Denver, Colo. — More than 350 members and friends of the Colorado Farm Bureau gathered to celebrate the organization’s 100th Annual Meeting on Nov. 16-18 at the Renaissance Denver Stapleton Hotel. This year included a special celebration of the 100th meeting and kick-off to a year-long celebration for the organization’s centennial.

“Each year, Colorado Farm Bureau members gather to create a vision for the next year and celebrate the one that has ended. This year was a time of particular reflection for members as we celebrated our 100th gathering,” says Don Shawcroft, president of Colorado Farm Bureau. “The upcoming celebration gave us time to reflect about the deep history we have built in Colorado.”

Each year, the Annual Meeting brings together members and friends from across the state to develop and improve policy and programs to support agriculture interests around the state. It was a year of firsts for the organization. A constitutional ballot initiative, a new county grant program, innovative county trainings, and exciting new young farmer and rancher activities were a few of the highlights.

“The agriculture community and rural Colorado have endured devastating fires, hail and other disasters, free-falling farm and ranch income, opioid addiction and depressed economic growth. With the midterm elections over, this year provides a new opportunity to regroup and come together as the state’s second-largest industry to move agriculture forward,” says Shawcroft.

During the meeting, Colorado Farm Bureau awarded the Service to Ag Awards to an individual inside and outside the organization. CFB president Donald Shawcroft and Lisa Drake, formerly of Monsanto, were the award recipients respectively.

The Colorado Farm Bureau Annual Meeting is an important part of the organization’s role as the state’s leading voice in agriculture. An important activity conducted during the Annual Meeting is the review of current policies, as well as the addition of new policies by the voting delegates.

The policies adopted by Colorado Farm Bureau delegates originate at the grassroots level and define the organization’s position on a variety of issues including land use, water, wildlife, broadband, farm programs, and machinery software, just to name a few.

Incumbent president and rancher Don Shawcroft of Alamosa was reelected to a fifth term leading the organization. Shawcroft was first elected as President in 2010. CFB’s Vice President Carlyle Currier, a rancher from Molina, was also reelected as Vice President of the organization, a position he has served in since 2010. Currier previously served as treasurer and state board member.

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