Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper would like to see a new political party called the Agriculture First Party. That was one of the comments he made on a hot Thursday afternoon at an overlook to McPhee Reservoir.
A roundtable of about two dozen people gathered to discuss impacts of the ongoing drought. Hickenlooper voiced concern for ag producers, saying, “We need a political party that is pro-farmer and pro-rancher.”
The general manager of the Dolores Water Conservancy District, Ken Curtis, said the last two and a half decades have been a roller-coaster for the local agriculture community. Curtis said they received just a ten percent supply of water this year.
Hickenlooper said the climate is clearly changing and farmers and ranchers need to be prioritized so they can grow the food people depend on.
In an interview with KSJD and The Journal, Hickenlooper said if Democrats gain power in the midterm elections, he would like to see many tariffs eliminated to reduce costs for consumers and ag producers. He also said the major political parties need to establish an immigration system that lets workers from other countries who have not committed crimes provide the labor that farmers and ranchers need.
