Commissioner of Ag Don Brown Selected as CLA Top Choice Award Honoree

The Top Choice Award is given by the Colorado Livestock Association (CLA) to those individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to livestock agriculture in Colorado. Past honorees have come from all walks of life, but the common denominator has been that they have all embodied a deep rooted belief in the importance of agriculture to the future of this state, this country and the world. CLA honored Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture Don Brown with the Top Choice Award at the 2017 CLA Annual Meeting.  “Commissioner Brown wears agriculture on his sleeve and is a great spokesperson, who tells the story of agriculture on behalf of farmers and ranchers in Colorado,” said Bill Hammerich, CEO of CLA. “He modestly introduces himself as ‘a farmer and rancher who happens to be the Commissioner of Agriculture’ and CLA is honored to recognize him for his contributions to our state.”

Don Brown was appointed the Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture by Governor John Hickenlooper in January 2015. Brown, a third-generation farmer in Yuma County, has run several successful businesses while spending most of his career managing and growing his family’s extensive farm operations. He has also been active in water conservation, energy development and designing and implementing technological innovations within the industry. The Brown family farm was homesteaded in 1911 and has been designated as a Centennial Farm. Don continues that pioneering spirit today through his study of the Ogallala Aquifer and holds two U.S. patents. Brown graduated with a degree in agriculture from Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, and received a vocational agriculture education degree with honors from Colorado State University. Don and his wife, Peggy, have three children who continue to call Colorado home.