Colorado Department of Agriculture

What Colorado Department of Agriculture does

The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) is a state government agency under the State of Colorado, established in 1876 upon Colorado's admission as the 38th U.S. state. Headquartered at 305 Interlocken Parkway in Broomfield, CO, CDA serves as the central regulatory and support authority for Colorado agriculture—a sector that contributes $47 billion annually to the state's economy across 30 million acres, 36,056 farms and ranches, and approximately 195,000 workers. The agency organizes operations into eight divisions: Animal Health, Animal Welfare, Brands (livestock traceability and inspection), Conservation, Inspection and Consumer Services (ICS), Labs, Markets, and Plants. Its mandate spans regulatory oversight (produce safety, pesticide licensing, measurement standards, noxious weed management, animal welfare), market development (Colorado Proud branding, Governor's Cup wine competition, export assistance), conservation and climate resilience (Agricultural Drought and Climate Resilience Office, Noxious Weed Program, Soil Health Program, ACRE3 energy program, Agrivoltaics Research and Demonstration Grant Program), and producer financing (Specialty Crop Block Grants, Agricultural Workforce Development Program, NextGen Ag Leadership Grants, Climate Smart Market Expansion, Colorado Agricultural Future Loan Program, Community Food Access Tax Credit).

CDA's technology footprint is data-platform rather than product-centric: an interactive ArcGIS-based Agrivoltaics Research & Demonstration Projects StoryMap, a Noxious Weed Grants Dashboard, the Farm Fresh Directory, the Colorado Produce Calendar, and the Roots to Revenue content hub for agribusiness development. The agency also partners on digital initiatives including a 'Blockchain for Agriculture' program under ICS and a Technical Guide to Community Owned Agrivoltaic Solar Gardens authored by GRID Alternatives.

CDA is not a commercial enterprise. Its operating model is funded by state appropriations supplemented by federal grants, including $5.1 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for wildfire fuels management, $4 million from America's Ecosystem Restoration Initiative (2022), $500,000 from Senate Bill 23-092 for agrivoltaics, and an annual Noxious Weed Fund historically peaking at $700,000 (cut to $450,000 after 2025). Services are free or low-cost; select regulatory fees (brand registration, PACFA licensing, measurement standards) are published in the CDA Fee Schedule. Distribution is via headquarters, division offices, the Colorado State Fairgrounds in Pueblo, CSU Extension, county offices, and statewide digital platforms. The agency is led by Commissioner of Agriculture Kate Greenberg, with Kristen Boysen serving as ADCRO Managing Director.

Name

Colorado Department of Agriculture

Legal name

Colorado Department of Agriculture

Website

https://ag.colorado.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1876

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Colorado Department of Agriculture is a state regulatory and market-development agency serving Colorado's 36,056 farms and ranches across 30 million acres. It provides animal/plant health oversight, conservation, producer financing, and the Colorado Proud marketing platform supporting a $47 billion agricultural economy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

State Government Agricultural Services

NAICS

Regulation of Agricultural Marketing and Commodities (92614), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Agriculture, Fisheries & Food Administration (BPAIAAAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regulatory Compliance, Permitting & Audit Readiness (Food Safety, Environmental, Labor) (AFACAJAE), Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory) (AFACABAL), Livestock Identification & Recordkeeping Services (RFID Tagging, Traceability Setup) (AFACAEAH)

Keywords

• Agricultural regulatory services
• Agricultural marketing programs
• Livestock brand inspection
• Agricultural conservation programs
• Agricultural grants funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Broomfield, CO

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Colorado Department of Agriculture is a state government agency that provides regulatory oversight, market development, technical assistance, conservation, and funding programs to Colorado's agricultural community. Its services span animal health and welfare inspection, livestock brand registration and traceability, plant protection and pesticide regulation, produce safety and measurement standards, marketing initiatives such as Colorado Proud, financial programs (loans, tax credits, grants), noxious weed and soil health management, agrivoltaics research, and export assistance. The agency serves as the central state authority consolidating these functions into a single support ecosystem.

Product overview

The Colorado Department of Agriculture operates as a state government agency with multiple program divisions rather than a unified commercial product. Its offerings span marketing initiatives (Colorado Proud branding program), business development resources (Roots to Revenue blog), financial programs (loans, tax credits, grants including AWDP, NextGen Ag Leadership, Specialty Crop Block Grants, Climate Smart Market Expansion), technical programs (Agrivoltaics Research, Noxious Weed Management, Soil Health, ACRE3 Energy, ADCRO), and export assistance. These programs collectively support Colorado's agricultural economy through market development, workforce training, conservation, and producer financing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Colorado Proud: Marketing program promoting Colorado agricultural products and producers.
• Colorado Wine Industry Development Board (CWIDB)
• ACRE3
• ADCRO

Products and services

• Colorado Proud
• Roots to Revenue
• Agricultural Workforce Development Program (AWDP)
• NextGen Ag Leadership Grant Program
• Community Food Access Program
• Colorado Agricultural Future Loan Program
• Agrivoltaics Research and Demonstration Grant Program
• Noxious Weed Program
• Climate Smart Market Expansion Project
• Colorado Soil Health Program
• Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
• Export Assistance Program
• ACRE3 Energy Program
• Livestock Brands and Inspection Program
• Pet Animal Care Facilities Act (PACFA)
• Pesticides Program
• Colorado Produce Safety Program
• Colorado State Fair
• Measurement Standards Program

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• History ColoradocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026CDA partnered with History Colorado to produce a commemorative coffee table book 'Setting Colorado's Table: 150 Years of Agricultural Legacy' and to collect oral histories from Colorado farmers and ranchers as part of the America 250 - Colorado 150 sesquicentennial celebration.
• Longer TablescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026CDA partnered with Longer Tables for the '150 Tables Across Colorado' initiative to bring communities together for harvest table celebrations across the state. The Governor's Table at the Colorado State Fair is part of this initiative.
• Feeding ColoradocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeeding Colorado (statewide association of five Feeding America food banks) partners with CDA and Colorado Proud on the 150 Colorado Agricultural Legacy Fund to purchase Colorado Proud products for distribution to food-insecure families across the state.
• Fair Food ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Fair Food Program is a worker-driven social responsibility initiative for agriculture. Rancho Durazno became the first Colorado farm to join in 2022, providing worker-generated Code of Conduct, anonymous complaint channels, and buyer-funded wage bonuses.
• Agrivoltaic Steering Committee (Multiple Partners)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-stakeholder steering committee guiding CDA's Agrivoltaics Research & Demonstration Program. Members include: Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center/Jack's Solar Garden, Colorado Solar and Storage Association, National Renewable Energy Association, The Nature Conservancy, Sprout City Farms, Wagner Charolais, Longroots Ranch, Colorado State University, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, Colorado Livestock Association, and L7 Ranch LLC.
• Colorado State University (CSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSU researchers (Dr. Knapp & Sturchio Lab) received CDA agrivoltaics grants to quantify soil moisture conservation and forage production in semi-arid Colorado rangelands. CSU Extension also partners on agrivoltaics outreach.
• Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCALT was established in 1995 with advocacy from CDA. It has helped protect more than 850,000 acres of working farms and ranches across Colorado through agricultural conservation easements.
• Quivira Coalition (New Agrarian Program)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeorge Whitten and Julie Sullivan's Whitten Ranch serves as the first apprenticeship site for Quivira Coalition's New Agrarian Program, having mentored more than 20 apprentices over 14 years.
• American Farmland TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFT received a CDA agrivoltaics grant to conduct interviews and focus groups with agricultural producers and electrical utility stakeholders to identify barriers and opportunities for agrivoltaics deployment in Colorado.
• Play Clean Go, U.S. Forest Service, Boulder County Parks & Open Space, City of Fort Collins Natural Area, Larimer County Natural ResourcesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-sponsors of the Boot Brush Kiosk program, which combines CDA and Forest Service funding for the installation of boot brush kiosks at trailheads across Colorado to prevent spread of invasive species.
• GRID AlternativesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGRID Alternatives authored the 'Technical Guide to Community Owned Agrivoltaic Solar Gardens' for CDA, providing step-by-step instructions for establishing community-owned agrivoltaic solar gardens in Colorado.
• Colorado State Fair AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDA partners with the Colorado State Fair Authority to host the annual Colorado State Fair in Pueblo, featuring Governor's Plate competition, Centennial Farms & Ranches recognition, agricultural exhibitions, and the Governor's Table event.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kansas Department of Agriculture: Kansas's state agriculture agency with comparable emphasis on livestock, crops, and water resource management. Highly aligned with Colorado's wheat, cattle, and conservation priorities.
• Texas Department of Agriculture: Texas's state agriculture agency with a parallel regulatory and market-development mandate. Comparable in covering livestock, crops, and consumer services; operates the GO TEXAN marketing program analogous to Colorado Proud.
• Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship: Iowa's state agriculture department with a closely comparable mandate across crop production, conservation (soil health, water quality), animal health, and marketing programs. Highly comparable given Iowa's similar mix of crop/livestock agriculture.
• Washington State Department of Agriculture: Washington's state agriculture department covering plant protection, animal health, food safety, and market development. Comparable scale and structure, with parallel marketing programs (Washington Grown) and pesticide/brand regulation.
• California Department of Food and Agriculture: California's state agriculture department with an equivalent regulatory, marketing, and conservation mandate. Comparable scope covering animal health, produce safety, marketing programs (California Grown), and pest prevention across a similarly large and diverse agricultural economy.
• New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets: New York's state agriculture department administering programs in food safety, animal health, agricultural development, and consumer protection. Comparable regulatory-plus-market-development structure to CDA.
• Oregon Department of Agriculture: Oregon's state agriculture agency with comparable programs in plant health, animal health, food safety, and marketing (Oregon Agricultural Trust). Highly similar Western-state mandate with strong emphasis on specialty crops and conservation.
• Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection: Wisconsin's combined agriculture and consumer protection agency, covering dairy, livestock, crops, food safety, and trade promotion. Comparable breadth of regulatory and marketing programs.
• Minnesota Department of Agriculture: Minnesota's state agriculture department covering crops, livestock, dairy, food safety, and ag marketing. Comparable breadth of programs including AgBMP loan program analogous to Colorado Agricultural Future Loan Program.

Broad incumbents

• USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture): The federal-level counterpart that funds many CDA-administered programs (specialty crop block grants, FSA disaster relief, NRCS conservation). Comparable in scope but operating nationally and providing the policy umbrella under which state departments operate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/coagriculture1
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UChNYN4TmwTJGbcEXcIR3hOw
• Facebookfacebook.com/coloradoag
• Instagraminstagram.com/coagriculture
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coloradoagriculture

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Colorado Department of Agriculture