The Colorado Collaborative for Healthy Soils (CCHS) is a bottom-up and big-tent organization bringing the agricultural community together around soil health. Over the past few years, many voices from Colorado’s farming and ranching communities have begun exploring ways that soil health practices can be recognized, incentivized and promoted at a statewide level. The Collaborative brings these voices together in order to explore a new direction for soil health for Colorado.
join the collaborative
We welcome producers (part or full-time farmers and ranchers) and people who represent producers in their work. Collaborative meetings are held for two hours every other month in rotating locations across the state. Participants can also call in to Collaborative meetings. To join, complete the form below.
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CONTACT THE cchs HERE
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are you a producer
The Collaborative is seeking feedback from producers across the state in order to learn what producers need in order to implement soil health practices and to get feedback on possible new soil health programs and initiatives. If you are a producer, please help us by filling out this survey. Thanks!
CCHS Calendar of events
what is the collaborative
The Collaborative draws from a long legacy of land stewardship within the agricultural sector. For decades, farmer and ranchers across the state have employed practices to manage and improve the health of their soil. These practices minimize overhead costs, conserve water, reduce erosion, increase yields, improve wildlife habitat, and sequester atmospheric CO2 as soil organic matter.
Over the past few years, many voices from Colorado’s farming and ranching communities have begun exploring ways that these management practices can be recognized, incentivized and promoted at a statewide level. The Colorado Collaborative for Healthy Soils is an effort to bring these voices together in order to give input to CDA on a proposed Soil Health Program, ensure that there is adequate funding for soil health activities across the state (including for a new CDA program), and provide a forum for participants to learn about related initiatives across the state.
Over the past few years, many voices from Colorado’s farming and ranching communities have begun exploring ways that these management practices can be recognized, incentivized and promoted at a statewide level. The Colorado Collaborative for Healthy Soils is an effort to bring these voices together in order to give input to CDA on a proposed Soil Health Program, ensure that there is adequate funding for soil health activities across the state (including for a new CDA program), and provide a forum for participants to learn about related initiatives across the state.
what will the collaborative do?
convene stakeholders from multiple arenasCCHS will be a forum for producers, researchers, local practitioners, service providers, and policy makers to
come together as we consider the best path forward for Colorado. |
Gain input from a broad group of colorado farmers and ranchersCCHS aims to represent the diversity of the state’s agricultural community. We seek participation from a wide spectrum of producers committed to remaining non-ideological and action-oriented.
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evaluate and synthesize program and policy optionsCCHS will work to combine best practices from other states, proposals from Collaborative participants, and stakeholder feedback into a consensus vision for soil health programming and policy.
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commit to the core values agreed to by the groupCCHS will remain Producer-centered, Science-based, Participatory, and Action-oriented. In addition, CCHS will only pursue policies and programs that are Voluntary / Incentive-based.
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what is the collaborative working on right now?
Listening sessionsCCHS is planning several listening sessions across the state to learn what producers need in order to implement soil health practices and to get feedback on possible new soil health programs and initiatives.
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knowledge-sharing platformCCHS is working with partners to design a platform to share information about demonstration projects, field days, research, market opportunities and other resources with the community.
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working groupsWorking groups are meeting monthly to discuss stakeholder engagement, science and practice, knowledge sharing, and incentives and policy.
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grant and funding opportunitiesCCHS is considering pursuing state and federal grant opportunities to increase funding for soil health activities across the state.
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Producer Advisory Council
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The Producer Advisory Council for the Colorado Collaborative for Healthy Soils consists of farmers and ranchers that run the gamut from irrigated cropland to grass-fed bison to diverse vegetable and floricultural products to sugar beets, wheat and alfalfa. They share the respect of their peers and a commitment to help the state of Colorado set a new direction for soil health while representing a range of production types, size of operations, geographies, and demographics.
The Advisory Council will be critical to ensuring that any policies or programs developed through the Collaborative are producer-centered, voluntary, and incentive-based. Producer Advisory Council members include:
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CCHS 2019-2020 Annual Report
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The Colorado Collaborative for Healthy Soils is a bottom-up and big-tent organization bringing the agricultural community together around soil health. Over the last year, the Collaborative has brought diverse stakeholders together in order to give input to CDA on a proposed Soil Health Program, ensure that there is adequate funding for soil health activities across the state (including for a new CDA program), and provide a forum for participants to learn about related initiatives across the state. As a Collaborative, we are committed to being producer-centered, science-based, action-oriented, and to pursue only solutions that are voluntary and incentive-based. Please join us as we explore a new direction for soil health for Colorado.
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