Janie VanWinkle is contemplating something she never thought she’d ever consider — selling the family ranch after four generations of living and working in Colorado.

“The political environment is so toxic that if we do speak up at all, it falls on deaf ears,” said VanWinkle, a Western Slope rancher. “This is no longer an agriculture-friendly environment or atmosphere. Five years ago, I could never imagine having this conversation with my family.”

Colorado’s agricultural industry is the state’s second-largest economic driver, accounting for more than $47 billion in activity and employing more than 195,000 people. The export of Colorado cattle as of 2024 generated nearly $4.5 billion, making Colorado one of the 10 producers in the nation. 

Those figures are not lost on Gov. Jared Polis, who quickly jumped into the tariffs debate, saying President Donald Trump’s actions would negatively affect ranchers in Colorado. In an interview with POLITICO in February, the governor stressed that tariffs would hurt ranchers and farmers, while noting that beef is Colorado’s largest export by far.

At the time, many regarded Trump’s tariffs declarations as a bluff. Recently, the president stressed that countries that have still not negotiated a deal with the U.S. would now face tariffs of up to 25%. Japan and South Korea, for example, have been listed as countries that have yet to reach an agreement with the Trump administration.

While the Colorado governor framed his criticism of Trump’s tariffs as damaging to livestock growers, many in the agriculture community see Polis promoting policies that are anathema to their interests.

Others insist his administration has hunkered down to help ranching and farming operations.  

Mark Harvey, a member of the Colorado State Land Commission, said Polis has worked to understand the challenges of Colorado’s rural communities and help them prosper.

“This goes back to when he first took office. He and his team wrote the Rural Economic Blueprint in 2019, with seven specific areas to work on. He’s worked on bringing high speed Internet to sparsely populated areas, developing renewable energy, which brings jobs to rural communities, mitigating the high cost of health insurance, repairing country roads, and adding to the gross revenue of farms and ranches,” said Harvey, who spoke in his personal — not official — capacity.

“I think he understands that agriculture is the main economic driver in rural economies and he and his team have worked on incentives and policies to advance farming and ranching,” he told Colorado Politics.

Polis, who carried counties like Grand and Garfield and was the first Democrat to win the 3rd Congressional District since John Salazar in 2008, disputed any assertion that rural Coloradans feel attacked or left behind by his administration.

“Part of my popularity in rural Colorado, unlike other Democrats, is that we really focus our agenda on that,” said Polis, who won his last election by a decisive margin.

“I’m not one of these politicians that (just) say they support keeping Western Slope water on the Western Slope — we have been unequivocal, we don’t support any project that diverts water without the support of both sides. It’s that authenticity and delivery of results that have helped me gain popularity.”

‘MeatOut Day’ becomes sore point between ranchers, governor

Still, some ranchers and farmers said they, indeed, feel attacked — and left behind.

Regardless of the international debate over tariffs, many farmers and ranchers said they are frustrated with what they perceive as disrespect from Polis regarding their way of life, as well as policies that have made it difficult for them to remain in business, even as they noted how much Colorado’s agricultural industry contributes to the state’s prosperity. 

In 2021, with the support of animal rights activists, Polis proclaimed a “MeatOut Day” to encourage Coloradans to consider “plants-based” food.

The proclamation incensed Colorado ranchers.

“Many of us felt that First Gentleman Marion Reis encouraged this,” said VanWinkle, a former Colorado Cattlemen’s Association president. “Governor Polis likened us to Chicago and the automotive industry there. He said that, if we didn’t change with the times, we’d get left behind.”

Some also view Reis, the governor’s spouse, as holding an animus toward Colorado’s livestock growers.   

They pointed to his made comments on social media that ranchers and livestock producers regarded as derogatory. In one instance, Reis told a rancher, “Oh, shut up, you dolt,” arguing that ranching and livestock production “is no more important to the economy of Colorado than any other industry.”

Reis also published a short story on social media that some viewed as a thinly veiled critique of journalist Rachel Gabel, who writes about agriculture issues and has been critical of the governor and his policies in her columns for Colorado Politics and the Gazette family of newspapers.

Reis had commented online that Gabel “simply glosses over (the truth) all that in service to her actual goal, which is not to report the truth but to inspire fear.”

VanWinkle said that the cattlemen’s association, along with other rancher groups, would call the governor’s office to complain over the years, and the offending post by Reis would get taken down.

But, she said, the damage would already be done.

Polis’ appointment of Ellen Kessler, a friend of Reis and an animal rights activist, to the state veterinary board in 2020 also became another sore point for ranchers and farmers. 

Not long after her appointment, Kessler wrote on her social media account that “4-H clubs teach children that animal lives don’t matter.” In a Facebook post, she called ranchers “lazy” and “nasty.”

The following year, Kessler, who had since resigned her board position, was charged with 13 counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty after Jefferson County Sheriff’s officers found 13 birds living in poor conditions in her basement. She pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count and lost custody of all but one of the birds. One bird died, while another had to be euthanized. A veterinarian reported all of the birds were stained with feces and in “rough” condition, caused in part by malnutrition and improper care by Kessler. 

“I don’t know a single rancher who mistreats their animals,” said State Sen. Byron Pelton, R-Sterling, referring to Kessler’s case. “They are what feeds us, and we want to honor that animal by any means necessary to make sure that they are well taken care of.”

The clash of cattle and climate?

Meanwhile, Sen. Janice Rich, R-Grand Junction, said she can’t think of anything that the Democratic majority in the state legislature has done that has helped agriculture producers in Colorado.

“Our agriculture community is a major economic driver for Western Colorado,” Rich said. “For our next governor, respecting them would be a start.”

Some in the agriculture community trace that perceived antagonism to the Polis administration’s climate beliefs.     

“People in the Polis administration truly believe that the more cattle we have, the more climate change we are going to have,” said Pelton, the Republican from Sterling. “That’s a huge issue moving forward.”

“If it wasn’t for the fact that we raise cattle on land that could never grow anything, it is a huge plus for food security,” he said. 

Pelton cited a 2024 greenhouse gas emissions survey showing less than 10% of emissions were generated by the entire agricultural industry.

Ranchers said they recognize that many consumers are concerned about both the environmental impact of meat consumption and the treatment of those animals.

“We have to be morally and ethically correct when we take care of the animals,” said Tim Ritschard, a fifth-generation rancher in Grand County. “They get the best feed, the best nutrition, because if they don’t produce, we are out of business. Furthermore, farmers and agricultural producers are stewards of the land.”

“We don’t use it and abuse it,” he said. 

Ritschard cited several studies that found that areas where cattle forage yield new, highly nutritious grass that grows in abundance. Large numbers of deer and elk then eat this fresh grass.

“A lot of us in the agriculture industry feel we have been left out and attacked,” said Ritscard. “We are being left in the dust, but hopefully our next governor will at least listen to us.”

VanWinkle, the Western Slope rancher, said that a disconnect exists between what people “believe” about the beef and agriculture industry and the reality.

In fact, she said, ranches have been in the frontlines of adopting new technology, notably mindful of ethically raising animals.

“There is a lot of research going on with the Ag Next Program on methane reduction,” VanWinkle said. “They are measuring and not assuming what the levels of methane from the cows are. In addition, our family, and many others, are using solar-powered ear tags with a GPS locator on cows when they are on the range. This drastically reduces the amount of time we spend looking for cows.”

Polis highlights right to repair law, trade policies 

In a recent interview with Colorado Politics, Polis cited the work he has done with ranchers and the agricultural industry.

The governor said he’s most proud of the landmark Right to Repair law as having directly helped farmers and ranchers. Farm implements, like tractors that are heavily automated, require specialized services, which often mean costly delays.

“Without a right to repair, you are entirely locked out as the owner, and relying entirely on the company that sold it to you on high-priced service,” the governor said. “We’ve since moved onto wheelchairs but started with ag because we wanted to put farmers and ranchers in charge of optimize equipment.”

Polis shared an anecdote: When he found out that agriculture exports were left out of his development office’s trade and investment missions, his administration integrated them — without having to seek legislation — into all of Colorado’s economic development work.

Produce and products under the Colorado Proud marketing and branding campaign are now exported across the country and the world, he noted. 

As for his spouse, the governor maintained that Reis respects the agriculture community, even as he distanced himself from the latter’s social media postings.  

“I don’t read all the social media that my husband writes,” Polis said. “Of course, he has areas he doesn’t agree with me. But I can say, like me, he has utmost respect for Colorado’s farmers and ranchers. Marlon is also a tireless advocate for conservation as First Gentleman. I appreciate that he makes the most of that volunteer position.”

Polis also said that, in making more than 3,000 appointments, there would be individuals who who won’t work out, referring to Kessler’s case. 

“We do our best to get as many good applicants as we can,” Polis said.

John Swartout, a former executive director of Great Outdoors Colorado and Colorado Counties Inc. who served under several of Colorado’s previous governors, believes that much of the disconnect between the governor’s office and the agriculture industry is based on misunderstandings.

“Polis assumes those people don’t like him and they won’t work with him,” Swartout said. “The longer it has gone, the worse it has gotten.”

But, Swartout argued, one can get a lot done when treating farmers like partners, instead of adversaries.

“If you break your word to a landowner, they are going to remember that for generations and then aren’t going to work with you,” Swartout said. “That’s my biggest fear that, without landowners, land conservation will be damaged beyond repair, and that’s where we are at. You should govern on behalf of every single Coloradan.” 

Editor’s Note: This is the second part of a series examining Colorado’s urban-rural relationship. New stories in the series will be published every Friday through Aug. 8. Follow all the stories in the series here.