Since their historic creation in 1967, Boulder County’s open space sales taxes have protected more than 100,000 acres, preserving trails and habitat while helping small farms survive in a region where land is scarce and costly.
Now, as county commissioners prepare to vote Aug. 12 on whether to place a permanent extension of one of the four existing open space taxes on the November ballot, some farmers say the measure doesn’t go far enough to keep agriculture viable.
Farmers say the tax language is not specific enough and can be interpreted as limiting agricultural spending to land acquisition, leaving little room for investments in maintaining farmland as they face rising labor costs and other expenses.
Specifically, they point to housing for farmworkers, modern wash-and-pack facilities, irrigation infrastructure and other improvements needed to keep local farms productive and sustainable.
Farmers also say the window for public feedback has been too short to meaningfully voice their concerns to commissioners.
“I feel that this [tax measure] is a really important chance for farmers and producers of all sorts to put some intention into how our public lands are funded,” said Lauren Kelso, head of the policy committee for the Flatirons Farmers Coalition and site director of Growing Gardens. She said farmers have asked for more funding for infrastructure in the past, “but oftentimes we’re brought back to: ‘Well, the ballot measure doesn’t say that.’”
The tax up for extension — 0.15% of the county’s total 0.475% in open space sales taxes — allows funds to be used to purchase agricultural land but does not explicitly mention maintaining or stewarding farmland, though it does reference maintaining open space more generally. Farmers say that distinction is critical: The county can preserve farmland, but the language is vague on ensuring it remains farmable.
“I look at the language in this ballot measure, and it’s more about protecting what’s been there, and I ask, ‘What about protecting our future?’” said Andy Breiter, founder of Grama Grass and Livestock, a regenerative meat company that subleases on open space land. “That’s where some of this language, I think, can be changed in the ballot measure — about expressing things around stewardship to actually create a healthy food system, not just about preserving land.”
Agricultural land makes up a third of Boulder County’s open space, and the county has about 125 leases with producers. Many farmers and ranchers see this tax extension as an opportunity for the county to broaden its approach, and at a minimum want more discussion before the measure is set in stone.
“This tax that conserved the land is what allowed it to stay in agriculture,” Breiter said. “And we need to continue that going forward by not just using money to buy more land, but also stewarding it, maintaining it and improving it.”
Natalie Springett, deputy to the county commissioners, told Boulder Reporting Lab the county already partners with farmers and ranchers to steward and maintain agricultural land. “We are working hard with current sales tax funds, investing in agricultural infrastructure, soil health, water and continued ag land purchases,” she said. “This will not change if this sales tax is extended.”
She added that agricultural housing has never been included in past ballot language, but the Boulder County Housing Authority is looking at workforce housing needs.
Agriculture advocates say the stakes are higher this time because their needs are urgent and the proposal would make the tax permanent, unlike other open space taxes that expire after a couple of decades.
“Once it’s in perpetuity, it’s pretty hard to change,” said Tony Lewis, a current member and former chair of the county’s Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee. He believes the county hasn’t provided enough time or notice for public feedback ahead of this week’s vote, which was publicized in an Aug. 1 news release.
The vote and hearing are scheduled for 1 p.m. on a Tuesday.
“I personally will not be able to make it,” Breiter said. “It’s a very busy time of year, and I just can’t get away for two hours in the middle of the day.”
Springett said that in addition to the hearing, the county is receiving feedback on its ballot measure webpage. “The opportunity for public comment on the ballot measure language is the August 12 public hearing,” she said. “Changes to the language can be made at that time.”
What farmers say they need
Housing remains a top concern for both farmers and their workers, according to recent surveys by the Flatirons Farmers Coalition. Lewis said most farmworkers in Boulder are either seasonal workers from Mexico – who need farms to provide on-site housing – or locals who commute from Weld County “because there’s no housing in Boulder that’s affordable.”
“What makes the most sense in today’s world is to have farmers and farmworkers who can live on the property they’re farming and use some open space tax dollars, not only to buy some of that land, but also be able to build some housing on that land,” Lewis said. That way, “we can keep the land in production.”
Kelso said some open space lands already have farmhouses that could be renovated for housing. Lewis has proposed temporary trailers for seasonal workers. But both say they’ve been told the ballot measure language would not allow such spending, and planning and permitting barriers add another layer of difficulty.
Infrastructure is another priority. Breiter said there’s a significant backlog of irrigation system maintenance needs and more opportunities to invest in soil health.
Kelso said many farms rely on temporary, open-air structures to wash and pack produce. She would like to see permanent facilities with climate control, restrooms and better working conditions, as is typical in larger farming communities in western Colorado.
“There’s just a lot of room for improvement for the health and well-being of the workers, the quality of the products, and how easily these people can make a living off of their product,” she said.
Springett said the county remains committed to preserving agriculture through its open space programs in partnership with farmers and ranchers.
But Lewis warns that without targeted investment, Boulder County’s vision for more local, organic food could falter. “These small organic farmers, we’re going to start losing them,” he said. “There’s just no way they can stay in business.”
Kelso hopes the upcoming discussion sparks broader changes. ”I think that the ballot language as it stands right now doesn’t really represent the current needs that we see for our agricultural lands and their management into the future,” she said. “I’m hopeful that this is the beginning of a conversation about how that ballot language could change and be more inclusive of agricultural needs.”
The reality is that it’s not economically viable to farm in Boulder County. Local farmers want taxpayers to subsidize their operations and provide housing for their migrant workers. All to benefit people who want to buy locally grown, organic veggies.