Courtesy photo
Lewis Farm, southeast of Berthoud is set to remain a farm for the future and become a new agriculture-learning project managed by the Colorado FFA Foundation.

By Will Cornelius
The Surveyor

There is one area south of Berthoud that will not be turning into a housing development. In fact, it is going to keep looking a lot like it did a century ago.
Lewis Farm sits at the southeast corner of Larimer County, bordering Weld County on its eastern side and a short drive southwest to Boulder County. It has been a working farm for nearly a hundred years under the care of two families and boasts exceptional soil with native water rights.

Through a series of grants and multi-agency collaborations, the farm will be staying that way. A $2.6 million grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for the conservation easement was matched with a substantial landowner donation partially incentivized by state tax credits for conservation easement donations.

“The Lewis Farm tops the list and is well above average when discussing productive working agricultural lands in Colorado,” said Clint Evans, the NRCS state conservationist for Colorado. The conservation easement is held by the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT).

In addition to remaining a working 226-acre farm, it is also going to support the next generation of farmers and ranchers. The Colorado Future Farmers of America Foundation (Colorado FFA Foundation) will manage and operate the site as an immersive agricultural experience for youth and the public.

“Our foundation is extremely excited to be an integral part of this project and expand our mission to offer educational opportunities for people to learn hands-on about agriculture as they participate in immersive experiences. The beauty of this project is it is a full-scale working farm and we plan to always honor that and do our educational programming with that in mind,” said Don Thorn, the executive director of the Colorado FFA Foundation.

To assist with acquiring the farm and its water rights, Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) provided a $1.5 million grant to the Colorado FFA Foundation. Portions of the Colorado Lottery fund GOCO, which helps preserve and enhance the state’s parks, trails, wildlife, rivers and open spaces.

Other contributions included $200,000 from the Town of Berthoud, $100,000 from Larimer County as part of a future trail easement, $75,000 as a transaction cost grant from the Larimer County Department of Natural Resources and $50,000 from the Gates Family Foundation. Aiding the purchase and transaction was the Trust for Public Land (TPL).

“Colorado has a rich agricultural heritage and TPL has worked closely for decades with local nonprofits, government agencies and private landowners to ensure that farmers and ranchers can look to conservation as an option to continue to own and work their land and conserve their water,” said Wade Shelton, a senior project manager for TPL.

“Our efforts have helped to keep traditional farms and ranches like Lewis Farm in production, but it’s also critical that Coloradans from all walks of life be able to learn why those efforts are important to all of us not only for the food on our table but for the outdoor experiences that everyone expects in Colorado. The Lewis Farm is the rare project that will do all of those things, and we are grateful for the support of our partners who will maintain and continue to grow this unique educational resource.”

Berthoud-based Thorn believes this project is the first of its kind to preserve farmland and hopes this is just the beginning. Another future project could be preserving ranchland in southern Colorado and using it for educational purposes too, possibly somewhere near El Paso County Thorn thought.

“This accomplishment is a testament to our shared commitment to promoting sustainable land stewardship and agricultural education. We are particularly enthusiastic about the opportunities this project presents for engaging Colorado’s younger generations in agriculture and resource stewardship. The FFA Foundation’s bold vision casts light on the future of agriculture and land management and illuminates the way for future stewards of our working lands,” said Erik Glenn, the executive director of CCALT.