Agriculture Industry In The Spotlight At The Capitol

By Tori Mason

DENVER (CBS4) - Nearly 1,000 people spent their Thursday morning at the Capitol celebrating Ag Day. That's just a small percentage of the 5 million Coloradans the state's agriculture industry feeds every day.

Ag Day showcases everything the industry does for Colorado.

Agriculture is a top three contributor to the state's economy, bringing in $40 billion every year. More than 173,000 jobs in Colorado are in agriculture.

Ag Day also recognizes the industry's generosity to people in need. Colorado producers continue to be some of the biggest supporters of the state's food banks. The Ag Council announced their contributions last year totaled nearly $23 million.

Things got off to an interesting start Thursday morning. There was so much cooking going on inside, the fire alarm went off. The whole Capitol had to evacuate, but it wasn't long before guests were picking up their forks.

Local cooks and Top Chef celebrities teamed up with lawmakers and ag reps for a farm-to-fork cook-off competition.

The agriculture industry touches everyone, whether you work in it or not. That's why the Ag Council says it should be celebrated. Not just on Ag Day, but every day.

Tori Mason is an award-winning reporter for CBS4 This Morning. Follow her on Twitter @ToriMasonTV.