Year in Review: Agriculture saw challenges and celebrations in 2025
- Media Logic Radio
- Dec 30, 2025
- 3 min read
By Callie Jones | cjones@prairiemountainmedia.com | Sterling Journal-Advocate
PUBLISHED: December 30, 2025 at 8:58 AM MST
This year was a year of challenges and celebrations for Colorado’s agriculture industry.
There’s no question that the top story of 2025 was Nebraska filing a lawsuit against Colorado in the U.S. Supreme Court, in July, accusing Colorado of interfering with its right to build the Perkins Canal and violating the 1923 South Platte Compact by deliberately sending less water than is called for. Colorado filed a brief in response, arguing Nebraska’s claims are immature and don’t meet the court’s high standards for exercising its original jurisdiction in disputes between states.
The Supreme Court is now deciding whether to take the case but has first asked for the federal government to weigh in with its own brief, which Colorado expects to be filed around May 2026. From there it usually takes the court two to three weeks to decide whether they’ll take the case.
In January, before the lawsuit was filed but while Nebraska forged on with its plans to build the Perkins Canal, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser vowed to do all he could to legally protect the State of Colorado and flatly declared that the state is officially opposed to the project. This came after some Sedgwick County landowners had begun receiving notices of condemnation for property Nebraska needs to dig the canal. State officials reiterated Weiser’s promise when they visited Julesburg and Sterling in December.
There was some cause for celebration though, when 21st Century Equipment held a ribbon-cutting and open house in June to mark the opening of its new building. The new facility, at 18793 Highway 6 in Sterling, is the company’s flagship location for bulk fluids and service technician training. Designed to optimize efficiency and customer experience, it houses an expanded showroom, offering an extensive lineup of the latest agricultural equipment and machinery and also has 24 service bays equipped with advanced diagnostic tools and technology to ensure prompt and efficient equipment repairs and maintenance.
There was more reason to celebrate in May, when longtime agriculture advocate Jerry Sonnenberg was appointed to serve as executive director of the Colorado Farm Service Agency, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that supports farmers and ranchers by providing disaster relief, conservation programs, commodity price guarantees, and loan programs. It also implements agricultural policy and manages various programs through a network of state and county offices.
“With this appointment I will be able to utilize my leadership skills and experience to lead the Colorado ag industry and be their liaison to both President Trump and Secretary of Agriculture Rollins,” Sonnenberg said in a letter resigning his position on the Logan County Board of Commissioners. He was replaced by Jim Santomaso.
Also in May, Gov. Jared Polis signed Senate Bill 25-128, which repealed part of the law allowing farm workers access to medical care, legal assistance and other services workers need. The measure rolls back part of the 2021 Farm Workers’ Bill of Rights and brings the law back in line with the state constitution. That law was challenged because, among other things, it would have allowed legal advocates, health care workers, educators, clergy, union organizers, and governmental officials to enter farm properties without the landowner’s consent.
The new law changed only a few sentences of the old law but was hailed as a “great win” for agriculture by its primary sponsor, Sen. Byron Pelton, R-Sterling.
“We got a great win for Agriculture and private property rights today,” Pelton said at the signing of the bill. “We all know how private property is respected in rural Colorado; the Supreme Court agrees with us and now it is reflected in State Statute. It’s a huge win for agriculture and our constitutional rights.”
