Colorado Represented in Advisory Group

Colorado Represented in Advisory Group

Maura Bennett
Maura Bennett
The Colorado Department of Agriculture's Director of Marketing Programs has been appointed to the nation's Fruit and Vegetable Advisory Committee.

The group is tasked with examining a host issues faced by the fruit and vegetable industry and to provide recommendations to Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue on how the USDA can tailor its programs to better meet the industry's needs.

Tom Lipetzky Colorado Ag's Marketing Director is one of 25 members. He says the issues range from food safety, research, grants & infrastructure; markets, labor; new farmer advocacy and rural broadband.

"Lots of interest in food safety audits, the Produce Safety Rule, funding for Specialty Crop programs and research, market news reporting, size and grade inspection, crop insurance type issues for specialty crops."

Lipetzky is the only government representative on the list which he says puts him in an interesting position to represent the role of agriculture departments across the nation.

State growers pressed Secretary Perdue to help with labor issues during his nationwide listening tour earlier this year. Labor is still a challenge.

Bruce Talbott 4th generation farmer in Palisade will serve with Lipetzky with their term ending in 2020.

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