Despite the recent low temperatures, Colorado peach growers are celebrating a solid crop this year. Bruce Talbott from Talbott Farms in Palisade said they’re not worried about hard freezes for the rest of the season: “Right now, we feel like we’re in pretty good shape and that this crop is pretty secure,” said the farm manager. “Our latest historic frost is the 12th. That would be tonight. What we got here now doesn’t look that threatening, so I think we’re in good shape.”
Talbott Farms has wind machines ready to be powered up if temperatures drop too far Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. That helps keep the cold air moving. The farm runs frost protection when temperatures get to 32 degrees.
A late spring freeze in April 2020 was what cost farmers’ their peach crop last year. Some farmers lost up to 90% of their crop when temperatures dropped to 19 degrees – Talbott Farms lost 85% of its peach crop.
However, Talbott Farms has secured about 80% of its peach crop this year. Talbott explained the other 20% was damaged during an October storm. He called it a one in 500-year storm when the area set a record of 15 degrees.
Source: 9news.com