Palisade Peaches Feed Orphaned Bear Cubs in Colorado

Talbott Farms donated thousands of pounds of peaches to a Silt, Colorado wildlife rehabilitation center caring for bears after a food-scarce spring.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Philanthropy

Rows of ripe peach trees on terraced orchards in a western Colorado valley, with dry red mesas and sagebrush hills behind under warm late-day light. — Talbott Farms sent an estimated 15 tons of Palisade peaches to the Pauline S. Schneegas Wildlife Foundation to feed bears left malnourished after a late spring freeze and drought. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Talbott Farms sent an estimated 15 tons of Palisade peaches to the Pauline S. Schneegas Wildlife Foundation, which cares for orphaned and malnourished bears. Foundation volunteers picked up 2,000 pounds of peaches a week for the bears.

Why it matters

A late spring freeze and severe drought reduced the natural food bears need to fatten up before hibernation. The Foundation, which typically cares for around five bears in a year, was housing more than 30.

The Foundation housed more than 30 bears this year, compared with a typical year of around five, and received an estimated 15 tons of peaches. Talbott Farms also helped it buy apples at around 40 cents a pound after a roughly 10-day trucking delay.

The players

Pauline S. Schneegas Wildlife Foundation

A wildlife rehabilitation center in Silt, Colorado, that cares for injured, orphaned, and malnourished bears and prepares them for return to the wild.

Talbott Farms

A Palisade, Colorado, peach grower that donated its fruit to the Foundation and helped secure discounted apples for the bears.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife

The state agency responsible for managing wildlife in Colorado, which will assist in moving hibernating bears into artificial dens.

The details

Foundation volunteers collected 2,000 pounds of peaches weekly for the bears, and Talbott Farms helped the Foundation purchase apples from its supplier at cost after truckers paused deliveries amid a possible strike over diesel prices. Acorns were also donated to the Foundation this year by a donor.

Spring: A late freeze damaged natural food sources for bears.
Through the end of September: Peach donations ran until the harvest ended.
Earlier this year: Apple deliveries were interrupted for about 10 days.
January and February: Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff plan to remove hibernating bears and place them in artificial dens.
March and April: Bears are expected to wake and return to the wild.

Philanthropy Context

Colorado Parks and Wildlife coordinates bear hibernation and relocation, and this donation shows private growers and nonprofits stepping in when a poor forage season leaves bears underfed before winter.

Residents who want to support wildlife rehabilitation can consider donating food or funds to local nonprofits during lean seasons. Growers and businesses can also explore surplus donation programs that keep fruit out of landfills.

The takeaway

Drought and freezes can quickly strip wild food sources, so community donations of surplus produce can make a measurable difference for animals in care. Supporting local rehabilitation centers during difficult seasons helps bears reach hibernation and survive until spring.

What happens next

Bears are expected to be moved to a satellite facility at 8,000 feet, with Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff placing hibernating bears in artificial dens in January and February before they wake and return to the wild in March and April.