Mobile farm stands may soon roll into unincorporated Boulder County

Boulder County officials are moving forward with plans to amend the Land Use Code to allow mobile farm stands in unincorporated areas, a change that could provide vital support to small and medium-sized agricultural producers across the region.

The proposal, formally known as Docket DC-25-0001, was authorized by the Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 4 and focuses on updating Article 4-516 (Accessory Agricultural Sales) of the Land Use Code.

This initiative emerged from the 2023 Farm Stand Pilot Project, which explored pre-approved farm stand designs to ease financial and regulatory burdens on local farmers. However, the pilot project revealed that even with building code pre-approvals, traditional farm stand structures remained too expensive for many producers.

Mobile stands emerged as a practical alternative that addresses both cost and flexibility concerns.

According to the most recent USDA Agricultural Census, most of Boulder County's farms operate at a small-to-medium scale, making an affordable marketing infrastructure essential to their success. Farm stands provide critical direct-to-consumer sales opportunities, helping producers establish local customer relationships.

The mobile farm stand option gained overwhelming support during 2024 producer surveys and roundtable discussions. The Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting staff believes these portable units offer several advantages over fixed structures. Farmers would benefit from significantly reduced permitting costs and processing time, eliminating bureaucratic hurdles that often delay business operations. Since mobile stands are classified as non-permanent structures, they would be exempt from building code requirements, further simplifying the regulatory process for agricultural entrepreneurs.

The Boulder County amendment proposal to the Land Use Code also says that the ability to store and transport products more efficiently represents another key advantage of mobile units. Farmers could protect their produce from weather elements while gaining the flexibility to move inventory between different locations as needed. This mobility also translates to increased flexibility in reaching different community areas, allowing producers to test various locations and follow customer demand throughout the growing season.

County officials say the proposed amendment aligns with Boulder County's broader agricultural support initiatives and sustainability goals by enhancing market access for local food producers.

County officials are moving quickly to implement the changes before the peak growing season this summer. The Planning Commission will review the proposal on Wednesday, March 19, at 1:30 p.m. If approved, the amendments will advance to the Board of County Commissioners in April, potentially allowing farmers to deploy mobile stands as early as late spring 2025.

The public can attend the Planning Commission meeting in person or view it online through the Boulder County website.