Rocky Ford Growers Since 1915
Our family history in Rocky Ford spans five generations. It started in the early 1900s when Tatsunosuke Hirakata came to the United States from Japan. Upon arrival, he went to work for the railroad, which eventually brought him to Colorado where he settled in Rocky Ford. Soon after, he and his son Keiji began farming, building what’s now Hirakata Farms and raising various crops and growing our renowned Rocky Ford Cantaloupe™.
Today, Michael Hirakata- the son of Jerre- heads our sales department. Gene’s son Glenn manages the operation of the shed. Together they share in the operation of the farm. We are a family farm that continues to carry on the tradition of our ancestors.
Farming is Our Livelihood
Hirakata Farms is committed to bringing our customers safe and quality produce. Our families have been working the land around Rocky Ford Colorado’s Arkansas Valley for more than 100 years. We consider ourselves stewards of this land that we are so very fortunate to farm.
We’re dedicated to using our water and other natural resources wisely to ensure that future generations can benefit. Today, we farm more than 1200 acres in the Arkansas Valley and ship our produce throughout Colorado and its surrounding regions.