Jun 30, 2022

Colorado Foundation for Agriculture names 2021-2022 sponsors

The Colorado Foundation for Agriculture (CFA) announces its sponsors for the 2021-2022 fiscal year, spanning almost 200 individuals, businesses, and organizations. So far this year, sponsors have committed more than $220,000 for the Foundation’s Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom (CoAITC) programs and resources.

Since 1991, CoAITC has sought to advance agricultural literacy – awareness, knowledge, and appreciation of food, fiber, fuel, and natural resources – among prekindergarten through 12th-grade teachers and their students. During the 2021-2022 school year, CoAITC programs and resources reached more than 320,000 students, teachers, families, and individuals across Colorado in urban, suburban, and rural communities.

A total of four issues of the Colorado Reader were published this past school year, with each issue sent to 1,650 classrooms. More than 8,000 individual copies of CoAITC’s four printed Activity Books were provided to students. Perhaps the highlight of the year was the 2022 Literacy Project – a program where farmers and ranchers visit classrooms, read a book, and complete an activity with students. A new book, The Sweetest Treat, was written and published specifically for this program and featured a unique, true-life story centered around kindness and Colorado peaches. The 2022 Literacy Project set a new recent record of reaching more than 10,000 students and 500 classrooms. This July, CFA is looking forward to hosting two Summer AgriCULTURE Institutes, which are week-long professional development events for preK-12 teachers. These efforts, and many other CoAITC programs, wouldn’t have been possible without all sponsors across the state.

“The success of our programs shines when we see more teachers than ever including Agriculture in the Classroom programming in their classrooms,” said executive director Jennifer Scharpe. “I am incredibly thankful for the support of our sponsors, who make this work and impact across Colorado possible.”

Sponsors donating at least $5,000 are listed below (in alphabetical order):

• CHS Foundation in partnership with NAITCO
• Colorado Beef Council
• Colorado Corn Administrative Committee
• Colorado Department of Agriculture
• Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association
• Grandin Livestock Handling Systems, Inc. (Dr. Temple Grandin)
• Intrepid Potash
• Larimer County Farm Bureau
• National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization (NAITCO)
• Nutrien in partnership with NAITCO
• Premiere Copier, LLC
• West Greeley Conservation District

A complete list of all sponsors for the 2021-2022 fiscal year ending July 31 may be found on the CFA website, www.GrowingYourFuture.com.