March 20 declared as Archuleta County Ranching, Livestock and Meat-IN Day

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By Clayton Chaney

Staff Writer

March 20 has officially been declared as Archuleta County Ranching, Livestock and Meat-IN Day by the Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC).

The BoCC approved a proclamation establishing this day at its regular board meeting held on March 16. 

Lindsey Candelaria presented the proclamation to the BoCC.

The proclamation states that Colorado is a right-to-farm state and that “Archuleta County is very proud of our agricultural heritage and of the approximately 400 farms in the County.”

According to the proclamation, more than 170,000 jobs in Colorado are related to the agriculture business and provides more than $40 billion annually to the state economy. 

The proclamation also outlines how “eating meat supplies the body with essential nutrients in quality and quantity superior to those provided by an all plant-based diet, including sources of zinc, vitamins B12 and D, and essential fatty acid.”

The proclamation notes, “cattle and other livestock production has historically been, and continues to be, a valuable economic driver in Archuleta County, bringing over $15 million to the state economy each year.”

The proclamation goes on to state, “this board will not disparage any economic engine that supports the residents of this great state, but it will call out dangerous actions by elected officials that risk the economic health, safety and welfare of the people who call Colorado home, not the least of which are the families who work the land, care for the livestock, plant the crops, provide the nourishment for our bodies, and preserve the way of life that is crucial to this state’s and county’s security and success.”

Commissioner Alvin Schaaf expressed gratitude for the work that local farmers and ranchers do for the community, saying he is “grateful” for them.