Colorado rancher and conservation advocate Evanne Caviness has been hired as the conservation division director at the Colorado Department of Agriculture. Caviness has been in agricultural production her whole life.

“Evanne is a rancher, policy and conservation leader, with a deep commitment to agriculture and supporting the future of agriculture in Colorado,” said Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture Kate Greenberg. “Her experience as a producer as well as her work shaping state and national farm and conservation policy with the National Young Farmers Coalition and Rocky Mountain Farmers Union will be tremendous assets for the state. Evanne’s proven leadership skills and relationships in the ag and conservation communities will serve her in this role as she supports CDA’s  talented team of conservation professionals.”

As division director, Caviness will oversee the strategic vision of a division with a wide variety of programs, from the Palisade Insectary, which researches and breeds beneficial insects to manage invasive weed species, to the Colorado Soil Health program, which works with farmers, ranchers and conservation districts across the state.

“I'm honored to lead the incredible team at the Conservation Services Division. My goal is for the critical programming of the Conservation Division to be approachable and attainable for all farmers and ranchers in our great state,” said Caviness. “Colorado is lucky to be home to some of the nation's finest agricultural producers: we steward the land with tenacity, versatility, and grit, and I intend to bring these same values to leadership with the Division.”

The conservation division also houses the Agricultural Drought and Climate Resilience Office, which includes the Soil Health Program as well as energy efficiency and other technical assistance programs that help Colorado ag business owners increase their use of renewable energy. Other programs include Noxious Weeds, Chemigation, Weed Free forage and the Colorado State Conservation Board.

In addition to working directly with agricultural producers, the conservation division programs also often work closely with other government agencies and partners, including Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Colorado Association of Conservation Districts, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Colorado State University Extension, and many other organizations and Colorado state agencies.

Caviness lives in Bayfield with her husband and family, where she runs Caviness Farms, a regenerative grass-fed beef business. Before joining CDA, Caviness served in various leadership roles in agriculture, conservation, and state and federal policy. Most recently, she was the associate field director for the National Young Farmers Coalition.

Caviness comes from Latina and Indigenous heritage and she is fluent in English, Spanish and American Sign Language. She holds a degree in special education from Northern Arizona University and Pima Community College. Caviness is passionate about conservation and inclusion and equity in agriculture, especially in supporting the needs of beginning farmers and ranchers and those from historically underserved communities. 

Caviness serves on the state and federal policy committees for the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger, the Nourish Colorado Farm Bill Action Committee and the Farmer Equity Office Coalition in Colorado. She is the governor-appointed agricultural representative on the Colorado Council to End Human Trafficking. Caviness is also a 2023 Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Fellow and a previous member of Poudre Valley Community Farms, secretary of Larimer County Farmers Alliance, and is the vice president of Four Corners Farmers Coalition.

Source: Colorado Department of Agriculture