Colorado has lost more farmland than any other state in the country over the past few years, and this trend could have a ripple effect on the economy of the state.
According to the latest survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Colorado has lost 1.6 million acres of farmland between 2017 and 2022, a 5 percent decline. This is significant because agriculture is the second-largest economic driver of the state, accounting for $47 billion in economic activity and 195,000 jobs.
Details of this issue were a focal point of a recent joint hearing between the state Senate and House Agriculture Committees.
Farm managers say the pressure is coming from multiple directions at once: stagnant commodity prices, rising input costs, workforce shortages, and a growing list of regulatory requirements.
At Fagerberg Farms in northern Colorado, farm manager Brian King tells Media Logic News Network that his operation is leaning harder on automation, including an AI-driven “eco” sprayer that identifies plants versus weeds in real time. “It scans, analyzes, and sprays in under 250 milliseconds.”
King told state lawmakers the technology helped cut the use of crop protection products dramatically, but it comes with a steep price tag. The system costs $300,000 plus an $11,000 a year licensing fee.
Overtime and labor rules at the center of debate
A major flashpoint is Colorado’s agricultural overtime requirement. Republican state Sen. Byron Pelton questioned what the labor crunch means for the broader ag economy: “What are you guys seeing with the $47 billion economy that agriculture produces in the state and with the low labor force that’s coming?”
Robert Sakata, acting Colorado agriculture commissioner, said during the joint hearing that the department is trying to respond with worker-focused support: “We’re doing as much as we can … to support not only ag workers, but the employers” as they try “to attract the workforce that we need in Colorado.”
Separate coverage from Denver7 highlights how contentious the issue has become, as worker advocates warn against proposals that would raise the overtime threshold. Former Colorado legislator and civil rights leader Polly Baca urged lawmakers to reject changes that would require longer workweeks before overtime pay kicks in: “We urge lawmakers to reject any proposed bill that would require farm workers to work 60 hours before earning overtime.”
Agriculture leaders say the broader economics are already pushing farms out. In Denver7’s “Real Talk” segment, Marilyn Bay, executive director of the Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, pointed to the USDA Census of Agriculture decline: “Between 2017 and 2022, we lost 7.2 percent of our farms, or over 2,800 — that’s huge!”
In addition to proposals for pesticide-coated seed regulation, and possible limits on emissions from farm equipment, Colorado producers are also tracking a new wave of temperature-safety proposals at both the state and federal level that could add compliance costs and paperwork ahead of the next growing season.
Colorado lawmakers introduced House Bill 25-1286, a sweeping proposal aimed at “protecting workers from exposure to extreme temperatures.” The bill would require employers to implement protections for both hot and cold conditions, including mitigation measures, rest breaks, and a temperature-related injury and illness prevention plan.
Among the more prescriptive provisions are those requiring employers to provide access to shaded or cooled break areas and to allow employees to drink water when heat conditions are present, with language requiring at least 32 ounces of potable water per hour per employee and that it be maintained 60°F or cooler. For cold conditions, the proposal requires access to warmth, monitoring for symptoms of cold illness, and paid warm-up breaks.
HB 25-1286 also requires recordkeeping and written plans for larger employers, with enforcement mechanisms and penalties. If enacted, the bill is set to go into effect on April 1, 2026, although the bill contains a referendum clause that could put the bill’s implementation on hold until after the November 2026 election if a petition is filed.
