Lecture by Harry Augustus Talbott: History of fruit growing in the Grand Valley

Description

In a lecture for the Mesa County Historical Society, Harry Talbott talks about the history of his family in Palisade, Colorado. He also speaks about the history of fruit growing in Palisade and Mesa County, from its inception in the late 1800’s until 1982, when his talk took place. He details the history of fruit growing cooperatives in the Grand Valley and methods of marketing and shipping produce. He discusses the Peach mosaic disease, other challenges faced by farmers, and methods of pest control. He talks about why fruit growing in the lower valley ultimately failed, why growing in Palisade succeeded, and methods of protection against frost. He discusses the competition that Grand Valley apple and peach growers face from other fruit growing regions. He speaks about the use of German prisoners of war as labor during World War II, the inability of fruit growers to convince most Americans to pick fruit since that time, and the necessity of migrant labor. This recording is provided by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.