Colorado was shaped by the people who fed it. In this documentary, Scott Perez traces the agricultural history of the region from its earliest roots — from the orchards that sprang up near Hermosa Creek in the 1870s to serve hungry miners, to the ditch irrigation systems first developed by indigenous communities and later adapted by American settlers, to the narrow gauge railroads that opened new markets and transformed farming across the valleys. Drawing on diaries, oral histories, and a lifetime of working the land himself, Scott paints a vivid portrait of how agriculture has always been both a livelihood and a lifeline in Southwest Colorado — and why the small farms still taking root here today carry that legacy forward.

The Power of Place Magazine is a special initiative of the Colorado 150 Southwest organizing committee, featuring 20 articles by professional historians and local writers exploring Southwest Colorado's rich and complex heritage.

By Scott Perez

This story is sponsored by Alpine Bank, Sky Ute Casino and Strater Hotel

Watch the full series, Voices of the Past: Southwest Colorado.

Scott Perez grew up in farm country and spent nearly 50 years as a working cowboy. But it was his passion for oral history that led him to dig deeper into the agricultural past of Southwest Colorado — poring over old journals, talking to longtime residents, and uncovering the small, vivid details that bigger histories tend to overlook. In this episode, Scott shares what drew him to write for the Power of Place Magazine, why he believes local agriculture deserves protection, and what indigenous land stewardship can still teach us today. It is a candid, grounded conversation about the hidden costs of losing farmland — for wildlife, for water, and for the communities that depend on both.

The Power of Place Magazine is a special initiative of the Colorado 150 Southwest organizing committee, featuring 20 articles by professional historians and local writers exploring Southwest Colorado's rich and complex heritage.

By Scott Perez

This story is sponsored by Alpine Bank, Sky Ute Casino and Strater Hotel

Watch the full Voices of the Past: Southwest Colorado series on our YouTube.

Long before the roads came to Southwest Colorado's high country, the San Juan Mountains were shaped by the labor and lives of Hispano and Basque sheepherders who drove their flocks through these rugged passes each season. In this video, Peggy Montaño reflects on that deep legacy through her own written words — one that runs through her own family across multiple generations. Drawing on oral history, on-the-ground exploration of ancestral sites, and collaboration with Forest Service researchers, the film traces the parallel journeys of two immigrant communities who found common ground in these mountains. It is a portrait of sacrifice, resilience, and the enduring bonds between people and place — and a reminder that the landscapes we treasure have always been shaped by those who came before us.

The Power of Place Magazine is a special initiative of the Colorado 150 Southwest organizing committee, featuring 20 articles by professional historians and local writers exploring Southwest Colorado's rich and complex heritage.

By Peggy Montaño

This story is sponsored by Alpine Bank, Sky Ute Casino and Strater Hotel

Watch the full series, Voices of the Past: Southwest Colorado.