Nor does Colorado produce the most wheat – that’s Kansas. It isn’t the nation’s dairyland – that’s Wisconsin. But don’t be fooled. Colorado produces a massive share of America’s food.
There are 36,000 farms and ranches in Colorado, averaging 836 acres, almost double the national average. They contribute $47 billion to the state’s economy, including food processing, transportation, equipment, supplies, wholesalers, retailers, and ripple effects throughout the economy. Over $9 billion worth of agricultural products are sold in Colorado annually. The state has 2.5 million head of cattle, including 200,000 dairy cows, as well as 405,000 sheep. Its growers also produce 635 million gallons of milk, 10.2 billion pounds of corn, 4.3 billion pounds of wheat, and 2.3 billion pounds of potatoes every year.
Those are not just abstract numbers, they directly support communities and families across the state. Consider our central region of the Western Slope. The Business Incubator Center recently commissioned a study of agriculture’s impact on Rio Blanco, Garfield, Mesa, Delta, and Montrose Counties, led by Dr. Nathan Perry, economics professor Colorado Mesa University. He found that “Agriculture supports more than 9,000 jobs across the region, contributes approximately $281.7 million to regional GDP, and generates over $719 million in total economic output, placing it alongside some of Western Colorado’s most consequential economic sectors.” That includes more than 3,500 jobs and $98 million in Mesa County alone. Agriculture also generates $20 million in tax revenue to the state and local governments in those 5 counties.
Still, today’s farmers and ranchers face unprecedented challenges. They are an aging population with descendants less passionate about farming. They see declining acreage and shrinking operations in most areas, coupled with persistent droughts, bewildering technology, rising costs (especially fuel), and unpredictable access to capital. No wonder nearly 40 percent of producers “are unsure whether their operation will be passed to the next generation,” writes Dr. Perry.
The last thing producers need is increased pressure on their water. Colorado growers were early adopters of gated pipe, concrete ditches, drip water systems, no-till planting, and other conservation systems. That should be a source of pride to their fellow citizens, not a reason to demand that they further curtail water they own and are entitled to use. In reality, that water isn’t just for them – it’s for everyone who wants to eat.
That arrogant golfer may think pretty fairways are more important than his fellow citizens eating. Personally, I am confident there is room for both golf and food production. But if people were ever forced to choose between the two, many greens would soon become browns.
Read more from Greg Walcher at GregWalcher.com
Greg Walcher is president of the Natural Resources Group and author of “Smoking Them Out: The Theft of the Environment and How to Take it Back.” He is a former head of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, former President of Club 20, and a fellow at the Common Sense Institute.
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.