National STAR program launches to assist producers

The National STAR organization launched on Sept. 19, 2023 to expand state STAR programs. The goal is to develop a network of state level STAR affiliates and partnerships that are integral to providing farmers, ranchers and landowners with guidance and support relevant to their operations and locally identified natural resource concerns. The national expansion was made possible by a recent USDA Climate Smart Commodities grant awarded to the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) to expand STAR in the western region – including creating STAR Affiliates in Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. CSU’s Drs. Megan Machmuller and Jim Ippolito are part of the research team expanding the CO STAR program across the west.