FORT LUPTON PRESS S E RV I N G T H E C O M M U N I T Y S I N C E 19 0 6
VOLUME 33
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2021
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ISSUE 15
W ,N 25 , 2020 Brighton’s own wins appointment to the Water Conservative Board
VOLUME 117
EDNESDAY
OVEMBER
THE SEASON FOR SHARING
Early in the morning Robert Sakata is starting the day preparing the soil for the spring onion planting. Sakata a full time farmer was PHOTO BY BELEN WARD appointed by Gov. Polis on March 10 as an official board member on the Colorado Water Conservative Board.
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believed that the constitution protected the Japanese Americans and that they had a right to live where they wanted. “It killed Carr’s political career. A lot of people did not feel comfortable living next to the Japanese. I believe it’s why there is a lot of Japanese Americans that live in Colorado because of that,” said Sakata. Upon arrival, his father worked for the Bill Schluter family in Brighton, a dairyman. “My dad gave him credit because Schluter saw how hard my dad worked and they allowed my dad to become a sharecropper. It’s how he bought his first piece of land,” said Sakata. His Dad purchased his land and with his wife, Joanna continues to build up the farm with his knowledge of vegetable production growing gladiolus, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, onions, and sweet corn. Growing, post-COVID Robert Sakata operates over 2,500 acres but due to development in the area, they lost acres for growing. “We also had to change our operation to grow a lot more vegetables such as sweet corn, cabbage, and broccoli,” said Sakata. Sakata said the demand for seasonal help has been difficult for the sweet corn operation which needed about 100 people for a couple of months. “We paid for transportation for some Haitians who were working in Florida. They were very knowledgeable but it was impossible to find enough housing,” Sakata said. During COVID they were thankful we did not have a lot of help that impacted the production. “We know of other farmers, it was challenging for them to spread people out also with barriers in the housing. We were fortunate our seasonal help is about 15 people. We were worried and lucky nobody got COVID, “ said Sakata. Sakata, said a few weeks ago Salud Clinic came to his farm and gave every employee a shot. “It was a big relief,” he said.
couraged me to go off and do what I Colorado on behalf of the state,” wanted to do,” Sakata said. said Sakata. When Sakata returned to Brighton The Colorado Water Conservation he brought science to planting. Board is set up with representatives “It why I’m so thankful that my from each of the major river basins. parents encouraged me to go off Sakata Farms is in the South Platte Brighton farmer Robert Sakata and do something else and to have Basin. has no problem keeping busy, cerdiversity,” said Sakata. Sakata is a Brighton, Colorado tainly not this time of year. native. He graduated from Brighton Once spring arrives the farmer is Internment to Colorado up with the sun and working until it High School and went to the UniverSakata’s roots started with his parsity of Colorado Boulder to study goes down, tilling his fields to plant microbiology. He also worked for the ents. Robert Sakata’s dad Bob was a his vegetable crop of onions, pinto teenager living with his dad and two Amgen research lab which was the beans, wheat, and grain corn. sisters working on a farm near San first lab in Boulder before it moved Now he can add one more thing to Francisco then World War II broke to a larger facility. his regular to-do list: Representing out. A family of Japanese descent, Sakata said “We were one of the Colorado farms and farmers when it Bob and his family were moved into comes to water conservation. Sakata original labs working on how to an internment camp in Topaz Utah. figure out making DNA in the lab. was appointed by Gov. Polis to the When released they decided not to Amgen is applied molecular genetColorado Water Conservative Board go back to California — they had ics. It was really exciting.” to represent the farmers of Colonothing left in California, he said — After Sakata graduated from high rado on March 10. “It’s rewarding. I wasn’t looking to school the last thing he wanted to do and came to Colorado. Every year before Thanksgiving, First United Methodist Church in Fort Lupton and the Fort Lupton Food and Clothing Bank provide community “My family felt uncomfortable gowas to be a farmer. Growing up, he get on but back in December, I was members with food boxes. This will be the program’s 10th consecutive year. Above, JoetoHubert, left China Garcia and Board Sue Hubert ing back California so they stayed saw how hard his parents worked. asked if I would like to submit my work with Change 4 Change, in Colorado,” he said. thought, it has on to be an 2. application for an appointment. Sakata has no children so it gave another organization that helpsIwith the“I food drive.man, See more Page Ralph Lawrence Carr was the easier way to make a living. I was so am so excited and it’s kind of scary governor in Colorado at the time. He fortunate that Mom and Dad enyou’re representing the citizens of SEE SAKATA, P9
Sakata vows to work on behalf of the farmers
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