LUCERNE, Colorado — Farmers in northern Colorado are hoping to yield some of the crops they planted before Tuesday, but a storm that brought heavy rain and hail Tuesday night left only a percentage of viable roots.
"We’re hoping that 50% -- 40% or 50% -- will take root and grow back," said Dave Petrocco, operator at Petrocco Farms in Lucerne.
He said replanting after the storm sets him back on time for his crops to grow. He said it could hinder how much could ultimately be harvested.
"They will be a late crop," Petrocco said. "They were scheduled to be harvested in early August, but if they do make it they'll be set back to September, which is close to frost time, and frost kills peppers."
Petrocco said his fields of cilantro, sweet corn and peppers flooded.
"The whole construction of the bed was destroyed, along with the plants, stripped on top and some cases you can see a small stem sticking up that was a beautiful pepper plant that was taken away," Petrocco said.
He said in addition to the time he invested planting each seed by hand, he's losing money from the crops washed away.
"Vegetables in general are a very expensive crop to grow," Petrocco said. "Big investment in the seed, the planning, the soil preparation, the fertility when the fertilizer comes in and the investment of labor."
When it comes to re-supplying fertilizer, Petrocco will look to Ralph Anders at Lucerne Chemical.
Anders said he provides fertilizer to hundreds of northern Colorado farmers, including Petrocco, who he knows will be calling him soon.
"It destroyed a lot of crops, destroyed a lot of ground," Anders said. "So it's gonna take a lot to get that back together. I'd imagine a couple weeks."
He said he's been in the agriculture sphere for several decades in northern Colorado. He said torrential weather happens often in Weld County, but crop yield is worth the potential risk.
"We get great crop here, so the benefits outweigh the detriments when it comes to weather," Anders said.
Petrocco said while he knows the return will be less on his investments this season, he hopes there will be vegetables he can provide to those who rely on his produce.
"It’s not a good thing but we’re hoping to get something out of the crop," Petrocco said.
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