Elena Miller-Ter Kuile and Cactus Hill Farm featured in state water conservation campaign

WHEN Colorado officials began to brainstorm about individuals and operations it could feature in a water conservation promotional campaign, Elena Miller-Ter Kuile and her family’s Cactus Hill Farm in Conejos County came to mind.

State Ag Commissioner Kate Greenberg had visited Miller-Ter Kuile’s sheep farm during a summer tour of the Valley and made the recommendation that the Colorado Water Conservation Board feature her and her family’s multi-generational farm in its Water22 campaign.

“Water is the lifeblood for all farms in Colorado, and at Cactus Hill Farms we’re doing our part by restoring water back to the river system and protecting our soil health to improve water retention,” Miller-Ter Kuile says in the 30-second spot.

It’s a spot she recorded both in English and Spanish, giving the Colorado Department of Natural Resources and its water conservation board a bilingual voice to get across an important point – to conserve and protect Colorado’s river systems and water as a natural resource.

“They are very conscious of water issues and try to conserve and protect their heritage in whatever way they can,” said Denver-based marketing consultant Steve Sander, who worked on the Water22 campaign and the Cactus Hill spot.

For Elena Miller-Ter Kuile, a Cornell University graduate, it’s another opportunity to spread the message of water conservation and her love for farming in San Luis Valley.