The Colorado Department of Agriculture has secured a grant from USDA to significantly invest in the Centennial State’s STAR program for soil health.

CDA’s STAR program was one of the 70 projects selected for funding by the USDA through the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Project. This marks an historic investment in Colorado agriculture that will advance farmer- and rancher-led soil and climate solutions. 

CDA will receive $25 million to more than double participation in the STAR (Saving Tomorrow’s Agricultural Resources) program across Colorado, expand research on the benefits of regenerative agriculture across eight Intermountain West states, scale the model nationwide, and continue building markets for producers deploying climate-smart agricultural practices. 

“This unprecedented funding for Colorado agriculture will allow CDA and our partners to put its full force behind the soil health initiatives we’ve been piloting for the past two years,” said Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture Kate Greenberg. “This major investment from the USDA will allow us to show consumers the strides Colorado farmers and ranchers are making in deploying climate-smart agricultural practices by developing market signals that assure customers of our commitment to combating climate change.

"This funding will show the nation and the world that Colorado agriculture is on the leading edge of innovative production and stewardship in a changing world," Greenberg said.

For more on the project, click here.

Source: Colorado Department of Agriculture