The Mesa County Cattlewomen are calling all artists, ag lovers, doodlers, designers, and creative spirits to help us celebrate Ag Awareness Week with a brand‑new T‑shirt design. Each year, our members proudly wear these shirts at community events, outreach programs, and local gatherings — and this year, your artwork could be the one riding along with us. 
We’re looking for a fresh, ag‑themed design that captures the heart of Western Colorado agriculture. Whether your style leans bold, whimsical, modern, classic ranch, or modern Western, we want to see it! 

Submission Window: 
March 1–March 24 
Send entries to: mesacountycattlewomen@gmail.com 

Prizes: 
Awards will be given for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. 

Sharpen those pencils, fire up your design tools, and spread the word — your creativity could be showcased on shirts worn across Mesa County all year long.

Meat-In Day is an annual FREE BBQ hosted by the Mesa County Cattlemen’s Association at the Mesa County Fairgrounds. Come join us for free hamburgers, visit various ag-related vendor booths, and enjoy live entertainment. All of the meat is donated by local Western Slope producers.

The event celebrates local ranching, meat production, and provides an opportunity for producers to connect with the public. 

Date and Time: March 14th, 11-3pm

Location: Mesa County Fairgrounds

This event is FREE

Join us on March 18th at the Confluence Center of Colorado (2596 Dos Rios Dr, 81501) to hear highlights from 2025, including district updates and accomplishments, and learn what’s ahead for 2026. Share your input during the Local Work Group session, led by Casey Harrison with Natural Resources Conservation Service. The evening will conclude with a presentation from Brian Domonkos, NRCS Colorado Snow Survey Supervisor, on the 2026 snowpack and hydrology forecast. 

Please RSVP using the link below by March 16th. Dinner is provided.

As part of Ag Awareness Week, this special edition of Coffee Club will feature Janie VanWinkle, AgriWest fellow, as the guest speaker. Janie will share an encouraging look at how the AgriWest Initiative is supporting producers, strengthening connections, and making a measurable difference for agriculture across Mesa County. The conversation will highlight current efforts, emerging opportunities, and ways the community can stay engaged in AgriWest’s work. 

Date and Time: March 20th, 9:00-10:00 am

Location: FWorks (325 E Aspen Ave, Fruita CO)

This event is FREE

Visit Colterris Collections on Saturday, March 21st from 6:00-9:00pm for a wild game focused menu inspired by the landscapes and seasons of Western Colorado, paired with Colterris wines. Chef Matt Tezak, a Colorado Native, incorporates his background in hunting, fishing, and outdoor stewardship into his culinary approach, creating unique seasonal dishes that reflect his love of the local landscape.

$165/person ($155 for Colterris club members)

6:00-6:45 – Welcome gathering in the Colterris Collections for a sneak peak

6:45-9:00 – Dinner in the Tastevin room

Location: Colterris Collections (3708 G Road, Palisade CO 81526)

The Cow Chronicles is a hands-on educational program connecting local classrooms with real livestock producers during Ag Awareness Week. Each participating classroom is paired with a local ranch cow and receives one daily email featuring their adopted cow, fun facts, photos, and simple reflection activities. Designed to build agricultural literacy and strengthen producer-community connections, the program offers a story-driven way for students to learn where their food comes from. 

Producer Sign-up: February 12-25

Teacher Sign-up: February 26-March 6

Adoption Week: March 23-27

Hosted by CSU Extension. To sign up, contact jenny.beiermann@colostate.edu

Stop by the Colorado Mesa University Plaza (behind the University Center) on March 23rd from 6:30-8:30 pm to celebrate Ag Awareness Week with line dancing, roping, cornhole, mechanical bull rides, a chance to meet Rowdy the Bull, and more! Learn more about Agriculture programs offered at CMU and Asteria Theatre’s showing of the documentary “A World Without Cows.”

This event is free and open to the public.

Drought is reshaping the west —from wildfire behavior and wildlife movement to livestock grazing, recreation impacts, and the health of streams and riparian areas. Join us March 24th, 2026 in Grand Junction to hear from researchers and land managers exploring how drought affects working landscapes—and what practical strategies can help build resilience. 

Experts from universities, agencies, conservation organizations, and ranchers will share insights on wildfire risk, livestock and wildlife responses to drought, protection of springs and streams, and real‑world examples of drought mitigation in multiple‑use landscapes. 

Workshop: Tuesday March 24, 9:00pm-4:00pm at CSU’s Western Colorado Research Campus, 3170 B 1/2 Road, Grand Junction CO 81503

Optional meet-and-greet: March 23, 5:00pm – 7:00pm at Gemini Beer Works, 310 N 7th Street, Grand Junction CO 81501

Presented by The Nature Conservancy’s Canyonlands Research Center, CSU Extension, & the Colorado Section of the Society for Range Management 

A fundraising and sponsorship opportunity supporting AgriWest programming, recognizing participating organizations on the official “Lavender to Livestock” Ag Awareness Week T-shirt and representing Western Slope agriculture. Proceeds will support the CMU Tech Ag Scholarship fund.

Shirts are $25 each and available while supplies last at the “World Without Cows” film screening (CMU’s Asteria Theatre, March 24th 5:30pm)

As part of Ag Awareness Week and the Business Incubator Center’s AgriWest Initiative, this special event features a pre-release screening of A World Without Cows, a documentary by journalists Michelle Michael and Brandon Whitworth. The film examines the global role of cattle, exploring their impacts on food security, soil health, sustainability, and local economies. This screening offers a timely opportunity for the community to engage with the complexities of livestock production and its place in modern food systems.

The evening will include a hosted reception followed by a short presentation from Emily Andreini-Stackhouse, PhD, Livestock and Sustainability Specialist with Alltech, who will provide context on livestock and sustainability prior to the film.

Date: Tuesday, March 24, 2026 
Reception / Doors Open: 5:30 PM 
Presentation Begins: 6:30 PM 
Film Screening: Approximately 60 minutes 
Location: CMU Asteria Theatre, 864 Bunting Ave, Grand Junction, CO 81501 
Cost: Free (ticket required) 
Details: Light appetizers and beverages served during the reception 
Speaker: Emily Andreini-Stackhouse, PhD, Livestock & Sustainability Specialist, Alltech