Peach production in Colorado

Have you noticed peaches being sold in roadside stands and taking over your local farmer’s market? According to the Department of Agriculture’s produce calendar, it’s officially peach season in Colorado! You can get your hands on locally grown stone fruit from now until mid-September.

Peaches have been cultivated in the Four Corners region for hundreds of years. Navajo and Puebloan cultures began planting peach trees in the 1600s and the “Diné didzétsoh” quickly became an important food source. Navajo carefully planted their peach trees in areas that were self-watered by surface runoff from sandstone cliffs. Unfortunately, many of these orchards were destroyed by the U.S. Army in the late 1800s when the Navajo were forced onto reservations in an effort to open up land to non-native settlers.

The homesteaders moving into Grand Junction and western Colorado also recognized a climate that was perfect for growing fruit. Anglo-American settlers planted their first peach trees in the Grand Valley in 1883. Fruit production exploded after irrigation projects in the early 1900s diverted water from the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers for agricultural uses.

Peaches are one of Colorado’s defining agricultural products. According to Peach Facts, published by the Colorado State University Extension, peaches make up three quarters of all the fruit grown in the state. There are more than half a million peach trees in Colorado, mostly located on the Western Slope in Mesa, Delta, Montrose, and Montezuma counties. The most recent Colorado Annual Agricultural Statistics Bulletin (2024) shows Colorado as the fourth largest producer of peaches in the country – Colorado produced over 15,000 tons of peaches in 2023!

To make use of one of Colorado’s most delicious crops, a few state agencies have published their favorite peach recipes:

• Grilled summer peaches
• Peach jalapeño jam
• Colorado peach Moscow mule
• Tips for preserving, preparing, and enjoying peaches