The value of water holds many definitions throughout Colorado’s urban and rural communities. As the supply and demand gap continues to widen, cities look to farms and ranches for its water, how do you determine factors of fairness, equity and wealth in a way that is acceptable to all? FARM TO FAUCET is an honest look at our society’s willingness to adapt in this ever-changing climate space.

We chat with the Colorado Grain Chain. There are many ways to work with them and grow your small business by using local grains.

...The project from Renewable Water Resources, or RWR, proposes pulling 22,000 acre-feet of water per year from the San Luis Valley, permanently drying up wells in the area, and transporting the water to Douglas County...

...Residents and water districts from the valley, along with politicians and leaders throughout the state, have been strongly against the project, saying there is no extra water to remove from the valley and that the project would irreparably damage the region’s agricultural community. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is encouraging farmers to grow two crops on one piece of land, a practice known as double-cropping, to bolster global food supplies, which are threatened by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The practice isn’t new. In parts of the South and southern Midwest, farmers have been planting winter wheat in the fall, following harvest of their summer crop, usually soybeans. The wheat is then harvested in late spring, in time for spring planting.

Alexander said the county leases 16,000 acres of irrigated farmland. The majority of that goes to conventional farmland and one large-scale operator, Dave Asbury of Asbury Farms, who ships much of his produce to Whole Foods stores. But a decent chunk of that irrigated farmland does go to the small-market organic farms now scattered across the county. The county’s goal is to lease 20% of its farmland to organic producers: Meeting that goal would mean leasing 3,200 organic acres. The county remains 1,260 acres short, according to information dated 2014 on its website.

To bring that into balance, echoing Paugh, Clark wants to bring more education and awareness to locally grown goods. Residents can find a strong local food system in Boulder County, from stalwarts like Black Cat Farms to small farm stands scattered throughout the county selling eggs, grains and produce. One doesn’t need to drive to the San Luis Valley to see each link of CGC in action, when so much is active on the Front Range. The organization is still in its infancy, but Paugh is hopeful about the future.

Conventional tilling practices involve farmers making multiple passes over a field, first to till the soil and then to plant seeds. By contrast, no-till practices eliminate the first step, and farmers plant seeds in fields without tilling. As a result, the land is left with crop residue after harvest. No-till farming is considered the more environmentally friendly option, as it requires less fuel and soil disturbance. The research showed that untilled land has lower rates of soil erosion and less nutrient runoff when compared to conventionally tilled land.

With the understanding that the flag leaf is the last leaf on a stalk of wheat before the grain head, and a bakery is the last link on the grain chain before the consumer, it is important to remember that the flag leaf could not have gotten up there without the leaves before it gathering the energy for the plant to mature. In our case, we are being held up by the grain breeders, wheat farmers and flour millers that have allowed us to do the last bit of work to share the fruits of all our labors with you, our hopefully happy customer.

Their business started out selling heritage wheat at farmers markets and it gradually evolved into an enterprise with a 5,200-square-foot building, employees and several product lines available online.

If you find you have a passion for something, never let age stand in your way. Sunrise Flour Mill is so much more than anything we ever thought it would be, and we wouldn't want it any other way.