COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Melon lovers waiting for Rocky Ford cantaloupes won’t have the abundant harvest this year.
The Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/1jH0c4a ) that storms have claimed a fourth of this year’s cantaloupe crop. That’s according to the Rocky Ford Growers Association.
Third-generation farmer Matt Proctor lost his entire crop. A hail storm in May pummeled most of this crop, and a storm last weekend damaged the rest.
According to the Growers Association, about 100 acres of the 360 acres of the super-sweet melons that were planted this season fell victim to the weather.
Association spokeswoman Diane Mulligan says growers lost about $500,000 in sales.
Last year, Growers Association farmers harvested 280 acres and pulled in about $4.5 million from the famous cantaloupes.
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Information from: The Gazette, http://www.gazette.com
