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Temperature.--During the winter, -)eratures- * - Although many kinds of irrigated crops are
<br /> rise above freezing on most days. t.. tempera- grown in Otero Count a trend in the last few
<br /> Lures fall below freezing usuaIIy from late in Octo- years has been toward oducing more feed crops,
<br /> ber. to early in April. .. The average date of the The acreages•of alfalfa, corn, and sorghum have
<br /> st• 32°•-F: freezing temperature in spring is April increased nearly every year. This increase is the
<br /> the' first'in fall is October 4, The average result of increasing costs of production, shortage
<br /> number,of freeze-free days is 160. Temperatures of of irrigation water, and the increased demand for
<br /> zero or below occur every winter, but only on a feed crops. The acreage of vegetable crops remains
<br /> relatively few days, or an average of 9 days for the fairly constant. Acreages of the rain crops were
<br /> Year.. 5u;ancr Z ach reported in the 1964 United States Census of Agri-
<br /> 100° or more from late'in June through August, but culture as follows:
<br /> in about one summer in ten, the highest temperature
<br /> reached is less than 100°.
<br /> Precipitation.--Over a period of 30 years, the Acres
<br /> annual precipitation has varied a great deal from Alfalfa--------------------- 19,980
<br /> year to year. The 30-year-average at Rocky Ford for
<br /> the period ending with 1940 was 11.31 inches; for Cornnsozg un--------------- 12,554
<br /> 150
<br /> the period ending with 1920, it was 12.72 inches. Grain sorghum------------- 3,288
<br /> Sugar beets---------------- 3,2SS
<br /> Yearly totals range from more than 22 inches to less Barley -
<br /> --------------- 1,137
<br /> than 6 inches. About 1 year in 10 has a total of IS
<br /> inches or more, and about 1 year in 12 has less Winter wheat---------------- 2,989
<br /> 20
<br /> than 7 inches. About 1 year in 2S has 20 inches or Oats------------------------ 1,507
<br /> more.
<br /> Onions---------------------- 1,507
<br /> bfonthly precipitation shows wide variation from Pinto beans----------------- 1.28
<br /> 912
<br /> year to year. May, the wettest month of the year Cantaloups------- 1 S65
<br /> has had on the average less than 0.7 inch in 1 year potatoes---------Tomatoes-------------------- 925
<br /> out of 5, and more than 3 inches in 1 year out of
<br /> 6. About 40 percent of the annual precipitation
<br /> falls in the period April through June, and about 'There are eight irrigation canals and 400 to 500
<br /> 7S percent in the period April through September. pumps serving the irrigated farming areas of Otero
<br /> Most of this precipitation comes from thunderstorms, County. Many of the pumps are used to supplement
<br /> which vary a great deal in amounts of rainfall or ditchwater. Even with irrigation water, most crops
<br /> hail. Some hail storms are severe and damaging, grown lack adequate water for maximum production.
<br /> but these are fewer than in other high plain areas All of the canals normally experience shortages
<br /> -� Colorado. Tornadoes, which occur in the area early and late in the growing season.
<br /> tines, are generally smaller, less damaging, and Dryland farming is no longer attempted in Otero
<br /> .ess frequent than in areas farther east. The low County because of the hazards of dryfarming in the
<br /> amount of precipitation limits agricultural activ- prevailing climate.
<br /> ity to stock raising, except in extensively irri- In recent years, the trend in the number of
<br /> gated areas where intensive farming is favored by cattle has been upward. This trend results mostly
<br /> the relatively long growing season and warm su-rner from an increase in livestock feeding. Most ranches
<br /> temperatures. are cow-calf enterprises. The most popular breed is
<br /> the Hereford, although the Aberdeen AnZus breed
<br /> is rising in popularity. The 1964 U.S. Census of
<br /> Farming and Industry Agriculture reported 59,997 cattle and calves and
<br /> 12,154 hogs and pigs on farms in the county.
<br /> The Homestead Act of the 1870' s brought an influx bust of the industry in the county, with the ex-
<br /> of settlers to Otero County. La Junta, the county ception of the railroad and a brass fitting factory,
<br /> seat, 'was first settled by cattle and sheep ranchers. is linked directly with farming. There are two
<br /> During the same period, George Washington Swink, small meat packing plants, a turkey processing plant,
<br /> founder of the town of Rocky Ford, became inter- a wool processing plant, two 'canneries, and a food
<br /> ested in farming and irrigation. He grew, improved, freezing plant. All the sugar beets grown in the
<br /> and marketed cantaloups and watermelons, for which county are processed at the sugar refining factory
<br /> the area is now well known. In the 1880's, the in Rocky Ford. Several seed houses contract, har-
<br /> Federal Government granted land to the State of vest, clean, and distribute melon, zinnia, and
<br /> Colorado. The State, in turn, sold tracts to vegetable seeds. Local machine and equipment shops
<br /> irrigation companies, in consideration that they have been instrumental in developing and producing
<br /> build canals for irrigation projects. This offer new machinery used in farming and processing agri-
<br /> attracted promoters and developers who built the cultural products. Several alfalfa dehydrating
<br /> irrigation canals that are in use at the present nulls are in operation, and alfalfa pellets produced
<br /> time. are shipped nationwide.
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