Keynote Speaker

Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture, John Salazar

A sixth-generation farmer and rancher, Salazar served three terms representing Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District and was a member of the House Agriculture Committee. Before his time in Congress, Salazar served in the Colorado General Assembly for two years.

Salazar was raised on a San Luis Valley farm, where he and his five siblings shared a bedroom and had no electricity or running water. His experience influenced his public career. He served on the Rio Grande Water Conservation District, the Colorado Agricultural Leadership Forum and the Colorado Agricultural Commission before being elected as a state Representative in 2002.

He was one of only a handful of active farmers in Congress after he was first elected in 2004. A veteran, Salazar served on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, and was a proud member of the fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog congressional coalition.

Salazar earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Adams State College after serving three years in the U.S. Army. 

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Table Topics & Hosts

Colorado's Budget Deficit - One Billion and Counting:  What challenges will Colorado's agricultural community face as the state works to balance the budget?

	Senator Mary Hodge: Chair of Joint Budget Committee, 2011 Session
	Representative Jon Becker: Member of Joint Budget Committee, 2011 Session

Colorado's Growing Population: What impact does the population have on Colorado's agricultural communities in regard to sustainability, productivity, etc.?

	Dr. Tom Field: Executive Director of Producer Education, National Cattlemen's Beef Association

Colorado's Natural Resources: How can agriculture help keep Colorado wild in the face of development and environmental challenges?

	Kenny Rogers - Chair, Partners for Western Conservation; Board Member, Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust
	Tom Remington - Director, Colorado Division of Wildlife

Food Availability: How will agriculutre keep up with a growing population both locally and globally?

	Craig Beyrouty - Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences, Colorado State University

Private Property Rights: Who has the right to land use when it comes to agricultural activities, wildlife, and recreation?

William Perry Pendley - President and Chief Operating Officer, Mountain States Legal Foundation

Water: How do we balance the state's most limited resource between urban and agricultural communities?

	John Stulp - Special Policy Advisor to Governor Hickenlooper on Water
	Gene Manuello - President, Sterling Irrigation Company; Representative and member for both South Platte Basin Roundtables and Colorado Cattlemen's Association

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