HOTCHKISS, Colo. — Multiple fruit farms on the Western Slope reported total crop loss after a devastating overnight freeze between April 17 and April 18, leaving local farmers' markets and others who source fruit looking for alternative options.
“Earlier in the season, we've been hearing that we could expect fruit up to six weeks in advance because it had been such a warm winter, and unfortunately, we experienced a really cold, long frost and have had some significant impacts for fruit growers in Delta and Mesa County,” said Mackenzie Sehlke, the Executive Director of Boulder County Farmers Markets.
One of those farms on the Western Slope was Topp Fruits in Hotchkiss.
Member Owner Harrison Topp said the freezing temperatures were not unusual for April, but because of really warm temperatures in the weeks prior, the fruit was at a later stage of development and did not survive.
“We took probably about 3.000 (fruitlet) samples. We checked every zone we had. We checked every variety and every block,” Topp said. “We cut each one of those little fruitlets open to see what we could find, and there just wasn't anything out there.”
Farmers worked through the night to protect their crops using propane heaters, burn barrels, and wind machines, and even applied a calcium-and-amino-acid mixture to strengthen the fruit. But Topp says it wasn’t enough, and everything: peaches, apples, cherries, pears, plums, and nectarines were lost.
Topp says they have already started replanting some trees and that crop insurance will cover most of their losses, but the ripple effects will be felt across the supply chain.
“The one that we're most worried about is what it means for our workers. We don't have work for the summer. Crop insurance is not enough for us to continue paying salaries throughout the course of the year, so our goal is to bonus them out as best we can and hope that they'll be back next year,” Topp said.
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He’s confident they will bounce back in 2027 and is partnering with another farm in Palisade, Colorado, to continue selling fruit at farmers' markets.
“I think there's no question that there's going to be a fruit shortage in the state this year,” Topps said.
Boulder County Farmers Markets are also turning to Palisade to meet the gap.
“There are folks who are in Palisade, who escape the freeze, who are wonderful crop stewards and growers, and who don't get to typically come to our farmers markets because we have a pretty set roster of regulars, so our farmers market customers can expect to see the fruit that's available this year,” Sehlke said.
One silver lining with this freeze is that it may be easier for those farmers who lost their fruit to maintain their trees through the drought.
Both agree this is the year to support farmers' markets, farm stands, and community-supported agriculture.
“If ever you're wondering, does it matter if I spend any of my time or money at these places? It does, and this year, it matters more than ever,” Sehlke said.
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