A panel discussion on "The Future of Ranching in the West" will be held May 29 at 3:30 p.m. in the Boulder Public Library Auditorium, followed by a barbecue and square dance.
The event is co-sponsored by the Center of the American West at the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ at Boulder and the Boulder Public Library Foundation. The panel discussion and square dance are free and open to the public.
The panelists are:
oMel Coleman, president and founder, Coleman Natural Beef
oBetty Shawcroft, former president, Colorado Cattlewomen
oBill Riebsame, professor of geography, CU-Boulder
oMaggie Fox, senior regional representative, Sierra Club
Patricia Limerick, a CU-Boulder professor of history, will moderate the panel.
Mel Coleman is a fourth-generation Colorado rancher and advocate of ranching interests and ranchers' access to public lands. But he also is convinced that ranchers must adapt to the times. Since 1980, Coleman has raised his livestock without antibiotics or growth hormones.
Following the panel discussion, a barbecue will be held at 5 p.m. Dinners are $8 with a soda and proceeds will benefit the Boulder Public Library Foundation and the CU-Boulder Center of the American West. To reserve a meal call (303) 441-3196.
A square dance for all ages will be held at 5:30 p.m. on the lawn at 11th and Canyon.