An evening storm caused extensive damage to parts of Mesa County, Colorado. As reported by the National Weather Service, hailstones larger than an inch impacted some areas but spared others in the Grand Valley. The Colorado State University's Western Colorado Research Center in Orchard Mesa suffered the brunt, with crops such as peaches, apples, grapes, cherries, and vegetables observing damage mainly on their northwest side.
David Sterle, a research scientist at CSU, noted, "So far it looks like — in peach, apple, grape, cherry, and vegetables — like total crop loss." He mentioned that while hail rarely contributes to crop losses in the region, this is the second consecutive year with notable hail damage. Hailstones reached up to a half-inch in size, illustrating the severity of this weather event.
Nearby, Mesa Park Fruit Company experienced damage to their cherry crop, with half of it affected days before harvest. Co-owner Laura Black expressed the strain felt by the team, describing the loss as considerable due to the labor invested throughout the year.
The research center, positioned on the western edge of Colorado's fruit production zone, often experiences adverse weather more intensely than other areas. According to Sterle, commercial operations would likely find harvesting this season unprofitable. Nonetheless, CSU's food grown at Orchard Mesa and neighboring Rogers Mesa supports regional food banks, usually contributing around 90,000 pounds annually. Due to damage this year, the donation volume will decrease. Amanda McQuade, the community food systems coordinator, clarified that though donations will reduce, they form a small portion of the food banks' total intake.
Additional challenges arise for food assistance programs amid federal budget cuts. The USDA removed a program subsidizing produce purchases from local farms, costing Colorado approximately $13 million, as per a March press release from Governor Jared Polis' office.
Elsewhere, Bruce Talbott from Talbott's Mountain Gold in Palisade reported minimal damage, estimating losing about 40% of fruit on 5% of production. The storm's focal path spared larger portions of Palisade, with most damage observed around Orchard Mesa. Sterle confirmed that much damage remained near Orchard Mesa rather than Palisade.
Looking ahead, concerns mount over the health of future crops due to damaged tree parts. Sterle commented, "A lot of those new shoots that are coming in have significant amounts of damage, and that's where we're going to be growing next year's crop. So that is another source of concern. Disease can move into that damaged tissue."
Source: CPR News