Our Commitment To Agriculture

My involvement with and commitment to agriculture goes back to my childhood, when I spent my summers working on my grandparents' farm in East Texas. There, I learned the meaning of and pride in hard work with their cow-calf operation and various crops. May-Maw and Paw-Paw taught me many valuable life lessons as we prepared what we had harvested in the shade of their sycamore trees.

During undergrad school, I was invited to work as a flanker on Memorial Day cattle brandings on the Box-L Ranch north of Chadron, Nebraska. A valuable lesson I learned there was that the sooner one could 'graduate' from flanker to something more skilled, the better.

I've long been an enthusiastic attendee of the National Western and Fort Worth Stock shows. I've been a regular participant in the Chamber's Boots 'n Business luncheon that every January serves as the kickoff to the NWSS.  In 2008, while serving on the board of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, I was invited to put together a team for the Chamber's Goat Roping event at the NWSS. I'll say to you now, as was said to me then, their Goat Roping event won't ever be mistaken for PBR or PRCA, but it's a fun event that raises money for the Chamber's combine at the Junior Livestock Auction later in Stock Show.  We always buy an animal (usually the Grand or reserve Champion Hog) during the televised portion of the Auction, benefitting the National Western Scholarship Trust.  I'm captain of the Gonzo Compadres Goat Roping Team (which I named in honor of Jerry Jeff Walker).

While riding in the Pedal-the-Plains bicycle event in 2015, I had the opportunity become part of Team FarmPower, and that led to becoming a member of Colorado Farm Bureau. I became a member of the Douglas County Farm Bureau board of directors, and then was invited to serve on the state board of Colorado Farm Bureau (where I still serve today.)  My CFB district includes Douglas, Elbert, El Paso, Arapahoe, Jefferson, Teller and Denver Counties. Included in my duties are occasions to meet with legislators in the Colorado capitol and in Washington, D.C.

In 2023, I was invited to serve on the board of Colorado FFA Foundation. In addition to various director duties, I'm a regular supporter of the Meat n' Greet event, the State FFA Convention, and various county-FFA banquets, officer installations, and hired-hand auctions.

Since 2018, I've been a member of the Western Stock Show Association and the NWSS Silver Spur Club. During the 'sixteen best days of January' every year, I attend various events at Stock Show, including Boots n' Business, Citizen of the West, the Red Meat Club, Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust, the Junior Auction, and, of course, Pro Rodeo.  I'm also active in the capital campaign for the National Western Center.

In 2025, I was invited to become a member of the Denver Agriculture & Livestock Club.

Through Colorado Farm Bureau and Nationwide Financial's "Land As Your Legacy" program, we have potent resources that equip us to confidently serve farming and ranching families and related agri-businesses in the areas of succession, income, and legacy planning.

I'm especially motivated to serve the ag sector in these areas because of what I have personally learned about land-ownership succession challenges when planning wasn't implemented quite as envisioned by the original owners. I'm committed to helping landowner families to be confident in their succession, transition and estate distribution plans.

Thank you for considering our team for serving you, your family, and your business.

  • Don Richards, CFP, CPFA