Gov. Jared Polis went to northeastern Colorado Friday, to talk rural economic development, COVID-19 relief, early childhood education and agriculture.

But his day started off with a decidely-unfriendly reception in Sterling, where about 40 protesters waved Trump/Pence signs and “Recall Polis” banners outside the Logan County Courthouse in Sterling. 

Inside, the governor met with small and rural business advocates at the Annex, a coworking facility for small businesses and entrepreneurs. 

Once his visit was concluded, the governor spoke briefly to the protesters, telling them he hoped to find common ground. Whether they actually heard him is debatable, as they were yelling far more than listening.

His next stop — at a dryland farm in Washington County — was far more peaceable. Polis visited one-on-one with the owner, Haley Harms, who alternates between farming 1,500 acres on her family’s fourth-generation farm to another passion: archaeology.

Harms runs a nonprofit that hopes to add archaeology to the tools that farmers can use to keep the farm running. She pointed out that her farm is just two miles from Summit Springs, site of a 1869 battle between the U.S. Army and the legendary Cheyenne Dog Soldiers. Harms’ land also includes a lake that she believes was formed by a meteor.

Then it was off to Yuma, for a visit with the Rural Communities Resources Center, which provides food and rent assistance, in part due to a COVID-19 Relief Fund grant. 

Polis also visited the Early Childhood Council for Yuma, Washington and Kit Carson counties, which also provides food, health and safety supplies for early learning and child care providers in the area. 

He was accompanied Friday by Rick Garcia, executive director of the Department of Local Affairs; Angie Paccione, executive director of the Department of Higher Education and Betsy Markey with the Office of Economic Development.

His next stops are in Morgan County, at the community college and at One Morgan County, which also has received a COVID-19 Relief grant. 

This story will be updated.