GREELEY — In a state rich in agricultural production, Colorado’s fresh produce industry has often sat in the shadows of more prominent sectors, such as livestock and row crops.
Robert Sakata, president of Sakata Farms in Brighton, said the state’s fruit and vegetable growers often underestimate their economic importance.
Even as a life-long vegetable grower himself, Sakata said he was surprised to learn Colorado ranked 14th in the nation for vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes as of the 2012 Census of Agriculture.
Through a new group, the Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, Sakata and other growers hope to turn a new leaf.
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