May 23, 2013

Loans available for freeze losses

Mesa and Montrose Counties have been designated as disaster areas due to freezing temperatures that occurred on April 7 and April 8, 2012. Delta, Garfield, Gunnison, Ouray, Pitkin and San Miguel Counties are included as contiguous counties and are eligible for Farm Service Agency emergency loans.

Read more...

Agriculture

Film series on Colorado River coming to the web

c08 kayakerPhoto submitted A kayaker surveys the Colorado River at the Grand Valley Irrigation Canal diversion near Palisade. A series of short films will soon be available online detailing various perspectives of folks along the river.Last summer (2012), a group of researchers from the Colorado College State of the Rockies project took a 6.5 week journey from an alpine tarn called Lake Powell in Rocky Mountain National Park to the big, famous Lake Powell that backs up behind Glen Canyon Dam.

Kayaking most of the way, the group made numerous stops to collect water samples and interviews.

Read more...

Agriculture

LeValley recognized as ‘rising star’ in ag

The Colorado FFA Foundation announces Hotchkiss resident Robbie Baird LeValley has been selected as the 2013 recipient of the Colorado Rising Star in Agriculture Award. This award recognizes up and coming talent and leadership in the Colorado agriculture industry as determined by members of the Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame.

Read more...

Agriculture

Soil health conference opens Thursday

Soil health is critical to the productivity of the local agricultural industry and to the quality of the surrounding watershed. To help producers learn how to improve their soil, Delta County Economic Development, Inc. has taken the lead in bringing experts to the Western Slope to directly share their experiences.

Read more...

Agriculture

Presentaions look at Surface Creek water issues

The public is invited to come learn about water issues facing Colorado, the Gunnison River Basin and Grand Mesa's Surface Creek Valley at two upcoming meetings. The meetings, organized by the Grand Mesa Water Conservancy District with the support of the Water Center at Colorado Mesa University, are free to the public.

Read more...

Agriculture

Winter restrictions on antler collection in Gunnison Basin

For wildlife, winter is a stressful season when they can lose 30 percent or more of their body weight. Consequently, people should avoid disturbing Colorado's wild critters during cold weather months.

Read more...

Agriculture

Workshop for new commercial fruit growers

Western Colorado is fertile ground for growing a variety of fruits, and people from all over are drawn here to start new home-grown enterprises. Even so, there are unique challenges to growing fruit trees that can take some unprepared farmers by surprise and cost them more than they need to spend.

Read more...

Agriculture

Soil health conference in Delta on Jan. 24-25

The 3rd annual Western Slope Soil Health Conference will be held on Thursday and Friday, Jan. 24-25, at Bill Heddles Recreation Center, located at 530 Gunnison River Drive in Delta. This conference is designed to educate producers, government officials and the broad community about issues to increase organic matter in our soils through cover crops, green manure, compost, minimum tillage, and various soil amendments.

Read more...

Agriculture

Thanks for the snow! More please!

A snowy December was the perfect Christmas present for a parched Colorado, which ended November suffering from desiccated soils, depleted reservoirs and anxious ski resorts. A series of storms over the past few weeks made the state start to look like its proper winter self.

Read more...

Agriculture