Douglas County, Colorado, is located in the "Front Range" of Colorado. Its borders are within thirty minutes of Denver to the north and twenty-five minutes from Colorado Springs to the south. The current population of Douglas County is 100,000 which includes approximately 2,130 Agriculture properties of which 1,500-2,000 are individually owned. Douglas County's Agriculture has evolved from large cattle grazing areas to small lot acreage programs for horse owners, part-time farmers and ranchers, and special land usage for animals such as llamas, goats, and other livestock.

According to "USA Today," Douglas County, Colorado, is the fastest growing county in the nation and has experienced the highest percentage gain in population over the last five years. This influx of growth into Douglas County is bringing a segment who desire to combine the best of two worlds into their new home, that is proximity to urban life and country living. The way many people do this is by living on small acreage or "ranchettes" ranging in size from five to thirty-five acres. Furthermore, many people want to conduct small scale ranching or farming, hoping to receive a tax break through an agricultural status of their property. Many of these individuals have not had any farming or ranching experience.

The objective of the Small Acreage Management Seminars was to provide an educational workshop to inform residents on such topics as pasture management, weed control, forage recommendations, pesticide safety and use, soil erosion, fencing requirements, water manage-ment, livestock reseeding, and developing a business plan. In addition, participants needed to understand that the small farms and ranches are subject to the same climatic and environmental attributes as are the larger operations. Knowledge is the key to successful management.

In 1994, 235 Douglas County residents participated in the First Annual Small Acreage Management Seminar. Evaluations indicated that over 60% of the attendees received information on agriculture that they had not received previously. In 1995, 135 residents attend-ed the Second Annual Small Acreage Management Seminar. Evaluations however, once again indicated that over 60% of participants had learned something new in Agricultural practices, procedures or philosophy.

Several organizations from the public and private sectors including the Farm Service Agency, the Soil Conservation District participated in the Small Acreage Management event.