How Hirakata Farms and Produce Is Focusing More Than Ever on Flavor
May 5, 2021 
Michael Hirakata and his cousin Glenn Hirakata of Hirakata Farms and Produce in Rocky Ford, CO, work hard to continuously upgrade and modernize a growing operation with extremely deep roots.
Photo courtesy of Hirakata Farms and Produce
Growing in the high desert has its challenges. Short seasons, scarce water, and extreme weather threaten many farms in Colorado. Hirakata Farms and Produce, owned by Michael Hirakata and his cousin Glenn Hirakata, has grown melons in the Rocky Ford area for more than 100 years. They’ve learned a thing or two in that time. Like how to produce melons famed for their flavor in the climate. And how to stretch water resources.
The Rocky Ford Cantaloupe
Known for its amazing flavor, the Rocky Ford cantaloupe first gained fame back in the 1890s. It’s a label only growers in Rocky Ford, CO, can claim. Michael Hirakata says the high-altitude desert climate is key to the region’s tasty melon.
“It gets 95°F to 100°F in the daytime, but it’ll jump down to 70°F at night,” he says.
Those swings in temperature stress melons at just the right level, increasing their sweetness. The cold winters help out, too, killing off pests that other regions struggle with.
The climate in Rocky Ford, CO, gives melons just enough stress to reach peak flavor.
Photo courtesy of Hirakata Farms and Produce
Sticking With What Works
Although the Rocky Ford cantaloupe designation covers a range of varieties grown in the area, Hirakata Farms currently grows just one variety. The operation also grows only one variety of honeydew.
It has a wider range of watermelons, from seedless to seeded, as well as personal-sized melons. It also grows some with organic methods and others conventionally.
Pumpkins are their most diverse crop, but appearance matters more than taste in that crop.
Although Hirakata Farms has stuck with varieties they know work well for them, they are constantly trialing new ones.
“We are trying probably two or three dozen different types of seed every year just to see what works. And we haven’t really found anything that compares to what we’re using right now,” Hirakata says.
Hirakata Farms grows about a dozen different varieties of pumpkins.
Photo courtesy of Hirakata Farms and Produce
Testing New Varieties
Even though Hirakata Farms doesn’t switch out its varieties that often, their team takes trialing new varieties seriously.
“Sometimes melons lose their genetics, and they don’t farm as well, so we’re constantly looking to see what we can do to improve or have our Plan B,” Hirakata says.
What do they look for?
“Sweetness is our first [priority]. And then with the watermelons, we look at yield and consistent sizing. We do the same for cantaloupe.”
Hirakata pauses. Then corrects himself. Flavor is the No. 1 priority.
“We look at flavor, because you can have an extremely sweet cantaloupe with a long shelf life — 18% sugar in it — not taste good. So we look at the actual flavor.”
He says the same criteria goes for other melons. Flavor is so important, Hirakata says, they’re willing to give up some yield.
There’s no scientific method to their testing, just experience.
Hirakata looks over the melon, making sure its color is where it should be. He then cuts it open, making sure it looks as it should. Then the taste test. If he and Glenn like it, they’ll ask any of the workers on hand to taste as well.
Stretching Water Supply
Colorado hasn’t reached California levels of water wars, but it’s not far behind. States tussle over access rights to rivers that begin in Colorado. And cities in the area continue to grow.
“But you can see that cities are growing pretty quickly, and they’re going to need water sooner or later. So we are just farming for now, and we will see what the future is going to bring,” Hirakata says.
Hirakata Farms is fortunate that it is the only operation pulling from its canals. But with all the demands on water in the area, conservation is vital.
So, despite the operation’s size, it uses drip tape with plastic mulch to keep moisture in the soil with as little irrigation as possible.
The method also improves food safety, since irrigation water will not touch the fruit.
Like many large farms, Hirakata’s acreage is not contiguous, but spread out over different locations in the Rocky Ford area. That means it needs to pump and treat water at each location.
“You have to filter it a little differently because of all the sand, silt, and weeds in the water,” Hirakata says.
The Benefits of a Family Farm
Modern farming offers amazing technology, but it still takes ancient skills to pull it off.
“We’re lucky on this farm because it is a family farm. There’s not just one set of eyes looking at it. There’s my dad, my cousins, and myself. You know there’s a few people who drive around those fields and check them every day,” Hirakata says.
The operation uses soil sensors and automatic valves in its irrigation. But Hirakata still wants to get into the field and scout.
“We know where the problem areas would be. You have to get out and walk,” he says.
The family has worked the fields for generations. There’s no replacing the knowledge built over the years.
“Because every year is different, if something works this year, it probably won’t work next year,” Hirakata says. “So we compile all those things and mix them together to see what works.
At a Glance Hirakata Farms and Produce
- Owners: Cousins Glenn and Michael Hirakata
- Founded: 1915
- Location: Rocky Ford/Otero County in Colorado
- Crops grown: Cantaloupe (conventional and organic), personal watermelons (conventional and organic), honeydew (conventional and organic), seedless watermelon, seeded watermelons, pumpkins (jacks and varietals), alfalfa, and field corn.
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