Cody Burns

Monte Vista, CO

Rio Grande Conservation District

In the San Luis Valley of Colorado, Cody Burns and his family farm and ranch at an altitude of 7700 feet. They also operate with a limited supply of water as the annual precipitation in their area is about eight inches. Due to the scarcity of water resources, the state of Colorado has given farmers in this area the time and opportunity to repair previous damages to the aquifer from over pumping it.

Burns no longer farms the traditional rotation of Malt Barley and potatoes. Instead, he raises salt-tolerant varieties of alfalfa/grass mixes using deficit irrigation and many other blends of multi-species forage crops. These crops are usually baled, and the aftermath is grazed. Seed for the next crop is drilled through the residue into the soil without tillage. These crops and this management system allow Burns to keep the soil covered year-round while also harvesting two crops per year in an 85 to 90-day growing season and reducing pumping of the aquifer.

Currently Burns has over 300 head of sheep, cattle, and goats which are used for fiber production and grazing. Livestock have not been a part of most potato and grain operations in his area for nearly two generations. Having livestock gives Burns the opportunity to work with other producers who wish to add livestock to their cover crop program. This helps decrease erosion and breaks Burns’ dependence on traditional commodity markets.

When partnering with other producers, Burns has been pursuing multigenerational land. Many of these producers run operations on small 5 to 160-acre parcels. By changing the color of their landscape to a brighter green, this has increased their interest in the land and revenue. These challenges have given Burns a chance to graze his livestock on these smaller areas, while improving the land these producers fondly remember from their youth but didn’t operate or recently purchase.

Posted May 2023