PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. — While the smells of chile roasting at the Pueblo Chile and Frijoles Festival are still months away, the signs of another agricultural season are underway in Southern Colorado.
Farmers on the mesa in eastern Pueblo County are starting to plant Pueblo's famous crop, the Pueblo chile pepper.
For farmer Dalton Milberger this time of year is just the beginning, followed by hours of work to come for him, and other farmers, for a singular crop that he says brings in around $8 - $10 million locally to Pueblo County.
"Peppers are our lifeline. That's what we do out here. That's our lifeblood. We mix them with everything we eat. We raise them from little plants like you see here, to the chilies. You come and get at the festival," said Dalton Milberger.
Milberger says he is positive about this year's crop as the farm's seedlings sprouted earlier than expected.
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