Colorado Discovery Farms & Ranches

Examining the impact of soil health practices on water resource management and soil-water interactions with and for the community.

Our Mission

The Discovery Farms & Ranches initiative unites Colorado State University researchers and professionals with local producers in a shared pursuit: to discover practical, science-backed ways that soil health practices can strengthen water resource management and drought resiliency. By focusing on the real challenges farmers and ranchers face in the Colorado, we aim to create lasting change that supports both the land and the people who depend on it.

What is a Discovery Farm or Ranch?

A Discovery Farm or Ranch is a working farm or ranch that volunteers to be at the forefront of the research-outreach nexus. Each site adopts, tests, and refines soil health practices alongside our CSU team, collecting data and hosting demonstrations to show what works—and what doesn’t—in a real-world setting. The goal is to close the gap between academic research and on-the-ground realities, empowering producers to lead the way in sustainable, water-conscious farming.

Read the Producer Partner Agreements

Interest Form

Discovery Farms & Ranches Goals

Collaboration

Address region-specific challenges and raise community awareness through co-learning and collaborative efforts, pairing a scientific team with producers on the ground.

Data Collection for Decision Making

Advance a holistic scientific understanding of the connection between water resource management and implementation of soil health practices.

Education & Outreach

Enhance community engagement through demonstration field days at the Discovery Farms & Ranches

Analysis & Reporting

Develop and broadly distribute relevant reports summarizing the findings of our on-farm and on-ranch studies

Meet the Producers - Colorado River Basin

Meet our Discovery Farm Producer Partners in the Colorado River Basin! Our producers represent diverse cropping systems across western Colorado where water is exceedingly limited, and innovation is welcome.

Pleasant View, CO

Brilyn Acres

Brilyn Acres is tackling one of the West’s biggest challenges: conserving irrigation water while keeping fields productive. We’re studying how different tillage practices affect soil health and water use efficiency, focusing on the transition from alfalfa to annual forage to uncover strategies that build soil resilience and make every drop of water count.

Brylin Acres says,

"My family homesteaded in Montezuma County in 1911 and my son is the fifth generation to farm. We are predominantly center pivot irrigation with the Dolores Water Conservancy District which is part of the Upper Colorado River Basin. Our normal water allocation through DWCD is 22" per acre but in 2021 we only had 1.73" available to irrigate. We were short again in 2022 and currently in 2025 making the last 3 of 5 years water starved. This has made us more aware of the need for irrigation water conservation and improved farming practices. We believe soil health is critical and an effective way to improve water conservation and crop profitability and a way to make us more sustainable."

Palisade, CO

Harding Homegrown

Harding Homegrown is a diversified organic orchard and specialty row crop farm built on regenerative agriculture principles. They use their own recipe for microbial teas to see how it can shape key soil health measures (e.g. water holding capacity, microbial biodiversity, and soil structure). By comparing results with conventional peach orchards, the farm is creating a clear, field-tested picture of what these practices can deliver for growers and the land alike.

Harding Homegrown says,
"Healthy soil improves crop resilience, nutrient density and water holding capacity, strengthening the health and vitality of our farm and its crops. Harding Homegrown produces 80%+ of its own fertilizer on site from leftover produce, as well as microbial teas from local, riverbed mycorrhiza in order to build soil health and biota diversity."

More info

Fruita, CO

Lobato Farms

At Lobato Farms, curiosity drives innovation. Dealing with soil salinity issues, Lobato Farms is partnering with us to test whether alternative irrigation methods and biochar amendments can slow or even reverse the damage. Together, we aim to restore productivity to vulnerable fields and create practical solutions that other farmers can put to work.

Lobato Farms says,

"My interest in farming stems from my personal challenge of rehabilitating degraded soil from one historical use (sheep ranch & feedlot) and asking that land to do something completely different (livestock pasture and vegetables). How can we quickly modify soil to make it healthy and productive? I think there are many opportunities and possibilities that we have yet to explore."

More info

Montrose, CO

Western Heritage Farms

Western Heritage Farms has spent generations working the same rugged Western soils, learning to thrive in the face of drought, wind, and shifting markets. Now, this fifth-generation family is charting a new course, planting cover crops and applying biological amendments to bring life back to tired ground. Together, we are testing seed mixtures, compost teas, and micronutrient blends to see how they can restore soil structure, boost fertility, and ensure these fields remain productive for years to come.

Western Heritage Farms says,
"We both have deep roots here in Western Colorado, with family legacies of previous generations helping construct the Gunnison Tunnel, homesteading, and developing large livestock operations. As stewards now, in our time, we are very committed to improving the land and water resources through soil health and regenerative practices, ensuring viability for the present and keeping real opportunity for next generations (currently Gen 5 and 6)."

More info

Olathe, CO

Winddrift Farms

Winddrift Farms runs like a true closed-loop system, growing the soybeans, corn, and barley that feed their own heritage hogs. This self-sufficiency keeps every part of the farm connected, from the soil to the customer’s plate. Together, we are exploring how shifting from perennial pasture to annual row crops changes the way water moves through the land, with an eye toward practices that keep fields productive and water where it’s needed most.

Windrift farms says,

"We are a 40 sow farrow to finish pork operation focusing on the local production and consumption of our pork for our community. We take a holistic, regenerative approach to our production with our main goal being improvement in our soil health of our fields as we maintain high quality pork for our customers. Good soil health directly benefits water consumption and runoff quality, which is paramount in the arid west. As an operation this fits with our goal of all interactions having multiple areas of benefit. "

More info

Future Discovery Farm & Ranches

Expanding our work to cover a broad range of agricultural systems and water challenges.

Yampa River Basin

Improving water usage and quality on grazing lands

Republican River Basin

Improving soil water and water use efficiency in dryland agriculture

Interested in becoming a Producer Partner?

We’re looking for passionate growers to join our team! If you’d like to explore becoming a Discovery Farm Partner or simply want to learn more about our work, use the link below to fill out an interest form. Together, we can build a stronger, more resilient agricultural future in Colorado!

Interest Form

Questions? Email Dr. Lexi Firth at lexi.firth@colostate.edu

Producer Agreements