CALF Benefactors

The seed that germinated CALF was planted long ago by John and Bea Lowell. They spent their entire married life in Douglas County, Colorado helping kids, involved in community activities and promoting the agriculture and the rural lifestyle.

In the 1990s, the once sleepy little town of Castle Rock suddenly began to grow up around their ranch, and other farm and ranchland along Colorado’s Front Range began giving way to development. This prompted John and Bea to start thinking about their ranch’s legacy and the future of the agricultural way of life that meant so much to them. It didn’t take long for John and Bea to make the decision to dedicate 133 acres of their Centennial ranch along Plum Creek, to a trust for the benefit of agricultural education.

Then in 2002, the Lowell’s with the help of a handful of community leaders, established the Colorado Agricultural Leadership Foundation (CALF) as non-profit organization to “support Colorado agricultural education programs and activities that increase the development of life skills, personal values and a greater appreciation for preserving the farming and ranching environments.” The Lowell’s helped create CALF to manage those types of activities at their Ranch.

In 2003, Douglas County gave the Lowells an old wooden barn historically used during the Douglas County Fair to house rabbits and poultry. John arranged for the barn to be transported by truck to the ranch. Now renovated, it is known as the “Ag Barn” and serves as an excellent indoor educational facility for CALF programs. The Ag Barn and other facilities on the Ranch provide the ideal venue for a working agricultural education center.

Sadly, John and Bea passed away within weeks of each other in 2009. Their passing has created a tremendous void in the community that will not be easily filled. John and Bea Lowell are remembered as lifelong champions for agriculture and youth education as a result of their enduring commitment, tireless work and thoughtful words. In each of their endeavors, the Lowell’s worked to create opportunities for youth and adults, and to help cultivate a mindset of cooperation, discipline, responsibility and personal excellence. These were the Lowell’s steadfast, rural values, and are the values CALF is committed to carrying on in its daily work of Connecting People to Agriculture.