Mike Bartolo — Soil, Science, and Selflessness • Mountain & Prairie

Dr. Mike Bartolo is a third-generation farmer from Pueblo County, Colorado, and a retired research scientist and vegetable crops specialist at Colorado State University. Mike’s grandparents immigrated from Italy in the early 1900s to work in the mines around Pueblo, and after years of backbreaking labor, they saved enough to buy a small farm on the St. Charles Mesa—the beginning of a family legacy on the land that continues to this day. Mike went on to spend more than three decades at CSU serving the farmers of the Arkansas Valley, and while he’d never claim the title himself, many consider him the developer of the legendary Pueblo Chile.

I first met Mike back in 2018 through our mutual work with Palmer Land Conservancy, and ever since, I’ve seen him as a mentor when it comes to matters of water, farmland conservation, long-term thinking, and kindness. His combination of scientific expertise, tireless work ethic, deep humility, and fierce devotion to his family and community is something I’ve rarely encountered. Mike is also one of the main characters profiled in the poignant and powerful Ben Knight documentary MIRASOL: Looking at the Sun, which chronicles Pueblo County’s farming community and its fight to protect its land and water—so it was an honor to finally sit down with him for this long-overdue conversation.

We started with the remarkable story of his grandparents—including his grandfather Rocco, who survived being a prisoner of war in World War I before returning to Colorado to break rocks for the steel industry—and how that generation’s sacrifice continues to guide Mike today. We talked about his childhood on the family farm, where he and his five siblings turned every chore into an Olympic competition, and his path to becoming a plant scientist at CSU. We discussed what makes Pueblo County’s farmland world-class, the cautionary tale of Crowley County’s devastating water sales, and why Mike believes educating and mobilizing the public is the key to protecting the Arkansas Valley’s water. We also dug into the history of the Pueblo Chile, as well as the making of “MIRASOL,” his approach to passionate-but-respectful advocacy, the spiritual connection he feels to the soil, his advice for the next generation of farmers, and much more.

This was such a meaningful conversation for me, and I know you’ll enjoy getting to know Mike as much as I have. Enjoy!