Extension Programs
Garfield County Extension offers programs in a variety of areas such as 4-H youth development, agriculture, horticulture, and food safety. Please check out some of our areas of programming.
- 4-H Youth Development
- Agriculture and Natural Resources
- Family and Consumer Science
- Gardening and Horticulture
About Garfield County
Overview
Garfield County is located in western Colorado and consists of Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, New Castle, Silt, Rifle, Battlement Mesa and Parachute. Garfield County has been experiencing steady population and economic growth. The 2020 population estimate is 61,084 and the median household income is $72,898 with $68,811 being the state average. The oil and gas industry has been prominent in Garfield County. Other major economic contributors are tourism and agriculture.
Extension
Your Garfield County Extension Office Provides unbiased, science-based information, classes, outreach, education, and volunteer opportunities for adult and youth.
Garfield County Extension currently has 4-H programs in DeBeque, Parachute, Battlement Mesa, Rifle, Silt, New Castle, Glenwood Springs, and Carbondale.
Agriculture
The agriculture industry has seen an increased interest in small acreage and local food production. The agriculture industry has increased from 449 farms in 2002 to 661 in 2017. Farmlands cover 475,166 acres across Garfield County. The average farm size is 719 acres, with 25% of products sold being crops and 75% being livestock (cattle and sheep primarily).
Beef, lamb, wool, pork, hay, oats, sod, bio-fuels, and more shape our community and economy. From the largest of our historical properties to the smallest community garden plot, Garfield County is an agricultural region.
Demographics
The communities in Garfield County have diverse economies, shopping opportunities and housing choices. The population is approximately 30% Hispanic. Garfield County is primarily rural, with 60% public land. Outdoor recreation opportunities abound, and include hunting, fishing, hiking, climbing, rafting, biking, skiing, and other activities typically associated with Colorado.
Garfield County CSU Extension Advisory Committee:
The Advisory Committee shall consist of up to (9) nine members with the exact number being subject to the Board’s discretion to be exercised by the appointment of members to the Advisory Committee. All members shall be residents of Garfield County and shall represent as many geographical regions of Garfield County as possible. The membership of the Advisory Committee shall be appointed by the Board. The Board may also appoint a County Commissioner or the County Manager to serve on the Advisory Committee as an ex-officio, non-voting member. In selecting members for the Advisory Committee, the Board shall give such consideration as it deems appropriate to the level of knowledge of the candidate concerning 4-H and youth, family and consumer sciences, or agriculture.
The purpose of the Garfield County Extension Advisory Committee is to advise Garfield County CSU Extension in identifying and prioritizing community needs where Extension can and should be involved, evaluate the effectiveness of Extension programs, and make recommendations to improve the effectiveness of Extension programs to Garfield County citizens. Although the primary responsibility of the advisory committee is to advise on program needs, the committee may function as advocates for Extension and assist in budget support and liaison with appropriate decision makers such as county commissioners, city council, and legislators.
The Garfield County Extension Advisory Committee serves at the pleasure of the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) and is advisory to them and CSU Extension. Every member of the Garfield County Extension Advisory Committee is a volunteer. The commitment is for a 3-year term. The Garfield County Extension Advisory committee meets quarterly.
Current Members: Michael Clancy, Klayton Costanzo, Tyler Davis, Kris Freeman, Craig Hansen, Andrea Traul, Emily Schwaller, and Graham Frontella.
Apply to be on the Extension Advisory Committee by completing the Garfield County CSU Extension Advisory Committee Application. Send the completed application to CSU Extension at PO Box 1112, Rifle, CO 81650 or email to carla.farrand@colostate.edu.
Meet your Garfield County CSU Extension Staff:
Carla Farrand
Carla is the County Director, 4-H Youth Development and Family and Consumer Science Specialist.
Carla was an 8 year 4-H member in Oklahoma. Carla took a break from CSU Extension to raise a family and serve as the Organizational Leader for her daughter’s 4-H Club. Carla returned to CSU Extension in the fall of 2014 as a 4-H Agent.
Food safety is a passion of Carla’s. She provides many different classes for CSU Extension –Garfield County. The classes include: food preservation, Master Food Safety Advisor certification, Cottage Foods certification, and Food Safety Works certification. Carla also extends the food safety and cooking classes to the school districts for after school programming. Carla has been an instructor and volunteer Master Food Safety Advisor since 1995.
Work Email: carla.farrand@colostate.edu
Annie MacGregor
Annie is the Community and Finance Extension Assistant for Garfield County.
Annie MacGregor is passionate about serving her community through both outreach and finance. At Colorado State University’s Garfield County Extension, she not only assists with budgets, accounts, and grants, but also enjoys helping families and youth build confidence through educational programs.
Annie works side by side with 4-H leaders, and community groups to bring resources and support where they’re needed most. She values connection, collaboration, and creating opportunities that strengthen the Garfield county communities she calls home.
Work email: Annie.MacGregor@colostate.edu
Dani Wesoloski
Dani is the 4-H Youth Development, School Enrichment, STEM, After School Programming, Americorps, and Natural Resources Agent for Garfield County.
Dani grew up in Parker, Colorado where her love of the outdoors and learning motivated her to pursue a career in agriculture. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education and Agricultural Business from Colorado State University. She then went on to pursue a Master of Science degree in Agriculture from Colorado State University.
For the past seven years, she has been working in agricultural education, focusing on active learning in the classroom and developing experiential learning opportunities for students. For the past three years, her work has been centered on the Front Range and she is very excited to be reaching out to the Western regions of Colorado.
Work email: dani.wesolowski@colostate.edu
Mariah Foley
Mariah is the Agriculture Specialist for Garfield County.
Mariah works with farmers and ranchers to apply research and resources to the nuanced realities of their agriculture productions. Prior to Extension, Mariah spent the first 12 years of her career working in the field: raising vegetables and livestock across diverse scales and production methods, gaining a broad understanding and a deep respect for the complex work of growing food.
Fundamentally, Mariah is driven by curiosity and building meaningful connections–between people, landscapes, and information. She earned her BA in Geography with coursework studying agriculture as the point of interconnection between ecological and social systems, then contextualized her degree on farms in Colorado and Pennsylvania. Mariah has lived in Garfield County since 2019.
Work email: mariah.foley@colostate.edu