Politicians and farmers wolfed down Rocky Ford cantaloupe Saturday in an eating contest designed to bolster the melon’s image following a deadly outbreak last year of listeria.
The event at the Arkansas Valley Fair featured a lineup of contestants including Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture John Salazar, elected officials from Otero and Crowley counties and local cantaloupe growers.
The listeria outbreak killed 30 people. It was linked to canteloupe grown at Jensen Farms, located 90 miles east of Rocky Ford.
Rocky Ford growers subsequently copyrighted the name Rocky Ford to avoid confusion with melons grown elsewhere, created the Rocky Ford Growers’ Association, and spent more than $800,000 on safety upgrades for melon production.
“Rocky Ford Cantaloupes have a spotless safety record for the past 125 years,” the group said in a statement.
Partly in response to the public-relations fallout from the listeria outbreak, Arkansas Valley cantaloupe growers planted only 300 to 350 acres this year compared to last year’s 2,000 acres.
The smaller crop resulted in higher prices this year —up to $16 or $17 per box of 8-10 melons compared with last year’s $13.
The growers association said Rocky Ford melons will be available through the middle of September.
Steve Raabe: 303-954-1948, sraabe@denverpost.com or
