COLORADO NEEDS

SAFER SEED

A man in a light blue shirt and jeans standing in a field under a clear blue sky, with blurred flowers in the foreground.

Farmers are often stuck with toxic seed treatments by default, and it’s impacting everyone. We deserve better options.

Logo with two leaves, one light green and one dark green, and the text "the seed we need" arranged in a circle around the leaves.
Illustration of corn plants with green leaves and tall stalks against a black background.

Toxic by Default. Unnecessary for Most.

Neonics are applied to many field crop seeds automatically — even though research shows they harm soil, encourage pest resistance, and offer little or no return on investment. It’s time to stop making farmers pay the price for seed treatments they don’t need.

Farmers deserve tools that protect their land, their health, and their bottom line. They’re feeding our communities and stewarding the soil — yet many are being exposed to toxic seed treatments they don’t need. The Seed We Need campaign is about bringing transparency, accountability, and safer choices to Colorado agriculture.

Farmers Deserve Better

Two men stand in a green field discussing as a large tractor is parked nearby under a partly cloudy sky.
A pixelated green illustration of a bird standing on a surface.

THE IMPACTS

  • A man and woman wearing hats standing in a green field, smiling at each other during sunset or sunrise.

    Your Health

    Neonic contamination is turning up in our food, water, and soil — and studies link early-life exposure to serious developmental and neurological harms. We need to keep these dangerous chemicals out of our bodies, before it’s too late.

  • A close-up of a bee box with bees entering and exiting, surrounded by green grass and plants.

    Soil, Water, Wildlife

    Clean water, healthy soil, and helpful insects are key to a productive farm — but neonics undercut them. By harming beneficial insects, neonics weaken long-term resilience and yield potential, especially for pollinator-dependent farmers.

  • Farmers' Bottom Line

    Most neonic seed treatments are applied by default, not based on actual pest pressure. Research shows they rarely improve yields in corn — but they still raise costs and leave farmers footing the bill.
    .

LEARN MORE

IT’S EVERYWHERE

A combine harvester working in a wheat field, kicking up dust as it harvests crops, with houses on the right and rolling hills in the background.

95%

95% of neonics don’t get absorbed by the plant, but instead persist in our soil, water & air.

50%

50% of the U.S. population is regularly exposed to neonics, including children.

100x

Neonicotinoids have been found in Colorado groundwater at 100x levels known to harm aquatic life.

A person wearing a wide-brimmed hat and blue clothing walking through a tall cornfield under a partly cloudy sky.
A computer-generated image of a sunflower with green petals and a dark center.

We Need Safer Choices

We need a system that puts farmers’ wellbeing first — and stops relying on automatic, outdated “solutions” propped up by chemical corporations. The evidence is clear: wasteful neonic use is failing our farms, our families, and our future.

It’s time for a safer, more sustainable way forward.

WE BELIEVE



Farmers Deserve Safer Options

— not one-size-fits-all treatments

Silhouette of a tractor.

Healthy Farms = Healthy Families

— which start with safer systems

A stylized icon of a person with arms outstretched around a heart, surrounded by four connected circles, representing community and care.



Clean Water Is Essential

— for every family & every farm

A dark green water droplet icon with a black background.



Soil Health Needs Protecting

— not depleted by default treatments

A stylized logo of a plant with three leaves growing above a circular, layered landscape design.

Pollinators Matter

— for strong yields & resilient fields

A stylized, dark green bee icon with simplified shapes and no background.

Transparency Is Non-negotiable

— no more hidden costs or agendas

Magnifying glass icon.
Woman with pink short hair, wearing sunglasses and a red shirt, holding a tomato towards the camera.
A woman with brown hair wearing a denim jacket outdoors on a sunny day, with green plants and a partly cloudy sky in the background.
A woman in a blue shirt and straw hat stands in a field with her hand on her chest, gazing into the distance on a clear day.

Farmer Voices

 Across Colorado, farmers are standing up for smarter, safer, more transparent practices. These are their words — rooted in experience, shaped by the land, and pointing to a better way forward.

A man kneeling in a green field with a clear blue sky, looking contemplative.
Smiling man wearing a black cap and vest stands in a green field during sunset.
Man wearing a large straw cowboy hat, a beige vest, and a black shirt standing outdoors on a farm or garden, with trees and a blue sky in the background.

"I rely on healthy pollinators for my livelihood.” – Steve Ela, Ela Family Farms

"I rely on healthy pollinators for my livelihood.” – Steve Ela, Ela Family Farms

“Neonics are the silent killer of bees, with well-documented negative impacts.” – Beth Conrey, Bee Squared Apiaries

“Neonics are the silent killer of bees, with well-documented negative impacts.” – Beth Conrey, Bee Squared Apiaries

"By blending modern methods with nature's biome, we've reduced our fertilizer and pesticide usage- resulting in higher profitability and cleaner, healthier grains at harvest." - Roy Pfaltzgraff, Pfz Farms

"By blending modern methods with nature's biome, we've reduced our fertilizer and pesticide usage- resulting in higher profitability and cleaner, healthier grains at harvest." - Roy Pfaltzgraff, Pfz Farms