AgriWest enters next phase as Business Incubator seeks new program manager

Brandon Leuallen, The Business Times

The Business Incubator Center is searching for a new leader for its AgriWest initiative as founding Program Manager Janie VanWinkle prepares to conclude the 30-month fellowship that helped establish the regional agricultural program.

VanWinkle’s final day with the Business Incubator Center will be July 31, marking the end of her Economic Recovery Corps fellowship through the International Economic Development Council.

While her fellowship is ending, AgriWest will continue under the Business Incubator Center with a new part-time program manager focused on helping agricultural producers strengthen and grow their businesses.

“I feel like we’ve done some good things,” VanWinkle said. “We’ve laid some really good groundwork.”

AgriWest was created to strengthen western Colorado agriculture by: helping producers build stronger businesses; connecting different sectors of the agricultural industry; increasing collaboration with government and community organizations; and ensuring agriculture has a stronger voice in regional planning and economic development.

During VanWinkle’s fellowship, the initiative: brought together producers from Mesa, Delta, Montrose, Garfield and Rio Blanco counties through the annual AgriWest Council; coordinated a regional agricultural economic-impact study; helped launch the School District 51 local-beef-purchasing program; organized educational events; and created opportunities for producers from different sectors to work together on common challenges among other initiatives.

VanWinkle said the next chapter of AgriWest will build on that foundation.

Rather than focusing primarily on building regional connections, the new program manager will concentrate on helping new producers start up and helping more established ones become stronger business owners by connecting them with the Business Incubator Center’s entrepreneurial resources.

“I think what this next role will be is more bringing producers to the Incubator and letting the Incubator do what the Incubator does best,” VanWinkle said. “And that is provide entrepreneurial support.”

According to the job description, the AgriWest program manager will: provide one-on-one business mentoring; organize educational workshops; develop partnerships; pursue grant funding; and help ensure the long-term sustainability of the initiative. The position also includes assisting multi-generational agricultural operations and first-generation producers entering the industry.

VanWinkle said one of the biggest opportunities is helping producers recognize that successful farming and ranching require strong business management.

“A lot of us in agriculture don’t see ourselves as a business,” she said.

VanWinkle said many producers are experts at growing crops or raising livestock, but they could benefit from assistance developing business plans, understanding financial statements, evaluating growth opportunities and finding financing or grant opportunities.

“It’s a pretty capital-intensive business, and it’s pretty hard to get started in agriculture,” she said.

She also sees opportunities for the next manager to expand efforts connecting beginning producers with experienced mentors, business resources and potentially land-access opportunities.

“One of the challenges… is access into agriculture,” VanWinkle said, adding aspiring producers often cite access to land as one of their biggest barriers.

While purchasing farmland is difficult because of high costs, she said leasing property and building relationships with landowners can provide a pathway into the industry.

She said the flexibility of the new position will allow the next manager to pursue additional initiatives, including internships, mentorships and other programs that help new producers enter agriculture.

“I think the sky’s the limit, and that’s one of the cool things about this position,” she said.

The Business Incubator Center is seeking candidates with experience in agriculture, business, economic development or related fields, along with strong communication and relationship-building skills. While the job description outlines education and professional qualifications, VanWinkle said one quality stands above the rest.

“From my perspective, the most important qualification is to have credibility within the ag community,” she said.

She said the position could appeal to an experienced agricultural professional looking for an opportunity to give back or someone earlier in a career with strong agricultural connections and the ability to grow into the role.

“For the right person, it’s a really unique opportunity,” she said. “But it’s going to take a unique person for it to be the right opportunity.”

Bringing agriculture together

Looking back on the past two-and-a-half years, VanWinkle said one of AgriWest’s biggest accomplishments has been bringing together agricultural sectors that traditionally operated independently.

Council meetings have drawn orchardists, vineyard operators, livestock producers, row-crop farmers and agribusinesses representing operations of different sizes and production methods.

“That’s probably one of the things I’m most proud of, to be honest with you, is helping the sectors come together and find their commonalities,” she said.

She pointed to regional transportation planning as one example.

VanWinkle credited Mesa County Commissioner Bobbie Daniel with helping connect AgriWest with the Regional Transportation Planning Office as officials developed the region’s 2050 transportation plan.

Transportation planners had previously gathered feedback from groups such as pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists, but they had never conducted a similar focus group specifically for agricultural producers.

The meeting brought together producers from across the Grand Valley who discussed issues ranging from moving farm equipment on public roads to transportation challenges shared across agricultural sectors.

“It was one of the ‘aha’ moments of this experience for me,” VanWinkle said.

Within weeks of the meeting, Mesa County installed a tractor warning sign on 17 Road after producers raised concerns about motorists encountering slow-moving farm equipment.

“It’s a small thing, but it’s a sign,” she said.

VanWinkle said those types of conversations have helped ensure agriculture is considered earlier in regional planning rather than after decisions have already been made.

She believes AgriWest helped change how the broader community views agriculture.

She recalled that after a recent wildfire, community members weren’t only asking whether families were safe, but also how the fire would affect livestock and agricultural operations.

She also said a local television reporter recently told her agricultural impacts have become a routine part of newsroom discussions whenever major stories develop.

“I think because of AgriWest those things have happened the last two-and-a-half years,” she said. “A lot of what we’ve accomplished with this are a lot of little things that independently don’t really amount to a hill of beans, but collectively it has changed some culture, and that, I think, is success.”

Council meeting scheduled

The third annual AgriWest Council meeting is scheduled for July 29, 6 p.m., at the Community Building at the Mesa County Fairgrounds, 2785 U.S. Highway 50.

The free event is open to agricultural producers, agribusinesses, agriculture-related organizations and interested community members. Dinner will be provided, and organizers ask attendees to RSVP in advance.

The program will feature: VanWinkle’s presentation, Results Count: Changing the Culture around Western Colorado Agriculture; an update from Robert Sakata of the Colorado Department of Agriculture; a panel discussion featuring first-generation producers sharing their experiences about entering agriculture; and a presentation from Business Incubator Center CEO Dalida Sassoon Bollig, outlining what’s next for AgriWest.

VanWinkle said the meeting will provide an opportunity to reflect on what the initiative has accomplished while introducing the next phase of the program.

“This is an opportunity to really matter,” she said. “I think we’ve laid the groundwork.”