HomeMy WebLinkAbout20230036.tiffDecember 20, 2022
OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PHONE: 970-400-4200
FAX: 970-336-7233
1150 O STREET
P.O. BOX 758
GREELEY, CO 80632
Dear Colorado Tourism Office,
We are pleased to provide this endorsement on behalf of the North American Agricultural Advisory
Network (NAAAN) as an innovative engine of economic development, workforce training, and information
sharing around agriculture and global food security.
As the 17'h network member to join the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS), the NAAAN,
hosted by the Colorado State University System, has been invited by GFRAS, for the first time, to host the
2023 GFRAS Annual Meeting (GAM). Without the needed funding to host in 2023, the meeting will be
either cancelled or held virtually elsewhere.
The GAM, most recently held in Santiago, Chile, in 2022, brings global representatives of extension and
rural advisory services together to share best practices, learn from one another, and help farmers and
communities achieve global food security. Through a combination of keynote addresses, panels, breakout
sessions, cultural events, and field trips to farms, food operations, and businesses, at the Colorado GAM,
meeting participants will come together around the theme of Building the Next Generation of Leaders in
Agriculture.
Additionally, as part of field trip excursions, Colorado GAM participants will visit Weld County. An area
of Colorado known for its agriculture, Weld County leads the state of Colorado in milk production and is
the 17. largest dairy county in the United States in number of cows. In addition to the county's history as
a sugar beet producer, the top three crops now grown in Weld include corn, hay, and wheat. As Colorado's
dairy capital and a key agricultural center, Weld County will play a significant role in showcasing what
Colorado agriculture and extension and advisory services offer.
We have witnessed how similar past events have helped push Weld County to the global stage by building
community and business relationships that showcase the companies, farms, and creativity that we offer.
More than the immediate agricultural, tourism, and business impacts that bringing the GAM to Colorado
will have, it will act as a catalyst for future agricultural, extension and advisory services, and other related
business opportunities in the years to come as the NAAAN continues to build and strengthen its presence
as a regional leader.
Sinc ely,
Sc tt K. James
Chair, Weld County Board of Commissioners
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2023-0036
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