REDI Reports

“Harvest Health Initiative”: Closing Colorado’s Farmworker Healthcare Gap

  • Colorado’s 2021 Agricultural Labor Rights and Responsibilities Act (ALRRA) guarantees farmworkers access to healthcare providers but does not specify funding.
  • In Colorado, 63% of primary care shortage areas are rural (HRSA, 2025) and spending on emergency room visits translates into an estimated $800 million a year in avoidable costs (CIVHC, 2015).
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Risks and Opportunities for Western Agricultural Producers in Direct to Consumer Beef Markets

  • Direct marketing by Colorado beef producers is a growing opportunity that leverages interest in local foods and demand for more food market options
  • There are several strategies producers can adopt to direct market beef, all with different market strategies and new risks to consider
  • Communities will likely benefit from more direct marketed beef if it allows more of the food dollar to stay with farms (and processors) in their region but policy leaders should consider how to help mitigate risks producer face in these markets
Introduction and Background Since 2020, an increasing number of producers are realizing how reliant the cattle processing sector is on the 4 largest cattle processors which has led to an increase of smaller meat processing facilities and direct to consumer beef (Miller 2022).…
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The Economic Impact of the Ute Theater in Rifle, CO

  • The Ute Theater provides economic benefit and social enrichment to Rifle, Colorado and surrounding Garfield County.
  • Using input-output modeling, we estimate the economic impact of the Ute Theater to be:
    • Total Output: $657,070
    • Value Added: $120,750
    • Labor Income: $62,380
  • Visitors from outside Garfield County contribute approximately $41,067 in new economic activity per month through their attendance at the Ute Theater and subsequent spending.
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Irrigators’ Perspectives on Water Management and Adaptation in the San Luis Valley

San Luis Valley Producers:
  • Decisions are driven by both yield/profit and impact on future generations
  • Are more sensitive to policy changes than to drought
  • Prefer to change technologies rather than crops
  • Are divided on whether current groundwater rules have a positive impact
  • Agree that current groundwater rules are legitimate and are being followed
  • Believe that current groundwater rules have a disproportionate impact on certain groups
  • Support a broad variety of policies to manage groundwater
Background: Agriculture is a mainstay of the economy and communities of the San Luis Valley.…
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The State of Homelessness in Colorado

Homelessness in Colorado at a Glance (2023):
  • 14,439 people experiencing homelessness, up from 9,754 in 2013 and 10,940 in 2017
  • 150% increase in chronic homelessness over the past decade (1,780 to 4,457 individuals)
  • Significant racial disparities: Black/African American (3x), Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (14x), and American Indian/Alaska Native (3x) overrepresented compared to general population
  • 31-44% of the total homeless population suffer from severe mental illness or chronic substance abuse, and 11% are victims of domestic violence
Homelessness in Colorado, as well as the entire United States, represents one of the most pressing and complex societal challenges that local and state policymakers face.…
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The Economic Impact of Pathfinder Event Center

  • Pathfinder Event Center provides economic benefits to Fremont County, CO.
  • Using input-output modeling and analysis-by-parts, we estimate the economic impact of Pathfinder in 2023 across four metrics to be:
    • Total Output: $711,591
    • Value Added: $212,025
    • Labor Income: $114,829
    • Jobs: 3.9
  • By output, the impact of Pathfinder was 3.2 times greater than its budget.
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Wage Disparities Among Mexican Indigenous Farmworkers in the U.S. Agricultural Sector

  • There is a wage gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Mexican-born farmworkers with indigenous workers taking home 5.25% less in pay.
  • Lower education levels, fewer years of farmwork experience, higher proportions of undocumented status, and lower English proficiency are among the factors contributing to the wage gap.
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