Farms, Food, Community

The Peak to Plains Alliance was formed to showcase some of the most notable locally owned food and agricultural businesses in Southeastern Colorado.

All of the locations are special because they are owned by people who care about the land, the community and preserving our heritage. We invite you, whether you live here or are exploring the area from another community, to join us in celebrating the best of what Southeastern Colorado has to offer.

Southern Colorado has a rich agricultural history and a promising future. In 1853, the first commercial farming enterprise in Colorado was founded at the confluence of the Arkansas and Huerfano Rivers in present day Pueblo County. Early farms and ranches in the Arkansas and Fountain Creek valleys provided much of the food that allowed Colorado City to become a service town for miners and the first capitol of Colorado Territory.

Since World War II there has been a steady erosion of the local food and farming systems. Development pressures on agricultural land, sale of water rights, cheap subsidized food from California and Latin America, and an appetite for processed food have contributed to this state of affairs.

In response, a diverse group of rural and urban people created an initiative that envisions a system in which local consumers enjoy the health benefits of fresh local food, and farm and ranch experiences; farmers and ranchers are compensated fairly for their products; and working lands and adjacent environments are stewarded according to ecological principles.

The Peak to Plains Alliance (PPA) formed as a coalition of community and agricultural leaders in Southeastern Colorado seeking to collaborate on myriad projects related to local agriculture and conservation. PPA consists of established organizations and soleproprietorships already involved in community-based agricultural activities and historic sites. PPA strives to increase business for its members and to sponsor joint marketing and educational projects, including tours, pertaining to agriculture, food and working landscapes in Southeastern Colorado.

Peak to Plains Alliance exists to:

• Enhance the public's knowledge of local food, water, and land resources, and 
• Create a stable local food and farming system.