We certainly applaud any efforts by Colorado’s state leadership to
promote the state’s $40 billion agri-business sector. After all,
agriculture takes place in nearly half of the state’s square mileage —
everywhere that isn’t densely populated or too mountainous.
However, we’d hope that future efforts by the Colorado Department of
Agriculture to highlight Colorado’s agriculture would get a little more
forethought than the recent “Impossible Burger” blunder.
Gov. Jared Polis apparently is a big fan of Burger King’s fake meat
patty, and even that is understandable since his husband is Colorado’s
No. 1 vegan. We can respect that; a man’s dietary choices are his own,
and Mr. Reis is an intelligent, enlightened fellow perfectly capable of
making carefully researched life decisions.
The governor also wants his ag department to promote research and
development of new ways to use Colorado’s crops, and curtail the amount
of greenhouse gas being produced by agriculture; both laudable goals,
indeed.
But, come on, Governor — this is Colorado. There are 12,000 beef
producers in Colorado generating $3 billion in cash receipts and
supporting a vast array of ancillary services from livestock commission
companies to feed and veterinary supply companies and a cohort of 70
state-employed brand inspectors. One of the biggest revenue generators
in Denver is the National Western Stock Show, and when we say “stock” in
Colorado, everybody knows we mean beef.
This may not be Texas, Governor, but it is definitely cattle country.
Those cattle eat a lot of corn, which also is grown in Colorado because
we have the water and the climate for it. They need hundreds of
thousands of acres of grazing land on which to live and have their
calves, land that won’t support any of the main ingredients that go into
the fake burger. Which brings us to this point: There are 21
ingredients in Impossible Burger patties. Twenty-one. That makes it one
of the most highly-processed foods available. And just what is
“methylcellulose,” anyway?
An all-beef hamburger patty, on the other hand, has just one ingredient. You know what it is.
If the governor wants to encourage agricultural research and
development, we’d suggest he drive up to Fort Collins and talk to the
people at Colorado State University. That’s what they do up there,
Governor; they research and they develop ways to get the greatest
agricultural yield out of the natural resources we have available in
Colorado.
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