There’s a pot of money out there — millions of dollars — for Boulder County food growers and retailers who serve low-income and low-access markets to build out their operations.
The Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Community Food Access Program offers $10 million annually in tax credits for growers and sellers who serve communities with limited access to fresh, healthy food. The credit covers 75% of the cost of new equipment like refrigeration units, trucks, irrigation systems, meat slicers and more.
Local organizations like the Boulder and Broomfield Food Security Network (BBFSN) are working to spread the word and help eligible businesses apply. Erika Wey, technical assistance provider with BBFSN, said she’s helped a handful of local operators submit applications for equipment — mostly refrigeration-related so far — but there’s still plenty of money left on the table, for more refrigeration, meat slicers, irrigation systems and other farm or processing equipment.
“The mission of that $10 million is to get fresh, hopefully local, better food in low-income neighborhoods,” she said.
Much of incorporated Boulder and Longmont qualifies as low-access under the program’s map, which defines eligible areas in purple. These designations are based on factors like household income relative to the area median and distance to the nearest grocery store. But growers and retailers don’t have to be located in those areas to qualify — they simply have to serve customers there. In addition, any seller that accepts SNAP benefits (food stamps) is automatically eligible.
“If a farmer or farm stand takes SNAP, that qualifies,” Wey said. “They would just have to tell the story of their sales through SNAP.”
The program is an evolution of a 2022 state grant initiative aimed at small food businesses. In 2024, it shifted to a tax credit system, with $10 million allocated each year through 2030. Because the rollout didn’t begin until late last year — and unclaimed funds roll over — a good deal of the 2024 allocation remains available on top of 2025’s.
“It’s still pretty new,” Wey said. “Applications hit $500,000 last year. It was like nothing.”
To make up for the slow start, the state is allowing businesses to apply retroactively for 2024 expenses as well as 2025. And there’s no minimum or maximum — applicants can get 75% back whether they spent $500 or $500,000.
At Switch Gears Farm in Longmont, co-founder Vanita Patel said the program helped them purchase a tractor and attachments, such as weeding implements and an undercutter to improve carrot harvesting. Their application focused on how the equipment would improve farm efficiency and lower costs of produce for customers.
“The more efficient we could be with our time in the fields — with planting, etc. — the more money we save on cost of operations,” Patel said. “And then that savings goes directly into those communities.”
The program also covers the costs for the technical assistance that Wey provides, so applicants pay nothing to get help with the application.
Wey said she’s helping both sides — those who want to buy local, and those who want to sell. “Some of the retailers we’ve been helping really want to purchase local,” she said. “So we’ve been introducing and connecting farmers to retailers in low-income neighborhoods.”
She added that businesses can get pre-approved before making big purchases, so they can plan ahead. Still, Wey said more interest is coming from retailers than growers — in part because farmers often don’t have the upfront capital. To help close that gap, the state is working to identify lenders willing to offer low- or no-interest loans backed by the anticipated tax credits.
Wey emphasized that now’s the time to apply, while the process is still easy and the money’s available.
“Because there hasn’t been that much money spent, people should get into it now, because it’s probably easier to get the tax credit than it will be once it catches on,” Wey said. “The reviewing process right now is not competitive, and so it’s very much, ‘This qualifies? Great, let’s give them the money.’”
To learn more or get help applying, contact [email protected].
Check eligibility by viewing the map here.
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