Sustainable Agriculture Literature Review - Boulder County

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Cropland Policy
The mission of Boulder County Parks and Open Space (BCPOS) is to conserve natural,
cultural, and agricultural resources and provide public uses that reflect sound resource
management and community values. The Department manages 25,000 acres of
agricultural land 18,000 of those acres are managed as cropland or irrigated
pastureland.
BCPOS is in the process of developing a cropland policy to guide management of these
lands. The Cropland Policy will tie the Department’s daily management practices and the
County Comprehensive Plan’s broad directives regarding the management of open
space and agricultural land. The policy will outline the guiding principles staff will use to
make management decisions on open space properties managed as cropland. Defining
these principles will streamline decision-making processes during planning and make it
easier for open space tenants and the residents of Boulder County to understand the
goals of our cropland program.
Visit the department’s webpage at www.BoulderCountyOpenSpace.org for more
information.
About this Report
This literature review will examine sustainable agriculture practices in an effort to inform
the discussion for Cropland Policy for Boulder County Parks and Open Space. It will
explore some of the challenges faced by producers and ways in which producers can
continue to take a leadership role in making their operations and their communities more
sustainable. Agriculture is a critically important part of Boulder County. It helps to keep
land as open space, preserve the rural culture, and increase the economic security of
the county and its residents. Making wise decisions about the future of agriculture in the
county is important to all of its citizens. This report seeks to provide a fact-based
foundation for such conversations.
The scope of this literature review is restricted to data-based considerations about
approaches and practices related to sustainable agriculture. This report is not intended
to give exact answers to problems on specific farms. No opinions, unless supported by
experimental results, will be discussed. The emphasis will be on papers published in
peer-reviewed journals, with additional non-peer-reviewed journals included only if they
influence the development of science-based ideas or if data were unavailable. In these
instances, the non-peer reviewed data will be noted.
If printing this report, please print on recycled content paper.
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This publication was prepared by Natural Capitalism Solutions (NCS)
a 501c3 non-profit based in Hygiene, Colorado.
www.natcapsolutions.org
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