Colorado Locavore Overview

Colorado Grown product

There are plenty of seasonal Locavore opportunities to find exactly the fruit, vegetables, beef, lamb, poultry, wine or dairy products that you may be looking for. Our database currently has more than 300 Colorado growers and producers located in 53 counties.

Commercial Growing Regions in Colorado

Colorado's orchard production is located in Delta, Mesa and Montrose counties. The fruit season on the Western Slope begins in mid-June when cherries are harvested and runs through late fall with apples. Colorado's apple production is centered on the state's Western Slope with major varieties including Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Jonathan, Gala, Fuji and Rome. Colorado Goldens are noted for their prominent red blush color. Colorado's cantaloupe and watermelon production is centered in the Arkansas Valley around Rocky Ford, a name that is synonymous with outstanding flavored cantaloupe.

Many Colorado growers are now turning to wine grape production. Colorado has two American Viticultural Areas (distinct growing regions recognized by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco). The Grand Valley (between Grand Junction and Palisade) produces a majority of the state's wine grapes, specializing in Bordeaux and Rhone varietals, while the West Elks area, around Hotchkiss and Paonia, offers Riesling and other Alsace varietals. The number of licensed wineries in Colorado has grown proportionately faster than any other state or province in North America over the past decade. The Colorado Mountain Wine Fest in Palisade celebrates the state's grape harvest the third weekend of every September.

Growing and Planting seasons

Colorado's climate offers a great environment for growing fruit and vegetables. The typical planting schedule is from April through May, with harvest beginning in May and continuing through October. With more than 300 days of sun, Colorado provides an ideal growing environment for greenhouse or backyard vegetable gardens and fruit trees.

Take a look at our "How Long until Harvest" chart to determine which annual crops are the best candidates for gardening during the Colorado growing seasons. The growing season in Colorado ranges from 120 to 200 days on the plains, and (except for some small areas) the mountains have a frost-free period that is generally less than 80 days.

Unfortunately for gardeners in the mountains, a growing season of only 80 days is too short for most crops unless a cold-frame or greenhouse is used for starting the seedlings. To find the USDA Growing zone for your specific ZipCode, check out - What's My Growing Zone?

Availability

For more specific detail on what local fruits and vegetables are available (and when), please check out our Colorado availability guide or go here to see all of the Locavore Network growers near you. In addition to fruit and vegetable growers, we have listings for more than 40 wineries as well as numerous beef, poultry and dairy producers located throughout the state.

Additional Locavore information