Growing up in northeastern Colorado, Landon Gates dreamed of becoming a large animal veterinarian. Yet life has a way of steering people onto unexpected paths, and he would eventually find himself serving agriculture in a way he never imagined—through the world of politics and policy.
Landon’s uncle, a small animal veterinarian, inspired him to spend time working with the veterinarians at a feedlot in Yuma, CO, with the aspirations of becoming a large animal veterinarian.
After high school, Landon enrolled at Northeastern Junior College and joined the livestock judging team. Later, he transferred to Colorado State University (CSU), where his focus remained on veterinary medicine and livestock judging. He realized that while being a veterinarian was a noble profession, there was much more to agriculture than tending to cattle.
“So, I began to look for something else to do,” Landon told WLJ. “I considered graduate school in microbiology and contemplated a few other things, albeit briefly, and then I sort of fell into an internship opportunity with the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association (CCA).”
During the 2002 legislative session, Landon worked closely with the association’s lobbyist, gaining firsthand experience in how policy shapes the lives of farmers and ranchers. He quickly learned that agriculture wasn’t just about tending to crops and livestock; it was also about navigating a complex web of laws and regulations impacting every industry facet.
After his internship at the association, Landon worked on a few ballot initiatives as a legislative aide for a Denver councilwoman and started lobbying for Colorado Farm Bureau. He worked four legislative sessions for the farm bureau, and in January 2010, he and a friend started Capitol Focus LLC, a firm specializing in political consulting and legislative lobbying.
Landon and his firm have built a reputation of skilled lobbyists with a large client base, including CCA, Colorado Corn Growers Association, Colorado Wheat Growers Association, Colorado Wool Growers Association and the Colorado Dairy Farmers, among others. He also became deeply involved in water issues, representing the Republican River Water Conservation District, which ensures Colorado meets its compact obligations with neighboring states Nebraska and Kansas.
Policy issues
In this past legislative session in Colorado, Landon said the firm worked on issues related to the Colorado River Basin and water issues in the state. Additionally, they worked on whether pesticide regulation should remain in state control or governed by municipalities.
“It was the third or fourth attempt by the environmental community to implement a local control regulatory scheme, which the ag industry is united against and in opposition to, along with others that have an interest in pesticide use,” Landon said. “Whether that be the greenhouse and nursery industry, the landscaping industry, the golf course folks, or the structural pest control industry. The environmental community is relentless on that issue, so we expect to see more pesticide legislation in the 2025 legislative session.”
Landon said the firm also dealt with a bill introduced by Rep. Tammy Story (D-25-Jefferson County) that proposed changes to how agricultural producers are compensated for livestock losses due to depredation. The proposed legislation, sparked by the controversy over wolf reintroduction, would have required producers to implement non-lethal measures before receiving compensation for losses from wolf depredation, marking a significant shift in policy compared to how compensation has traditionally been handled.
Landon anticipates that the upcoming legislative session will address the issue of transporting wild horses in cases where they are not being sent to a sanctuary or shelter, as previous sessions have brought up measures.
Current ballot initiatives
Landon is working as a consultant on the “Hands Off My Hat” campaign to defeat the Denver ballot measure prohibiting the manufacture, distribution, display, sale or trade of animal fur products in the city. He also is consulting for the “Stop the Ban” campaign to stop a ballot initiative that would prohibit slaughterhouses within Denver city limits.
“The goal of the proponents is to end animal agriculture, and they’ve stated very clearly that they want livestock producers to transition away from animal agriculture to a plant-based production system and they think it can be done and not disruptive to the industry,” Landon said.
Landon explained that many Denver voters are unaware that a slaughterhouse still operates in their city, Superior Farms, located near the National Western Stock Show grounds. This sheep-processing facility, with deep historical roots in the area, is the last remaining one of many that once existed.
The slaughterhouse ban ballot initiative targets the plant, which provides 160 jobs predominantly filled by minority workers, including Hispanic, Latino, African and Muslim employees. The facility is also significant for its halal processing, which requires specific methods to meet religious dietary laws. Landon cited a study conducted by CSU, which found that should the facility close, the economic impact would be a loss of over $861 million and 2,700 in jobs in the state and industries that support agriculture.
“We all like the thought of eating local and it doesn’t get more local than your lamb being raised on the Western Slope, fed here on the Eastern Slope, and processed and harvested here right in our backyard,” Landon said.
The other Denver measure Landon is working to defeat is the measure by animal rights groups to prohibit certain animal fur products in city limits. He said the broad definition of “fur” in the measure could have far-reaching impacts beyond expensive coats. The measure may prohibit the sale of cowboy hats, many of which are made with beaver or rabbit fur, as well as fly fishing lures that use real fur.
This raises concerns about how the measure could damage Denver’s Western heritage, which is deeply tied to traditions like the National Western Stock Show, a cornerstone of the city’s identity. Additionally, the Native American exemption in the measure is viewed by critics as discriminatory, as it only applies to official members of recognized Tribes, potentially excluding other indigenous groups.
Landon said he remains cautious but optimistic that these measures will be defeated. He encourages producers to become involved in campaigns to defeat these measures and issues such as pesticide regulations, water issues and horse transportation.
“As the population grows and urban centers grow, rural representation decreases over time, and so it means agriculture producers and those that live in rural Colorado have to double our efforts to get our message across,” Landon said.
Landon’s path has been anything but straightforward, but it led him to a place where he could make a real difference. Whether advocating for the agricultural community in the state legislature or working to defeat harmful ballot measures, Landon Gates knows he is exactly where he was meant to be. — Charles Wallace, WLJ contributing editor
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