NORTHERN COLORADO — As Colorado voters weigh economic issues this election season, farmers and ranchers say rising operating costs and the ongoing drought are pressuring an industry that helps feed the country.
For rancher Nate Bowers, drought and rising input costs have made this year particularly difficult.
“Fertilizer and drought together were pretty tough on us,” Bowers said.
He said drought conditions brought his operation down to about 30% of average production, while fertilizer and diesel costs reached some of the highest levels he has experienced.
“Our fertilizer was as high as I've ever paid for it, and our diesel came up at the end,” Bowers said.
For this year's midterm elections, Bowers hopes politicians will keep agriculture in mind without turning the industry into a political issue.
“Agriculture's in Colorado's DNA. We were here for a long, long time doing agriculture, and we don't really need a bailout. We just need agriculture to kind of be able to be left alone and not be dragged into politics,” he said.
Willie Altenburg, another Colorado rancher, shares similar concerns about rising operating costs. At a recent livestock auction, Altenburg said he paid $6.59 per gallon for diesel.
“Diesel prices have been high. Cattle prices are good, but our input costs are extremely high,” Altenburg said.
After 50 years in agriculture, Altenburg said he believes farmers and ranchers do not always get the recognition they deserve for their role in feeding the country.
“We have lots of issues that we deal with. We try to feed the populace, but I think sometimes people forget where their food comes from. That's our job, and we try to do a good job of it,” he said.
Altenburg is also concerned about what he sees as a growing divide between rural and urban communities.
For younger farmers like Kellen Riedlinger, rising diesel prices are another major concern, with costs affecting much more than just agricultural operations.
“Those rises in diesel prices, you may not see them when you're at the gas pump, but they're affecting you in roundabout ways, raising the price of pretty much every consumable,” Riedlinger said.
Riedlinger said farmers across the political spectrum face many of the same economic challenges as other Coloradans.
“We're all people in the same state with the same laws and the same prices,” he said.
As voters head to the polls for this year's midterm elections, these farmers and ranchers hope their concerns will not be overlooked.
Bowers said he hopes elected leaders will recognize the importance of keeping agriculture viable in Colorado and across the West.
“I hope they care about ranchers. I hope they care about keeping the industry going in the West,” he said.
