Colorado Farm Bureau: Publications, History, Awards and Leadership
Profile updated November 2026
The Colorado Farm Bureau keeps its members informed through a communications program that has won national awards in recent years, covering policy fights in Denver and Washington, rural mental health and the stewardship of public land. Formed in 1919, the federation now counts about 23,000 farm and ranch families in 45 county Farm Bureaus.
| Formed | March 22, 1919 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Centennial, Colorado |
| Membership | About 23,000 farm and ranch families (2019) |
| County Farm Bureaus | 45 of Colorado's 64 counties |
| President | Carlyle Currier, elected 2020 |
| Recent honor | AFBF Best Video Feature Story, 2025, for LEGACY |
| Official website | ColoradoFarmBureau.com |
History of Colorado Farm Bureau
The Colorado Farm Bureau Federation was formed on March 22, 1919, the same year as the American Farm Bureau Federation. It began as a 10-county group created to make farming more profitable, founded by farmers, ranchers, veterinarians, rural doctors and tradesmen, and at first it worked closely with the Colorado State University Extension Service.
Over its first century the federation grew to local Farm Bureaus in 45 of the state's 64 counties. When it turned 100 in 2019, Colorado's U.S. senators won passage of a Senate resolution honoring the anniversary and noting the organization's role in major farm legislation since its founding.
San Luis rancher Don Shawcroft led the federation for about a decade before retiring in 2020. Delegates then seated Carlyle Currier as the first new president in ten years.
Colorado Farm Bureau Today
The Colorado Farm Bureau holds an annual meeting in Denver where delegates ratify policy for the coming year. At its 106th annual meeting at the Hyatt Regency, members heard Membership Taskforce recommendations and learned of a new federation website, and the Women's Leadership Committee raised money for the Ronald McDonald House of Colorado Springs. The federation reported 298 families with 50 or more years of membership.
Its communications department is a regular winner in national competition. It took first place for Best Social Media Campaign in the 2024 AFBF Excellence in Communications awards for a public lands campaign, and in 2025 won Best Video Feature Story for LEGACY, a documentary on rural mental health produced with PBS12 and Colorado State University Extension's AgrAbility program.
What Colorado Farm Bureau Is Publishing Now
Policy and lobbying
Member updates on rural broadband, mineral rights, endangered species listings, wolf reintroduction and water.
Public lands and stewardship
Stories and videos on how ranchers manage grazing on federal land, the subject of the 2024 award-winning campaign.
Rural wellness and members
Coverage of rural mental health resources, young farmers and ranchers, county awards and longtime member families.
Colorado Farm Bureau Editors and Staff
Leaders named at the 106th annual meeting and in federation communications contacts include:
- Carlyle Currier - President
- James Henderson - Vice President
- Taylor Szilagyi - Executive Vice President
- Jackie Michel - Editorial contact
- Melissa Weaver - Editorial contact
- Don Shawcroft - Former President (retired 2020)
Committee chairs at the 2025 meeting included Jacob Walter for Young Farmers and Ranchers and Roxi McCormick for the Women's Leadership Committee.
Who Reads Colorado Farm Bureau
Colorado Farm Bureau members are ranchers, irrigated crop farmers, dairy producers and rural families from the San Luis Valley to the eastern plains and the Western Slope. Many graze cattle on public land, which is why federal land rules feature so prominently in federation communications. Readers can find Colorado county-level crop and livestock figures in USDA's Quick Stats database.
Nationally, the 2022 Census of Agriculture counted 1.9 million farms, 95% of them family farms, averaging 463 acres.
Colorado Farm Bureau members split their time between public land grazing permits, water court and the occasional wolf headline. For a lighter look at high-altitude agriculture, farm.FM serves farm satire and farm humor from the plains to the mountains, with plenty of ranch humor for the San Luis Valley crowd. Its farm jokes need no permit from the BLM.
Part newsroom, part radio dial, farm.FM bills itself as America's first satirical farm site and plays Tractor Tunes, its country music for farmers. Browse a farm.FM writer's back catalog to see the style.
Colorado Farm Bureau Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Colorado Politics: Senate resolution on Farm Bureau's 100th - founding date and membership.
- The Fence Post: Colorado Farm Bureau hosts 106th annual meeting - leaders, awards and members.
- Colorado Politics: Carlyle Currier elected president - the 2020 leadership change.
- USDA NASS Quick Stats - Colorado crop and livestock statistics.
- USDA NASS: 2022 Census of Agriculture - national farm structure data.
Colorado Farm Bureau FAQ
When was the Colorado Farm Bureau founded?
The Colorado Farm Bureau Federation was formed on March 22, 1919.
How many members does the Colorado Farm Bureau have?
About 23,000 farm and ranch families in 45 county Farm Bureaus, as of 2019.
Who is president of the Colorado Farm Bureau?
Carlyle Currier, who succeeded Don Shawcroft in 2020.
What awards has Colorado Farm Bureau communications won?
AFBF awards for Best Social Media Campaign in 2024 and Best Video Feature Story in 2025.
From public lands to rural mental health, the Colorado Farm Bureau keeps its members informed on the issues that shape Colorado farms and ranches.