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To satisfy the sharp desire I had Of tasting those fair apples, I resolved Not to defer; hunger and thirst at once / Powerful persuaders, quicken’d at the scent Of that alluring fruit, urged me so keen. —John Milton, Paradise Lost Like most things of value in this world, apples seem simple on the surface: peel, flesh, core, seeds. But
In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy. —William Blake Winter is finally here in drought-stricken California, and we’ve gotten a break from all that balmy, summerlike weather we’ve been experiencing. Hello, rain! Hello, frost! Hello, fog! Although we welcome all precipitation, most farms probably won’t be seeing any of the white stuff. The fertile food-bearing land of
“Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you’re a thousand miles from a cornfield.” —Dwight D. Eisenhower Dick Blair and Betty Hui are second-career farmers. Blair spent 35 years as a Bay Area litigation attorney, and Hui is Key Account Manager at The FruitGuys in South San Francisco. When they purchased an old fruit and vegetable
Chocolates and Tomatoes Farm in Poolesville, MD, is a four-acre farm that strives to be sustainable, colorful, and delicious. And while we didn’t choose Chocolates and Tomatoes for a 2015 The FruitGuys Community Fund grant just because the farm happens to produce many of our favorite things—artisan chocolates, hops for beer, and, of course, fresh vegetables—it shows the diversity of
Cherries are finicky trees. They don’t like it when it gets too hot, when there’s not enough rain, and when it doesn’t stay cold enough during the winter. For the last few winters, California’s cherries have had all three of these environmental stresses and responded by producing fewer cherries. “[In 2014], we had almost no cherries—only three trees harvested on
Clear Spring Farm, PA. If you live in an eco-conscious region fighting to preserve its local family farms, chances are you’ve seen bumper stickers such as “Know your farmer, know your food.” “I don’t buy food from strangers.” And “Who’s your farmer?” maybe on a beat-up pickup truck bringing boxes of kale to your local farmers market or on the
Like the snowy owl and the snail darter, foods can be endangered too. If farmers stop growing your favorite variety of tomato because it’s too hard to ship or too prone to pests, we come that much closer to a bland, unified way of eating. In the case of the loss of fruit and vegetable varieties, a shrinking of biodiversity
Recently, California’s growers and water districts approached Governor Jerry Brown to declare California in a state of drought. It has been one of the driest winters on record and the state’s reservoirs, snow pack, streams and rivers have been greatly depleted. Here in the valley we are holding our breath anxiously anticipating the start of the rainy season. We hope
BOYERTOWN, PA — You may think “farmer direct” and “local produce” are trendy concepts invented for the millennium, but Boyertown, Pennsylvania’s Frecon Farms has been getting their fruit directly into the hands of consumers almost since its inception in the 1940s. Mary Frecon, mother of farm founder Richard Frecon, started a roadside stand to sell the farm’s fresh fruit to
Farmer Allen Freeman with granddaughter Emery at the Orange Patch, Mesa, AZ. Phoenix and Mesa, Arizona locals may know the Salt River for tubing fun, but it also has a serious job of watering the luscious navel orange, grapefruit, and tangerine trees of Lehi Valley. One of the benefits of the Salt River is the Orange Patch and its wonderful
Once again, we have felt a monumental shift in the weather here in the valley. Pleasantly warm fall days have given way to frosty mornings that turn into short frigid days. Many trees have been stripped bare of their leaves by the harsh north wind and nightly frosts. And we, the residents of the Capay Valley, can be found sitting
By Kim Jordan Snipes Farm and Education Center in Morrisville, PA, was one of five farms awarded grants in April 2013 from The FruitGuys Community Fund, established in 2012 as a fiscally sponsored project of Community Initiatives. An outgrowth of the South San Francisco-based fruit delivery company’s former Farm Steward Program, the Community Fund gives resources to small farms for
At 4,000 feet, the Willcox area in Northern Cochise County, AZ, was known as the “Cattle Capital” in the Old West days. Situated near Dos Cabezas Mountains, Willcox is now a major producer of diverse agriculture, including some of Arizona’s best-tasting apples. Valley Farms has grown heritage apples for Arizona markets since 1978 under the Desert Sweet brand. In
Ever wonder what an Ojai Pixie does during the off-season? Well here is a little insight about the secret lives of out-of-season Pixies. Lately some friends of mine, during our usual after-school parking lot conversation, had asked me a few questions. First to pipe up was Rob with a pointed jab, “Hey George, why not kick down with some more
Every September, when apple season is just hitting its zenith in most of the country, the harvest is already fading in Sonoma County, CA. This area of California is where the Gravenstein Apple reigns supreme. The Grav (as it’s known) is one of the earliest apples to appear in the market; it’s ready to harvest in August. The Gravenstein’s hometown
As I drive around the valley, everywhere I look, tomato plants are quickly growing larger. Watching them grow is torture because tomatoes have been on my mind since they went out of season early last fall. The funny thing is, I didn’t even like tomatoes until I moved to the Capay Valley last August. That’s because until then I lived
Peaches have been on my mind lately. They are my favorite fruit, and they grow bountifully and beautifully in the Capay Valley. Many of our farms here cultivate more than one variety, and I feel blessed to have the opportunity to try so many different varieties of this sweet, juicy, and perfect fruit. To celebrate National Peach Month, here are
Olson Family Farms in California’s Central Valley is truly a family affair. Five generations have lived on the farmstead and worked the land since John and Anna Olson emigrated from Sweden in 1888. They bought a 22-acre parcel in Kingsburg (Fresno County) and planted peach trees. Back then, before trucking and refrigeration, peaches were hand-sliced and sun-dried. The whole family
from Good Humus Produce, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop A combination of Royal and Blenheim Apricots From the Luxemburg Gardens in Paris to England’s Blenheim Palace to the imperiled orchards of Brentwood and Gilroy, California’s finest apricot has had a long journey. Whether you call it the Blenheim, the Royal or, covering all bases, the Royal Blenheim, this petite
By Seth Wright, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop This 2013 has been an unusually hot and dry spring here in the Capay Valley. The rain, which usually occurs from January until the end March, never really materialized. There have been many beautiful sunny, warm and cloudless days this spring. We valley dwellers have even endured a few
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