Colorado Agricultural Leadership Program (CALP)

The Colorado Agricultural Leadership Program (CALP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Cortez, Colorado, with more than 40 years of history developing leaders who shape the future of Colorado agriculture.

Our Mission

CALP builds a unified, informed, and influential voice for Colorado agriculture by immersing established agricultural professionals in a rigorous, multi-year leadership development experience. Participants — farmers, ranchers, agribusiness leaders, and agricultural advocates — return to their communities with expanded networks, sharpened leadership skills, deeper policy knowledge, and a renewed commitment to agriculture's long-term vitality.

The Program

CALP is cohort-based and intentional by design. Components include regional seminars across Colorado, a Washington, D.C. policy seminar, a domestic study tour, an annual Colorado Ag Forum, and an international study tour. Together, these experiences expose participants to the full scope of forces shaping Colorado and American agriculture — from local water policy to global markets.

Why It Matters

The challenges facing Colorado agriculture — water scarcity, land use pressure, workforce shortages, shifting markets, and federal policy complexity — require leaders who think systemically and advocate with credibility. CALP develops exactly those leaders.

Each graduate represents a ripple effect: the farms, ranches, businesses, and communities they return to are shaped by what they bring back. Multiply that across more than 40 years of alumni — serving on water boards, commodity commissions, cooperative boards, and in elected office — and the impact on Colorado agriculture is profound.

Our Funding

CALP is supported by foundations, agribusiness partners, commodity organizations, and individual donors who understand that investing in people is the most durable investment in agriculture's future. Gifts support program delivery, the Colorado Ag Forum, and the development of leaders whose influence extends far beyond their own operations.