Hot, dry weather welcomed by farmers in southern Colorado

Continued hot, dry weather often isn’t good for crops but local farmers say that harvest season is the best time for it.

Farmers say the current weather pattern causes crops to ripen sooner and intensifies their flavors.

“It’s like nature getting the crops ready for harvest before they dry out or die in the first hard freeze,” says Mike Bartolo, a vegetable expert with the Colorado State University Extension Service.

“It’s great but it’s moved our schedules up,” says Eric Hanagan, of Hanagan Farms in Rocky Ford. “Now we’re rushing to get our harvests done before that first freeze in early October. We actually don’t need rain right now. It’s not good for fruit and vegetables on the ground.”

Farmers say many favorite seasonal crops, such as cantaloupes and pumpkins, have already been harvested.

“As long as farmers have enough irrigation water, they can do just fine,” Bartolo says.

Farmers say if the warm, dry weather continues into October, it could adversely affect corn, alfalfa and other crops that aren’t harvested until later in the season.

“You’ll see some brown cornfields but that’s actually normal,” Bartolo says. “The stalks turn brown right before harvest.”

But Bartolo says trees and other native plants will soon need cooler weather to prepare them for the coming winter.

“That first frost is the signal they need to prepare,” he says.