Tatsunosuke Hirakata was born on June 3, 1870 in Fukushima, Japan and his son Keiji was born in 1887.  In 1913, Tatsunosuke immigrated to the United States, arriving in Seattle. Initially he worked for the railroad before making his way to Rocky Ford. In 1915 he began farming in the Newdale area south of Rocky Ford. Two years later Keiji traveled to Rocky Ford to join his father in farming. Keiji married Toki Kumagai of Las Animas in 1924, setting the stage for future generations of the Hirakata family to continue their agriculture legacy.  Keiji and Toki's three sons followed in their father and grandfather's footsteps. Over the years they expanded Hirakata Farms to become a leader in agriculture in Otero County and Colorado. They grow the famous Rocky Ford cantaloupe, watermelon, pumpkins and other crops. They are extremely active in the Rocky Ford Grower's Association, and in 2017 they partnered with Banded Oak Brewing to create Crenshaw Melon IPA. Today, Hirakata Farms is owned and managed by the third generation.