Sterling forum to unveil regional study on agriculture, workforce, water challenges

Sterling will become northeastern Colorado’s decision room Thursday morning, when community leaders gather at Northeastern Junior College to turn a year-long regional study into next steps on water, workforce, housing and economic growth. The Northeast Colorado Intersections Report will be released at a 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. forum in the college’s Student Center, with James Pritchett of Colorado State University and NoCo Foundation President Kristin Todd among the featured participants.

The numbers behind the discussion are hard to ignore. Agriculture supports nearly half of the region’s 34,445 jobs in 2024, and natural hazards, driven mainly by drought and severe storms, have caused an estimated $150 million to $200 million in economic losses over the past decade. The report covers Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington and Yuma counties, a six-county area that shares labor pools, weather risks and a deeply agricultural economy.

The project has been shaped since early 2025 through community meetings, focus groups, surveys and one-on-one conversations. The NoCo Foundation says the report reflects the lived experiences and insights of residents and leaders across Northeast Colorado, while the CSU Institute for the Built Environment analyzed hundreds of data points. A June 2025 workshop summary tied to the same work said nearly 100 participants helped define what holds the region together, including an agricultural identity rooted in culture, community and connection to the land.

Logan County’s own demographics help explain why the study is landing with such force in Sterling. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the county’s population at 20,755 in 2024, and 20.6% of residents are age 65 or older. That older age profile mirrors one of the report’s starkest findings: 40% of farmers and ranchers in the region are 65 or older, a statistic that puts succession planning, labor supply and older-adult services squarely on the agenda.

A local leaders panel moderated by Northeastern Junior College President Mike White will follow the report presentation. Scheduled panelists include former Colorado Secretary of Agriculture Don Brown, Rural Community Resource Center Executive Director Margo Ebersole, Colorado Housing and Finance Authority community relationship manager Trisha Herman, Logan County Commissioner Jim Yahn, Dusty Johnson aide Josh Sonnenberg and Town of Akron manager Gillian Laycock.

For Sterling and the rest of Logan County, the meeting is less about a report sitting on a shelf than about whether a regional coalition can align around practical fixes. Water, healthcare access, housing, transportation and downtown investment in Sterling are all likely to shape the next round of public planning, especially in a county seat that increasingly serves as a hub for the wider Northeast Colorado region.