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Colorado’s farmers, bakers, brewers, millers and distillers came together March 8 at Salida SteamPlant for the Colorado Grain Summit, a place for those in the grain industry to connect, network and learn, hosted by the Colorado Grain Chain. 

The event included several presentations and speakers as well as resource vendors.

Martha Sullins, one of the organizers, said she most liked being able to bring all the supply chain partners together. “It’s all about building relationships to get these high quality grains to the best markets,” she said.

There’s been a budding movement over the last decade to reintroduce locally-grown grains into our over commoditized food system. Just a few years ago, consumers likely never considered nor cared where the flour in their bread was milled. But now a growing number of businesses from bakeries to restaurants to distilleries have started advertising the local grains used in products.

But what’s really the difference between store-bought and heritage grains? And why does Colorado grow some of the best? To answer these questions we dug deep into the state’s terroir and history behind the plants and the people who use these grains.

Over the last century, supply chains in the U.S. agricultural sector have experienced extreme concentration as small and mid-sized slaughterhouses, grain mills, and other processing and aggregation businesses closed across the country. This “missing middle” severely limits market access for independent farmers and ranchers, while also hindering opportunities for businesses creating new markets.

WSRF grant builds on successes of the Rye Resurgence Project in San Luis Valley

“The Basin Plan and the Colorado Water Plan acknowledge how vibrant communities and robust agriculture are inextricably linked,” she said. “This project is a great example of the water community stepping alongside our agriculture community and saying we’re not going to expect farmers to absorb all the risk…we are going to help build the supply chain so that farmers can continue to adapt and they can have options.”