A Shocking Amount of Colorado Farmland Isn’t Owned by Coloradans

Moving to Colorado: More Than Just Mountains

I’ve lived in the Midwest for the last four years, so when I made the move to Colorado I thought I would be seeing nothing but mountains for miles.

While I was right about the mountains, I was wrong to think that it would be completely different from Iowa.

Get our free mobile app

Colorado Farmland: More Expansive Than You Might Think

READ MORE: The Price of a Luxury Home: How Does Colorado Compare?

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Colorado has 31.8 million acres of farmland, according to reports.

To put that into perspective, that’s nearly HALF of all of the land in Colorado.

Who Owns Colorado's Farmland?

Not all of this land is actually owned by farmers in the state.

Foreign Ownership of Colorado Agricultural Land

In a report from the Denver Gazette and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2.5 million acres of Colorado farmland is owned by foreign entities.

This is the “third-largest amount of foreign-held agricultural land in the country,” according to a report from ABC 7.

What Countries Own Farmland in Colorado?

But what “foreign entities” actually own this farmland?

NATO Members and International Landowners

In a report from 24/7 Wall Street, it's not just Americans who own farmland out here. Foreign countries/entities own approximately 1.4% of land area in the United States.

The majority of foreign-owned land is held by countries that are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), while some of the biggest landowners are nations with which the U.S. has a complicated relationship.

Top Countries Owning Land in Colorado

In Colorado, the main foreign landowners are from:
Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, and even Greece, reports confirm.

Where Foreign Entities Own Land in Colorado

Greek Land in Douglas County

Greek entities own large land parcels in Douglas County, Colorado.

Saudi-Owned Farmland in Garfield County

In addition, Saudi Arabian investors own a decent bit of Colorado farmland in Garfield County.
The type of land these foreign entities have is mainly used for holding livestock and pasture.

Stay Updated on Colorado Land and Agriculture News

Stay up to date with everything going on in Northern Colorado and beyond by downloading the free station app from your app store.
Also, do not forget to follow the station across all social media platforms for the latest news updates.