CANON CITY — The harvest is looking up for apples and other orchard crops in Fremont County after weather hurt last year’s crop.
At the same time there is other produce suffering from an insect invasion.
“It wasn't hail this year. This year, it was grasshoppers,” said farmer, Britt Colon.
It appears grasshoppers are selective.
At the Colon farm red apples are ripening nicely in nearby orchards.
Most will be picked when school kids come for farm field trip days.
A year ago the lesson was a lesson about nature, hail, and rotting apples falling to the ground.
Orchard crops are faring much better in 2024.
“We actually have a great crop,” said Colon, “Same thing with the apricots and the nectarines and peaches.
Corn fields still standing tall; tomatoes also looking good.
Next to the tomato rows, other crops like cucumber vines never had a chance.
“When i had to make the order to mow this down, you know, it's a lot of work to plant it and irrigate and then to see the grasshoppers just destroy it that quick, it hurts,” said Colon.
All summer grasshoppers have been eating some plants down to the stem.
“I don't want to spray. I've heard though other people that have sprayed, it really doesn't even phase them, because there's such a large population, it's like biblical,” said Colon.
There is still plenty of Colorado grown produce at the Colon’s farm market.
‘[We] bring the best of Colorado to one spot,” said Colon, “we do bring melons from Rocky Ford and peaches and cream corn from Avondale.”
Farmers can buffer losses by collaborating with other farmers not too far down the road.
“Picked either today, yesterday or within, you know, 48 hours.”
Diversifying on the farm, collaborating with other farmers in the area, and the state, helps farmers maximize what happens that is good during a grow year and minimize what is bad.
It means the peak harvest time through late August and September will offer plenty of locally grown produce.
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