Heat helps cantaloupe crop recover

Harvest time has begun at Hirakata Farms in Rocky Ford, and that means packing up and shipping out the world famous cantaloupes.

“You’ll find just a few, and then within a week, there’s a lot ready,” said Michael Hirakata from Hirakata Farms.

Hirakata had to replant twice this year, because cold weather and hail destroyed the crop early in the season.

“We’ve replanted one field where it froze. We went through, and we lost probably 30 percent of our stand,” Hirakata said.

But with the hot weather lately, all that has turned around and brought good news for, not only the farmers, but the entire city.

“This is just a boost for us, all they money we need and what money comes in helps this community out,” said Darren Garcia, the president of the Rocky Ford Chamber of Commerce.

Garcia said the city comes alive with the cantaloupe harvest.

“People are coming down to the valley, and as they come to the valley, they bring tourism, they stop and eat at our local shops,” Garcia said.

The hard work on the farm isn’t just seen locally but also across the country.

“My brother lives in Chicago, and he’s already asked for a box to be shipped out to him, so they all know,” said Susan Bumstead, a board member for the chamber.

Hirakata said he sells more than a million cantaloupe every year. That number isn’t counting the cantaloupes sold at roadside stands.