The orchard was planted in 1992 and 1993 by Dave and Shelly Hancock, third generation farmers in the Cortez area, as part of their efforts to diversify their existing farm operations. They researched 10 years of weather information available on records kept at the Colorado State University Yellowjacket agricultural experiment station, as well as relying on their own experience of farming the orchard area land for many years. They worked closely with a major grower from the Grand Junction area who has successfully grown peaches and cherries for nearly 30 years. With his help in selecting the peach varieties to be planted and laying out the tree and block spacing, the Hancock's moved ahead, planting 8,000 peach trees representing 6 different varieties and 400 other mixed fruit trees including apples, apricots, cherries, plums and pears. It is the largest peach orchard for over 100 miles in any direction.

Many of the peach varieties are producing a deeper red color in this location than they do in the Grand Junction area. The Orchard is located at 6,300 feet elevation and the warm days an cool mountain air at night have a very special and enriching affect on the color and flavor of the fruit.

At the time the orchard changed hands in March of 1999, the new owner, Bill Manning was inspired to move the orchard in an entirely new direction. The relative isolation of this orchard and lack of other nearby orchards that could harbor pests, augured well for converting the orchard to an organic farm operation. Ater a three year waiting period the state of Colorado has fully certified the orchard as organic. In addition to the fruit crops mentioned above, we have several acres of strawberries.

We also raise quince chokecherries, red and black currants, raspberries, gooseberries, red seedless grapes, serviceberries, elderberries, and rhubarb. Fruit may be our main crop, but we also grow some seasonal vegetable crops, including such things as tomatoes, watermelons, summer and winter squash, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, tomatillos, chives, basil and parsley will be grown organically. The farm operation is called Kiva Orchard.

The orchard is located near the Utah state line in southwest Colorado and about 20 miles northwest of Cortez Colorado. It sits on Cajon Mesa which is bordered by Hovenweep Canyon on the north and Sandstone Canyon on the southeast. The headquarters for Hovenweep national monument is 12 miles away.

The area is so rich in archaeological ruins that a new national monument has been created called Canyons of the Ancients. The orchard sits right in the middle of this new national monument. It is hard to disc or cultivate for weeds in the orchard without turning up potsherds. In one area there is clearly an unexcavated kiva or pit house, which inspired the name, Kiva Orchard.

It is a spectacularly beautiful area with numerous high desert red rock canyons and archaeological sites. It is productive farmland made possible by fertile soil and excellent irrigation water and a moderate climate. Power is nearly five miles away which has led to a very low population level throughout the area. In fact, the population was probably greater a 1,000 years ago when the Anazazii lived here.

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