Difference between revisions of "City of Boulder OSMP Bidding Process"

Revision as of 08:43, 8 May 2018

As many of you know, the City of Boulder, along with Boulder County, own the majority of agricultural land in our area and they lease this land out to farmers who manage it.

Over the past several years our farm, Jacob Springs Farm, has submitted bid proposals for a total of 11 properties, all within one mile of our farm (land prices are so high and the city owns so much of the agricultural land that it’s very difficult to expand without leasing land.) Time and time again our well-researched and extensive proposals have been turned down in favor of other, less sustainable and less desirable farms. For years we have attempted to find out what we could do to make our proposals more attractive. City staff have told us that our bids themselves were fine, and then proceeded to give us a variety of reasons why we were not awarded the bid - reasons that ranged from questionable to illegally discriminatory (City staff “gave it to them because they come from an “old farm family” - whereas Andre, an immigrant, came to Boulder as a child - isn't this discrimination based on ancestry?)

For several years we asked to see what the winning bids looked like, so that we could improve our proposals in the future. Even though winning bids are supposed to be public record, for years our requests have been ignored. This year, confused and puzzled at being denied once again we escalated the process until we had some answers.

When we finally received some of the bids that won out, we were shocked and confused. We are publishing the results so that you can see for yourself the kinds of decisions that are being made.

• Andre's Analysis of Bid History
• Andre's Summary of all the bids
• Winning bid for the King Hodgson Properties
• Losing bid for the King Hodgson Properties

Here are some of the lowlights:The city of Boulder owns 15,000 acres of farmland that it rents out to farmers. The public has spoken loud and clear that we want the land to be leased to sustainable, ecologically-driven farms producing great local food! So why isn’t this happening? In the last few years our farm has lost out on bids for ELEVEN different properties - and the winning bids have repeatedly been given to the wrong farmers: farms that spray dangerous pesticides into our waterways, and DON’T meet the criteria set out by the citizens of Boulder.

Join us on Wednesday, May 9th at 5:45 in the Boulder Council Chambers (1777 Broadway) to tell the Open Space Board of Trustees that we need them to do better!

Did you know that your public land is being mishandled? Here’s some recent decisions:

• A competitive Organic and sustainable proposal was passed over, and a large parcel of land was awarded to a conventional farmer who proposed in his bid, to spray a dangerous neurotoxin which is known to be toxic to fish, directly into a ditch? (an off-label use!)
• A conventional farmer with over 2,000 acres turned in a sloppy one-page proposal to grow hay for horses using conventional synthetic fertilizers and pesticide applications, his bid was for $5,500 annual rent. An extensive proposal from a respected local organic farmer bid $10,600 for the same property and lost.
• Several parcels totaling 157 acres were awarded to an inexperienced farmer who doesn’t own a tractor, baler, swather or a rake when the bid criteria clearly stated that “Ability to meet equipment requirements” was a major criterion for the decision. How are these decisions being made?

Speak out against the mismanagement of your public land! We expect and demand a Transparent, Open and Objective bidding process! Protest the fact that your land is being sprayed with pesticides! Demand that your land be used to support regenerative agriculture and local food! Thanks for your support!

For more information see our website: