Coloradans — you should be proud of all the local food grown and the impact the agricultural industry has on the state. Not only is it better for you; it’s better for the economy.

Representatives of a Colorado Department of Agriculture program called Colorado Proud, stopped in Grand Junction last week to impart that message. The stopover was part of a three-week tour around the state to raise awareness and support for food grown in the state.

Palisade farmers Megan Clark of C & R Farms and Harry Talbott of Talbott Farms were among the local businesses who attended the Aug. 2 event at Safeway, 2901 F Road. Agriculture consistently ranks among Colorado’s top three leading industries.

“Agriculture is a vital part of Colorado’s future — providing more than 170,000 jobs and contributing more than $40 billion to the states’s economy annually, while also feeding the world with more than $1 billion in exported products,” Colorado Department of Agriculture spokesperson Wendy White said in a news release.

White, who spoke Friday in Grand Junction, said the purpose of the “Choose Colorado” tour was to connect the state’s agricultural regions and “salute the farmers, ranchers, retailers and businesses that significantly help our state thrive.”

Buying local not only positively impacts the local economy; it is also good for the environment, organizers said, by “helping keep farms and ranches profitable, thereby maintaining open space and wildlife habitat, while lowering the carbon footprint and saving energy.”

The Colorado Proud program was founded in 1999 to promote Colorado food and agricultural products. One of its goals is to make it easier for consumers to identify and purchase Colorado products by labeling them with the Colorado Proud logo: yellow sun rays poking out of a purple mountain design with the words “Colorado Proud.”

The program started in 1999 with 65 companies and has since grown to more than 1,900 members statewide that include growers, processors, restaurants, retailers and associations.

For a list of Colorado Proud companies, recipes and other information, visit http://www.facebook.com/COProud.