Colorado § 35-1.2-102 - Definitions.

§ 35-1.2-102. Definitions.

As used in this article 1.2, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) "Agricultural processing" means the transforming, packaging, sorting, storage, or grading of Colorado livestock, livestock products, agricultural commodities, plants, or plant products.

(2) "Agriculture" has the same meaning as set forth in section 35-1-102 (1).

(3) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of agriculture.

(4) "Department" means the department of agriculture created in section 35-1-103.

(5) "Eligible business" means a business that:

(a) Earns or will earn a majority of its revenue from agricultural processing or from developing or manufacturing technology designed to benefit Colorado farmers and ranchers; and

(b) In the judgment of the department:

(I) Has managers and employees who possess sufficient education, training, and experience to operate the business; and

(II) Provides an economic benefit to Colorado farmers or ranchers.

(5.5) "Eligible entity" means an entity that:

(a) Is certified by the division of conservation pursuant to section 12-15-104; or

(b) (I) (A) Is a district that has authority to conduct water activities, as those terms are defined in section 37-45.1-102; or

(B) Is an irrigation district created pursuant to article 41, 45, 46, 47, 48, or 50 of title 37 or a ditch and reservoir company created pursuant to article 42 of title 7; and

(II) Has a letter of support, in a form approved by the commissioner, from an entity that is certified pursuant to section 12-15-104.

(6) "Eligible farmer or rancher" means an individual who:

(a) Is at least eighteen years of age;

(b) Is a resident of Colorado;

(c) Is or will be an owner or operator in fact of a farm or ranch; and

(d) In the judgment of the department:

(I) Possesses sufficient education, training, and experience to operate the farm or ranch; and

(II) Possesses or has access to sufficient working capital, farm machinery, livestock, or land to operate the farm or ranch.

(7) "Farm-to-market infrastructure grant" means a grant of money from the fund, which money is used for agricultural processing.

(8) (a) "Farm-to-market infrastructure loan" means a loan from the loan program, which loan is used for the purpose of agricultural processing or the development or manufacturing of technology designed to benefit Colorado farmers or ranchers.

(b) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2023.)

(9) "Financial entity" means a bank, nondeposit community development financial institution, business development corporation, or other entity with agricultural lending experience and with which the department contracts to help administer the loan program.

(10) "Fund" means the Colorado agricultural future loan program cash fund created in section 35-1.2-105.

(11) "Livestock" has the same meaning as set forth in section 35-1-102 (6).

(12) "Loan program" means the Colorado agricultural future loan program created in section 35-1.2-103.

Source: L. 2021: Entire article added, (SB 21-248), ch. 374, p. 2471, § 1, effective June 29. L. 2022: (8) amended, (SB 22-212), ch. 421, p. 2984, § 80, effective August 10. L. 2023: (5)(a), (6)(c), and (8) amended, (SB 23-050), ch. 24, p. 86, § 1, effective August 7. L. 2026: (5.5) added, (SB 26-064), ch. 5, p. 15, § 1, effective August 12.

Editor's note: Section 3(2) of chapter 5 (SB 26-064), Session Laws of Colorado 2026, provides that the act changing this section applies to applications submitted on or after August 12, 2026.