Government officials hear hardships outlined by Colorado farmers in Longmont

More than 20 farmers, ranchers and stakeholders from Boulder County and beyond gathered in unincorporated Boulder County near Longmont on Friday to discuss issues that plague local farmers.

“We have to be able to support the small farmers so they don’t go out of business,” Theresa Schuller, Boulder County farmer and member of the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, said.

The group met with US Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Lafayette, U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., and Lena Khan, the chair of the Federal Trade Commission. The three government officials listened to the issues that affect small farmers throughout Colorado.

“One of the obstacles is the monopolistic behavior of almost every industry of this country,” Hickenlooper said.

He described how in farming, there’s a challenge to attract new people due to large companies that continue to grow.

“The bigger everyone gets, the worse it gets for the little guy and for the general public,” he said.

Khan said “having more competition over more consolidation” is critical.

“We know how urgent these issues are,” Khan said. “We know anti-trust can sound abstract but can make a big difference in people’s pocketbooks.”

The discussion centered around an issue for farmers called the right-to-repair. Right-to-repair legislation preserves farmers’ right to choose how and where their equipment is repaired and encourages a competitive repair environment.

Tyler Garrett with the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union said repairing farming equipment is becoming more difficult as the technology gets more advanced. The industry is seeing a decrease in competition among mechanics and repair businesses, which is increasing the price of such services.

“At its essence, right-to-repair fundamentally deals with two things: consolidation and freedom of choice,” he said.

Colorado passed right-to-repair legislation with House Bill 24-1121 in May that will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026. With the passage of the bill, Colorado became the first state to pass right to repair laws for farmers.

“While we are very proud of this legislation … we believe that federal legislation for providing the right to repair is crucial,” Garrett said.

Erin Karney-Spaur with the Cattleman’s Association said she believes in everyone having a fair chance.

“This was a state fix, but we also advocated to really have an effect. “This really needs to be fixed federally,” Karney-Spaur said.

Schuller said small farmers can’t compete with large monoculture farmers. There are consequences if a farmer can’t repair equipment quickly and affordably.

“If that equipment goes down, they not only lose their crop but that could break a first-generation farmer,” Schuller said.

Khan said her goal is to advocate for people to make sure those with the best ideas and businesses on merit can succeed.

“We know that’s how America stays ahead,” she said.

Originally Published: Jul 26, 2024 at 5:29 pm