Once in a Mango Nectarine

When I first came across the Mango Nectarine, I felt David Byrne of Talking Heads fame well up within me. I couldn’t help but ask the big lyrical questions:  “Am I finding myself in a hot-sun snack? Am I in another part of the world? Am I behind the wheel of a smooth taste-mobile? Is this a beautiful fruit with a beautiful slice? Hey – how did this Mango Nectarine get here?” I didn’t want to let the days go by without understanding more so here it is. . .

The Mango Nectarine (that pale yellow nectarine in the Harvest Flyer boxes this week) has a wonderfully unique texture and taste. When ripe, it is rich and soft like a mango that melts on your tongue and lingers with a demure honey-perfumed flavor. They are best when they begin to soften to the touch.

What is this Fruit?  Where Does it Come From?  How is it Grown?

The Mango Nectarine is a cross of nectarine “sports.” A “sport” is a naturally-occurring abnormality in fruit trees. Grower David Kamada from Ito Fruit Company said:  “We see one sport in every 40 acres of our trees. You may get one branch that throws off a new variety. When we find it in our orchard, we mark it and then try to propagate it to see if it is something worth keeping.” Growing a new variety takes two paths, grafting or budding. In the spring, growers can take a bud from a new sport and put it onto a new limb of a tree.  Grafting is a similar process which happens when the tree is dormant in winter.

The Mango Nectarine is believed to be a cross of two old-variety pale nectarine sports. Early California nectarines were green-skinned and white-fleshed. They were small but produced sweet-tasting varieties like the John Rivers, Gower, and Quetta. The look of the modern red-skinned nectarine came about in 1942 when Fred W. Anderson of Le Grand, California, introduced the Le Grand Nectarine.  Since then, nectarines have been grown for deeper red color and larger sizes.

Enjoy the Mango Nectarine in this week’s crate and savor its flavor. Its pedigree is a great example of something new that is rooted in an heirloom tradition.    

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Enjoy and be fruitful!    chris@fruitguys.com

Worldwide Wellness - Making a Difference

Congratulations to our fabulous farmer friend and environmental steward, Allen Harthorn of Harpo Organics, who grows succulent organic Valencia oranges in Ventura County.

Allen Harthorn and wife, Pamela, have transitioned his grandfather's ranch into a certified organic farm. In addition to being on the board of California Certified Organic Farms, Allen has served as president of Friends of Butte Creek, stewards of the salmon habitat located there.

The FruitGuys has been working with Allen for the last two years and we are now proud to bring you his good news: "The salmon are running!"

Allen lives near Chico and Butte Creek runs through his property. Allen is an active environmental advocate who has lead a movement to protect local salmon. This year, his success is important in that while the majority of California is seeing a decrease in the salmon population, the Chinook salmon of Butte Creek have been returning to their spawning grounds on Butte Creek in record numbers.

Future generations of Butte Creek salmon can thank Allen and the Friends of Butte Creek for the vigilance and care he has brought to the habitat for nearly a decade.

Allen has been President of the Friends of Butte Creek since 1999, and as a fly fishing guide, he knows his waters well. In 2002, he spotted a devastating sediment spill from a PG&E powerhouse on Butte Creek that suffocated many of the fish. Since then, he and the Friends have been at work with PG&E, coordinating with local farmers regarding run-off as well as with various agencies to remove obstacles to the salmon. Their efforts are paying off. Friends of Butte Creek is a formidable group watching over the re-licensing of the PG&E DeSabla-Centerville Project. Its robust website is chock-full of information, statistics and reports — even a live fish-cam.

We recently contacted Allan to check if the recent wild fires posed any threat to the fish habitat. "The fire did not get down to the creek anywhere thanks to firefighters and local residents. Maintaining a buffer between the burned areas and the creek is essential to prevent any erosion. So far so good." said Allen.

Another crisis was averted on Wednesday July 2nd when 350 salmon were hand carried out of warmer pools where they got stuck and then trucked up stream to cooler pools. Caring neighbors and creek watchers alerted the California Department of Fish & Game to this desperate situation once again proving the power of concerned communities working together on watershed matters affecting our community, the environment, and the world around us. View pictures of the rescue here.

It's amoré!
Chinook are anadromous, which means they hatch in freshwater streams and rivers, migrate to the ocean for feeding and growth, and return to their natal waters to spawn.

Check out this week's fruit at work mixes.

The FruitGuys provides clients full access to the Berkeley Wellness Letter.

July’s password is: Berry

Field Trips

WEST COAST

Professional Environmental Networking Event
Meet like-minded green folks
Nationwide - check website for dates and cities

Corporate Community Involvement Conference
San Francisco
July 30 - Aug 1

Permaculture Tour
West Marin
July 12

EAST COAST

Professional Environmental Networking Event
Meet like-minded green folks
Nationwide - check website for dates and cities

Sandcastle Contest
Belmar NJ
July 9

Jefferson's Trees at Monticello
Charlottesville, VA
July 12


If you have any questions, feel free to call us toll-free at 1-877-FRUIT-ME or contact Customer Service via email.

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