Collaboration with Colorado Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association
Promoting locally grown produce and sharing farm stories
Plentiful Pumpkins!
Looking for fresh, local Autumn accessories? The Arkansas Valley of Southern Colorado is ripe with a plethora of pumpkins! Find all kinds of sizes, colors, shapes and varieties at any of these farm stands:
Milberger Farms
Hanagan Farms
Can't make it to a farm stand? Look for their stickers on pumpkins at Kroger's, Albertson's, Safeway, Walmart, Whole Foods and Sprouts!
Bonus: Farms are still roasting Pueblo chiles! Get a bushel before it freezes in the field!
Alright, pop quiz! You should all get this one!
What is Rocky Ford famous for?!
Before I give you the answer, let’s highlight a few of the other amazing produce that comes out of this southern Colorado region!
At Knapp's Farm Market they have just about every size, shape, and color of tomatoes When I visited them there weren’t any tomatoes quite yet but let me tell you—the smell!! Music to my nostrils! (That’s a saying right?) Knapp’s farm stand is at the junction of highway 50 and 71, it’s a big white shed and you can’t miss it because they have a huge field just to the east with big signs of all the fresh produce available.
The Knapp family also grows peppers from mild to hot, hot, hot!, zucchini, squash, eggplant, asparagus (out of season now ), cucumbers, dill, beets, (including GOLDEN beets-pictured), and drum roll please … the answer to todays question… MELONS!!! Several varieties of watermelons, cantaloupe and honeydew!
As you can see, they’re not quiiiite ready just yet but according to expert farmer, Alisha Knapp, melons should be ready mid-July so any day now!
If you got todays pop quiz question, let me know below by telling me if you’ve ever visited Knapp’s or if you still need to add that to your summer to-do list!
Extra Credit: what are the boxes in the 5th picture?
Proudly grown in the USA
Aren’t we lucky to live in a state with purple mountains majesty and waves of amber grain on the plains? And all across Colorado high quality, delicious, nutritious fruits and vegetables are grown with care all thanks to dedicated farmers!
Did you enjoy some Centennial State produce over this holiday weekend?
Who’s ready for farm stand season?! The Arkansas Valley Region has a plethora of the BEST farm stands! Some are open year-round and others will be open any day now! Each Monday we’ll feature farms from this area. Remember, buy local!!
Happy Berry Farm —nestled in the hills of Penrose, this farm is “young” and just getting established with a variety of berries. They have big plans for their orchard, bees, bushes, and business!
Milberger Farms at Peppe's —Where Pueblo Chiles are king! This farm stand is open all year long! Stop by for breakfast or lunch and whatever is currently in season. They grow produce from A to Z, Asparagus to Zucchini!
DiSanti Farm —Look for their label in a grocery store near you! You’ll find DiSanti green onions and chiles in just about every major grocery chain across the state. They also grow flowers and offer a variety of produce at their fruit stand. Now open daily!
Mauro Farm —Sweet treats and farm sweets! Open throughout the year you can pick up fresh vegetables and a wide selection of bakery items!
Knapp's Farm Market —if you drive into Rocky Ford, you can’t miss it! Their fields along the highway have big signs and lead your right to an array of fruits and vegetables! The aroma of tomatoes and melons is so enticing! Their fame stand will open in July!
Hirakata Farms —Mmm mmm MELONS!!! Find the famous Rocky Ford melons here! They work with other area farmers to grow the best cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelons. Hirakata’s are the central facility to processing (cleaning and shipping) melons to a store near you!
Hanagan Farms —Just about any kind of vegetable you can think of, the Hanagan family is probably growing it! Which makes their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) offerings so robust! Sign up to get a large basket of produce every week! Their farm stand will be opening soon for the season.
Proctor Produce -- Grows all the favorites! If it’s a melon—they’re farming it! They also grow pumpkins and hay! When you shop for a watermelon this summer look for a Rocky Ford sticker!
Which one are you most excited to learn more about this season?
In 1986 as a sophomore in high school, Shane Milberger started with one tractor and 5 acres. He now grows around 25 different varieties of produce, has several fields in Pueblo county, operates a farm stand/restaurant/bakery and has his peppers in grocery stores all across Colorado!
Pictured are peppers, onions, zucchini, dill, and broccoli. Look for the Milberger crown in the frozen food section for delicious Pueblo chiles all year long.
p.s. The BEST salad bar (arguably anywhere) is at Milberger’s. Trust me, you have to stop there and try it out for yourself.
As harvest season wraps up and the farm stands slow down for winter, remember these important things:
Support Local, when you spend a dollar buying from a small business it has a greater impact
Farming isn’t just a business, it’s a lifestyle
Buy in-season produce, it’s more likely to be a product of USA
Thank a farmer or rancher today. They’re helping feed your family. Don’t know one? Drop a note of gratitude below and we’ll make sure it gets to some hardworking agriculturalists.
Thanks for following us this summer and learning about Colorado Produce!
Let's talk about H2O! Water is an important asset when producing food. In the Arkansas Valley, growing fruits and vegetables wouldn't be possible without irrigation water.
The Arkansas Valley Region, which spans from Pueblo to Rocky Ford, is named after the Arkansas River. Irrigation water, which is critical to growing crops, is diverted from the Arkansas River, just west of Pueblo. One of the main pieces of infrastructure for farmers to access water is the Bessemer Ditch. The “Big Ditch” was dug in 1874, originally for railroad purposes. Today it spans 40 miles and provides H2O for approximately 20,000 acres of farmland from St. Charles Mesa to Avondale and surrounding areas.
There are several irrigation methods to quench the thirst of plants; gated pipe, flood, siphon tubes, and pivots. In the Arkansas Valley Region, most choose to use siphon tubes. Metal tubes about 4-6 feet long with an opening of 1-3 inches pull water from a ditch and into a row of crops. Irrigators cover one end of the tube with the palm of their hand, creating a vacuum, then dip the other end of the tube in a ditch. They then lift and release the tube to get water to flow. Have you ever held your finger over a straw in a drink and been able to defy gravity and hold water out of your glass? The same force that allows you to do that is how the siphon tubes work. A set of siphon tubes are "filled" with water for up to 24 hours and then moved down the field so the next rows can be watered.
What water questions do you have?
Hello! I’m McCall and I’m this year’s CFVGA social media reporter for the Arkansas Valley Region.
My husband and I live just outside of Pueblo in Vineland. We grow mainly chile peppers, beans, and corn.
My degree is in Ag Communications and my day job is working in the marketing department for Berkey Filters. I also serve as the District 5 rep for Colorado Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee.
I’m excited to learn more and share about the great produce in the great state of Colorado!
What questions do you have for me, or what do YOU want to learn about fruit and vegetables this summer