Pueblo Chile and Farm Stands: A Local Guide to Pueblo’s Farm Country

Drive east out of Pueblo during late summer and early fall and it doesn’t take long for the scenery to change. Fields of corn, chile, pumpkins and other crops stretch across Pueblo County’s farm country, while roadside stands fill with fresh produce and the unmistakable smell of roasting chile.

We recently took a drive through the area to visit several local farms and farm stands, see what was growing and take some photos along the way. If you live in Pueblo and haven’t made this drive in a while, or you’re visiting Southern Colorado during harvest season, it’s worth making the trip.

Pueblo may be famous for its chile, but there is a lot more growing east of town.

What Makes Pueblo Chile Different?

Pueblo chile has become one of Southern Colorado’s signature foods, and the growing conditions around Pueblo are a big part of the story.

Hot, dry summer days, fertile soil and Colorado water create ideal conditions for growing chile. Pueblo chile is also known for being thick and meaty, which makes it especially well suited for roasting. One of its most recognizable traits is the way the peppers grow upward toward the sun, rather than hanging downward from the plant.

The Pueblo Chile Growers Association lists the growing season as July through October, with the average farm stand season running from about July 1 through October 30. Exact harvest dates and produce availability vary from year to year.

When Is the Best Time to Visit Pueblo’s Farm Stands?

Late summer through early fall is a great time to explore Pueblo’s farm country. This is when chile season is in full swing and farm stands are loaded with locally grown produce.

Depending on when you visit, you may find Pueblo chile, sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, melons, cucumbers, squash, onions, pumpkins and other seasonal fruits and vegetables. Pueblo County grows a surprisingly wide variety of produce.

September is especially fun because chile roasting is underway and fall crops are beginning to make an appearance. On our drive, chile plants were loaded with green and red peppers, corn was standing tall and pumpkins were already turning orange in the fields.

Pueblo Farms and Farm Stands to Visit

One of the best parts about exploring the area is that you don’t have to stop at only one farm. Several local growers and farm stands can be visited on the same drive through the St. Charles Mesa and surrounding area.

Here are the farm stands we visited on our drive through Pueblo’s farm country.

Milberger Farms

Milberger Farms is one of the best-known farm destinations in Pueblo County and a good place to begin or end a farm-country drive.

Along with fresh seasonal produce and Pueblo chile, there is plenty to browse inside the market. During chile season, you can see the roasters at work and pick up roasted chile to take home. Milberger also has a restaurant area, making this an easy stop if your farm tour happens to overlap with breakfast or lunch.

DiSanti Farms

DiSanti Farms is a longtime Pueblo County farming operation and another worthwhile stop during harvest season. The farm has been selling produce to Pueblo-area customers since 1890, according to the Colorado Farm Fresh Directory.

When we visited in September, the surrounding fields made this one of the prettiest stops on the drive. Corn was still growing tall, pumpkins were turning orange in the fields and the farm stand was stocked for the season.

In addition to Pueblo chile, DiSanti grows a wide assortment of vegetables and seasonal produce.

Musso Farms

Musso Farms is another familiar name when Pueblo chile season arrives.

During our visit, there were baskets of colorful peppers and other fresh produce throughout the market, chile growing outside and roasters ready for one of Pueblo’s favorite fall traditions.

It’s also a good place to see just how many varieties of peppers are grown locally. Put several baskets together and you get every shade from deep green to bright yellow and red.

Vic Mauro Produce

Vic Mauro Produce is another stop you’ll encounter while exploring Pueblo’s agricultural area. Part of the fun of this drive is finding smaller roadside stands mixed among the larger, better-known farm markets.

Keep an eye out for the signs along the road. You’ll find local produce for sale in places you might normally drive right past.

Mauro Farms & Bakery

Mauro Farms offers another side of Pueblo’s local food traditions.

Fresh produce is part of the experience, but make sure you look around inside too. The bakery is filled with breads, pastries and other baked goods, including potica, a traditional Eastern European rolled pastry that has deep roots in Pueblo’s immigrant food culture.

It’s a nice reminder that Pueblo’s agricultural history and its food traditions have grown together over generations.

DiTomaso Farms

DiTomaso Farms is another longtime family farming operation in Pueblo County. It is one of the farms identified by the Pueblo Chile Growers Association as a source for authentic Pueblo chile.

A stop here fits easily into a larger farm tour and gives you another opportunity to buy produce close to where it was grown.

Don’t Rush the Drive Between the Farms

The farm stands may be the destinations, but some of the best scenery is between them.

Take your time driving through the area and you’ll pass fields of chile, corn, pumpkins and other crops, along with irrigation ditches, farm equipment, old agricultural buildings and long stretches of open countryside.

It feels surprisingly rural considering how close you are to Pueblo.

During our September drive, we could see crops in several different stages of the harvest. Some fields were still deep green, chile plants were covered in peppers and pumpkins were beginning to stand out in bright orange against the soil.

For photographers, it’s also a great part of Pueblo County to explore. The combination of farmland, big Colorado skies and distant mountain views can make the drive itself as enjoyable as the stops.

A Few Tips Before You Go

Farm stands are seasonal businesses, and what is available can change quickly depending on the weather and harvest. If there is a particular product you’re hoping to buy, check with the farm before making a special trip.

Bring a cooler if you plan to buy a lot of produce, especially on a warm day. And if you’re buying freshly roasted Pueblo chile, be prepared for the car to smell amazing for the rest of the drive.

Most importantly, leave yourself enough time to look around. This is more fun when it isn’t treated like a grocery run.

Pueblo Chile Season Is a Pueblo Tradition

Every September, Pueblo’s agricultural roots take center stage during the Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival in downtown Pueblo. The annual event was created in part to celebrate the area’s agriculture and encourage people to support local farms and producers.

But you don’t have to wait for the festival to experience Pueblo chile season.

Head east of town during harvest season and you can see where the chile is actually grown, watch it being roasted and buy it directly from local farm stands.

Take a Drive Through Pueblo’s Farm Country

Pueblo chile gets much of the attention, and deservedly so, but a drive through Pueblo County’s farm country shows there is much more growing here.

Fresh corn, pumpkins, tomatoes, peppers and other produce are all part of an agricultural tradition that remains an important piece of Pueblo’s identity.

Whether you’re stocking the freezer with roasted Pueblo chile, looking for locally grown produce or simply want an excuse to get out and explore a different side of the community, a drive through Pueblo’s farm country is worth adding to your list.

And if you live here and haven’t done it in years, chile season is a pretty good reason to go again.