Peaches aren’t the only crop here. Early growers focused on apples and pears as well, selling them to mining camps and later, when rail transportation arrived, to distant cities. An apple boom fueled by real-estate promoters started in 1895; at its peak, in 1911, this was said to be the richest apple-growing district in the U.S. But after cultivation crashed in the next decade as a result of inexperienced growers, overuse of salty irrigation water, and catastrophic infestations of coddling moth, peaches became the major crop. Then pressure from development, the great freeze of 1963, and competition from California gradually reduced peach plantings as well. But now Americans are becoming more concerned with flavor and are increasingly willing to pay top dollar for tastier fruit. Colorado growers are once again betting on peaches.
Growers run the gamut from Richard Pobirk, who retired from the electronics industry to cultivate almost eight acres of the most luscious peaches you’ve ever tasted, to Charlie Talbott, who ships 5 to 6 million pounds of peaches yearly.
Pobirk’s production is so small that he picks his peaches himself. They are also so good that people drive hundreds of miles—from as far away as Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming—just to buy the fruit. And Talbott grows a dozen varieties on orchards that sprawl over 160 acres; his production accounts for about a third of the state’s peach crop.
To get from palisade to paonia, which vies with Hotchkiss as Colorado’s second-largest peach-growing area, you could opt for the quick route, on major highways. But why would you? The drive along the Colorado River, through De Beque Canyon, with its towering sandy bluffs, is spectacular, and it gets better when you ascend to the heights of Grand Mesa, said to be the largest flat-topped mountain in the world. As you climb, everything becomes cooler and greener; poplars come into view, then pines and aspens, and signs for hiking trails and ski areas and lakes (more than 300 of them) pop up. Bears and mountain lions make this forest home, and near the top, at 10,500 feet, marmots bask in the sun by the roadside.
Along the way, near the town of Cedaredge, you pass Red Mountain Ranches, probably the highest commercial fruit farm in the United States (elevation 6,850 feet). Owners Robert and Roxie Morris say that if they tried to grow their fruit any higher not only would it freeze, but later varieties wouldn’t have a long enough season to ripen.
Paonia itself is framed by dramatic 13,000-foot peaks. A sort of Woodstock of the West, it has concerts, art galleries, and restaurants with names like Flying Fork Cafe. In contrast to Palisade, which was settled by Iowans and still has a conservative, midwestern sensibility, Paonia is young, lively, and culturally diverse. The economy is an odd mix of coal and fruit, and although peach acreage is smaller than in Palisade, much of it is organic.
The biggest growers are Kris and Kevin Kropp of First Fruits Organic Farms, intense brothers who have cobbled together many far-flung plantings and now have almost 300 acres, including 40 of peaches.
Their methods are a far cry from the mechanized work of packing houses. Ideally, the fruit is picked ripe and hand-sorted, right in the middle of the orchard, by size. “It’s archaic, but it gets the job done,” says Kevin, who, along with his brother, routinely works 18-hour days.
As he drives his truck to the market in Paonia, moving at a snail’s pace so as not to jostle the peaches, he ponders whether the work is worth it. “I know we’re crazy,” he says. “But what makes it worthwhile is when people taste our peaches and say, ‘That’s to die for.’ ”
The Details
When to Go
Peach season in Palisade runs from mid-July to late September, peaking in August; in Paonia and Cedaredge it’s a week or two later. The 2004 Palisade Peach Festival (palisadepeachfest.com ) will take place August 19 through 21.
Palisade
Staying There: The Orchard House Bed and Breakfast (3573 E1/2 Rd.; 970-464-0529; theorchardhouse.com; from $80) is set in a peach orchard with sweeping views of the Grand Mesa and the Bookcliff Mountains. Vineyards Victorian Bed & Breakfast (398 W. 1st St.; 970-464-4943; vineyards-victorian.com; from $100), is, well, Victorian, but it’s also conveniently close to town.
Eating There: The Palisade Cafe (113 W. 3rd St.; 970-464-0657), open for breakfast and lunch, makes simple, fresh food. Slice O’ Life Bakery (105 W. 3rd St.; 970-464-0577) serves peaches in the form of ice cream, pie, and bread pudding.
Fruit Sources: Walcher Orchards (970-250-5907; walcher orchards.com) sells at the Grand Junction Downtown Farmers Market Festival (Historic Downtown Main St.; Thursdays from 5 p.m., June 17 through September 30) and by mail order ($22.50 plus shipping for seven pounds by FedEx). The owners of Kokopelli Produce (3677 G4/10 Rd.; 970-464-7201) sell from their home and by mail order. Pobirk’s Orchard (3438 C1/2 Rd.; 970-434-7918).
Cedaredge
A local favorite is Ole Bakery Cafe (365 N. Grand Mesa Dr.; 970-856-3366). Red Mountain Ranches (19458 Hwy. 65; 970-856-3803; redmountainranches.com) also does mail order.
Paonia
Staying There: Bross Hotel (312 Onarga Ave.; 970-527-6776; paonia-inn.com; from $100), in a tastefully renovated 1906 brick building, is close to town.
Eating There: Flying Fork Cafe & Bakery (101 3rd St.; 970-527-3203) offers a stylish Italian-inflected menu and fine local wines. Nelle’s (229‚ Grand Ave.; 970-527-3541), a New Age nook, serves breakfast and lunch, with great wraps and sandwiches.
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