PEACHES, APPLES, AND FIGS

 At the moment we are going strong with Fay Elberta peaches.  When that moment is gone we will have a small crop of O'Henry and Summerset peaches to harvest and then the peach trees will be empty till next June (2026).    

The apple harvest is now starting.  We have Gravenstein and Gala apples. The Gravenstein are an old variety with unique fragrance and tartness.  It is used for sauce and cider or a good sour apple crunch. Gala have a red blush over light yellow skin.  They are a sweet crisp apple great for snacking.

It seems I have been waiting a long time for the second crop of figs to get ready.  Slowly they are starting to come into the farm stand.  We will get a boost from Lupi Farm in Granite Bay that will be bringing us Black Mission figs this week. 

The vegetable garden is at its peak. We are getting tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, beans, peppers and eggplants.  The days are getting shorter and the veggies seem to know.  When I harvest the cucumbers, squash and tomatoes, I can tell that my boxes are lighter than they were last week.

We have an opening at our farm for a worker who  can work in and around the farm stand part time 2 to 4 days per week. Hours will increase as we get into persimmon season.

 

HELP WANTED

Job Posting: Farm Stand worker.  10 to 30 hours per week (hours vary by the season).  $16.50 to $17.50 per hour.

Otow Orchard, 6232 Eureka Rd. Granite Bay

Otow Orchard is a direct-to-consumer farm market. Personal contact with and respect for customers is important to building our business and our community. Produce is grown without sprays or chemical fertilizers. Harvest occurs when produce is mature and at its peak. We support local feeding programs and area farms.  The pay is not great but the experience is rewarding.

We are looking for an honest, reliable, hardworking, self-directed individual who has an interest in growing good food. This is an opportunity to work day to day on a farm and learn about our crops and methods.

Job Title: Farm stand and produce associate

Job description:

Assist in farm stand marketing and sales.

Cleaning, inspecting, and restocking the display.

Maintain and clean the fruit stand area and farm yard.

Sorting produce for quality and distribution.

Harvest, irrigate and help maintain vegetable garden.

Build positive relationships with customers and coworkers.

Assignments may require use of hand tools and power tools.

Seasonally and with experience, the job description will change as needed.

Responsibilities:

Work safely and ask for help when needed.

Follow heat stress and food safety guidelines.

Be observant and report or take care of things that are out of line.

Clean up and put away tools and equipment.

Make good use of time.

Requirements:

Reliable transportation.

Commute less than 10 miles.

Be able to safely lift 40 pounds.

Work during extremes of weather: hot, cold, wet, dry.

Dependable attendance.

Good math basics.

Good communication skills (listening and speaking).

Please submit resume and inquiries in person or through email: otoworchard@yahoo.com

 

 

 

 

 Hours

    Tues thru Sat  10:00 am to 6:00 pm

    Sunday 11:00 to 5:00

    Closed on Mondays 

Here is what we have at the Farm Stand from Otow Orchard.

PEACHES  

Fay Elberta:  Yellow, freestone peach. Juicy and sweet for eating out of hand or baking and canning.  Known for its melting texture.

Opale:  White freestone peach.  Low acid, sweet and juicy. 

Paradise:   White freestone peach.  Low acid, sweet and juicy. 

PLUMS

Eldorado:  Yellow fleshed plum.  Often eaten hard and crisp.  Very sweet. 

Laroda:  Yellow fleshed plum.  Sweet/tart and juicy.  Pleasant flavor.

Mariposa:  Juicy, red fleshed plum.  Very sweet.  (Limited supply).

Kelsey:  Green skin over yellow flesh.  Firm to soft. Always sweet and juicy. 

LSR:  Yellow flesh sweet tart plum.   

      

 

Hoshigaki :  These are whole dried persimmons.  They were hand massaged while they dried over a period of four to eight weeks.  Some are firm, others are soft and moist.  All are coated with naturally formed white persimmon sugar.  No sugar added and no preservatives used. We strive to make the best hoshigaki without any shortcuts.  This takes time and attention during the drying season.  Hoshigaki are now available in the farm stand.  Contact us for large on-farm pick-up orders. (916) 791-1656 or email at otowochard@yahoo.com. 

Hoshigaki strips:  These are piec
es of hoshigaki sliced for easy snacking.

Gravenstein Apples: Tart and flavorful apple. Often used for sauce or in cider. (limited supply.)

Gala Apples:  Sweet, crisp apple.  Red blush on skin over light yellow skin.   Great for snacking.

Local Honey  Honey 🍯 from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard. Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard is also available.

⚘ Calendula  Salve and Lip Balm:  Wonderfully thick salve for healing dry skin, bug bites and scrapes.

Summer Squash:

Green and Yellow Zucchini.

Yellow crookneck  

Cucumbers:

Armenian:  Light and dark green in color.  Young cucumbers have few seeds.  Background flavor of melon. 

Asian cucumbers:  Bumpy or spiny. Long green seedless cucumbers. Sweet, flavorful and often burpless. Melon rind-like flavor.

Lemon cucumber:  Small, round, green, tender cucumber unless I wait too long to pick it and it becomes yellow and seedy.

Tomatoes:  Red tomatoes for slicing and adding to salad.

Cherry tomatoes:                            

Sungold (orange)

Sweetie (red)

Suncherry (red) 

Other Vegetables: (Limited supply.)

Japanese eggplant

Bell peppers 

Green beans 

Shishito peppers 

Aoshiso leaves 

Here is what we have from other producers:

Sunnyslope Farm: conventionally grown peaches from Granite Bay.

Fay Elberta Peaches:  Very popular variety. Big and beautiful, yellow freestone peaches.  Sweet and Juicy with wonderful flavor and smooth texture. 

La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis is bringing us fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens.  Limited supply.

Fresh Bouquetsi of colorful in-season flowers from La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis. 

 

Lupi Farm in Granite Bay. No spray practice:  

Black Mission Figs:  Dark skin over rich, sweet, jammy flesh.  

 

Nest of baby birds in the tomato vine.

 

 

PEACHES AND TOMATOES

 Tomato season has arrived.  It always amazes me.  We provide a tiny seed with soil, water, and heat in the middle of February and now we have 6 foot tall bushy vines supporting green and suddenly red tomatoes.  It has been happening every year but it is still a wonder to witness.  We have a few big red slicers and many junior slicers.  Then there are those for slicing into salads.  Also red and yellow cherry tomatoes are available. Last week while harvesting tomatoes I became aware of high pitched tweets.  There was a gray bird with light red breast feathers flittering among tree branches near by.  I recalled this happening last year. I began searching the tomato vine canopies. And there it was. A bird nest with three tiny light blue eggs.  I will try not to disturb the nest and hope to watch skinny looking baby birds  as they develop feathers and eventually take flight.

The peaches are a little slow right now.  We are harvesting a few Gene Elberta and Suncrest yellow peaches. The Gene Elberta are about done and the Suncrest are starting.  We are also getting conventionally grown big beautiful Suncrest peaches from Sunnyslope Farm. The white peach season is slowing down.  Just a few Silver Logan and Babcock peaches remain to be harvested.  On the horizon are Fay Elberta  and 49er peaches.

Plums are showing their diversity.  We are still offering Santa Rosa Plums.  The yellow flesh plums are: Eldorado, Red Roy and Laroda.   Red fleshed plums are: Frontier and Mariposa.  European plums: Tulare Giant. 

 In addition to tomatoes, the garden is producing several varieties of cucumbers and squash.  There is a good supply of Asian and Armenian cucumbers. Both are so crisp and tender.  Zucchini squash are very happy but the yellow squash and patty pan squashes are giving it some competition.  Green beans and bell peppers show up occasionally.

 A little later than usual is the Gravenstein Apple harvest.  Not much this year. This red striped green apple is tart and flavorful.  Famously used for applesauce.

 

 Hours

    Tues thru Sat  10:00 am to 6:00 pm

    Sunday 11:00 to 5:00

    Closed on Mondays 

Here is what we have at the Farm Stand from Otow Orchard.

Blackberries:  These are wild blackberies that grow on our property.  They are painstakingly picked from thorny vines for your eating enjoyment.  Sweet/tart and soo flavorful.  Usually only in-season during July.

 

PEACHES  

Gene Elberta:  Yellow, freestone peach. Juicy and sweet for eating out of hand or baking and canning.     

49er:  Yellow freestone peach.  Juicy and sweet with a smooth texture. Good for fresh eating and baking or canning.

Sugar Lady: White freestone peach.  This pink to red skinned white peach is sweet and fragrant.  Can be enjoyed on the firm side or left to become soft, juicy and sweet.

Silver Logan:  White freestone peach.  Beautiful pink skin color over white.  Flesh has pink streaks in white flesh.  Intense sweet flavor with some tang to it.

Babcock:  White freestone peach. Sweet, delicate flavor. Red to pink skin  over white flesh (limited supply).

PLUMS

Santa Rosa:  Old sought after variety for their rich aromatic flavor.  Early season Santa Rosa have yellow flesh that is sweet tart. Late season Santa Rosa have red flesh and are all sweet.  Their fragrance will fills our farm stand. They are great for fresh eating and have been known to win jam contest for their flavor and sweet tart contrast.

Frontier:  Red fleshed  plum.  Sweet and juicy with mild flavor. 

Eldorado:  Yellow fleshed plum.  Often eaten hard and crisp.  Very sweet. 

Laroda:  Yellow fleshed plum.  Sweet/tart and juicy.  Pleasant flavor.

Mariposa:  Juicy, red fleshed plum.  Very sweet.  (Limited supply.)

Red Roy:  Red skin over yellow flesh. Sweet firm plum.

Kelsey:  Green skin over yellow flesh.  Firm to soft. Always sweet and juicy. 

Tulare Giant: Elongated purple European plum.  Yellow fleshed, freestone plum. Often used in baking. (Limited supply.)

  

      

 

Hoshigaki :  These are whole dried persimmons.  They were hand massaged while they dried over a period of four to eight weeks.  Some are firm, others are soft and moist.  All are coated with naturally formed white persimmon sugar.  No sugar added and no preservatives used. We strive to make the best hoshigaki without any shortcuts.  This takes time and attention during the drying season.  Hoshigaki are now available in the farm stand.  Contact us for large on-farm pick-up orders. (916) 791-1656 or email at otowochard@yahoo.com. 

Hoshigaki strips:  These are pieces of hoshigaki sliced for easy snacking.

Eureka Lemons:  These are very tart lemons. Great for contrast in sweet and sour recipes like:  lemonade, lemon meringue pie, sweet and sour pork, and lemon bars.

Valencia Oranges:  Sweet juicing oranges. 

Gravenstein Apples: Tart and flavorful apple. Often used for sauce or in cider. (limited supply.)

Local Honey  Honey 🍯 from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard. Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard is also available.

⚘ Calendula  Salve and Lip Balm:  Wonderfully thick salve for healing dry skin, bug bites and scrapes.

Summer Squash:

Green and Yellow Zucchini.

Yellow crookneck  

Cucumbers:

Armenian:  Light and dark green in color.  Young cucumbers have few seeds.  Background flavor of melon. 

Asian cucumbers:  Bumpy or spiny. Long green seedless cucumbers. Sweet, flavorful and often burpless. Melon rind-like flavor.

Lemon cucumber:  Small, round, green, tender cucumber unless I wait too long to pick it and it becomes yellow and seedy.

Tomatoes:  Red tomatoes and a few heirloom varieties. 

Cherry tomatoes:                            

Sungold (orange)

Sweetie (red)

Suncherry (red) 

Other Vegetables: (Limited supply.)

Japanese eggplant

Bell peppers 

Green beans 

Shishito peppers 

Aoshiso leaves 

Here is what we have from other producers:

Sunnyslope Farm: conventionally grown peaches from Granite Bay.

Suncrest Peaches:  Very popular variety. Big and beautiful, yellow freestone peaches.  Sweet and Juicy with wonderful flavor.  

La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis is bringing us fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens.  Limited supply.

Fresh Bouquets of colorful in-season flowers from La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis. 

 

 

 

 

 

BLACKBERRIES, PLUMS AND WHITE PEACHES

    We are finishing up  a fantastic harvest of Red Haven peaches.  Many have commented that they were the best peaches.  In a week, those customers will be coming back for more and I will have to inform them that the Red Haven trees are empty. No more till next June.  Not to worry, this is just the beginning of mid-season peaches.  We are waiting for Gene Elberta, Suncrest, and Fay Elberta peaches to mature.  We can't pick till they are ready.  Meanwhile, white peaches will have our attention. These peaches are so delicate that my daughter says "They bruise by just looking at them."  Please respect our "Do Not Handle " signs to preserve quality for yourself and the next customer.

     An array of plums are starting to fill our display table.  Santa Rosa, Black Amber, Burgundy, Satsuma, and Frontier.  When I was growing up, over half a century ago, plums were the focus of this farm in the summer.  We picked the plums when they were not quite ripe into 40 pound field lugs.  From the orchard, the tractor pulled the the trailer filled with these lugs to the unloading dock at our packing shed. The lugs were unloaded and stacked five high. Each lug was then tipped onto an elevated grading table and blemished plums were removed before the plums were pushed onto a sizing belt.  The sizing conveyor belt allowed the smallest plums to fall onto the packing table at the near end.  The larger plums would drop onto the table as the conveyor belt widened at the far end. It was then the job of the packer to line up the plums in a predetermined pattern of 3 layers in each of 4 baskets that made up a crate of plums.  The plums did not always cooperate with the pattern and we struggled to find plums of just the right size to meet the requirement.  When the plums were packed just so, the crate was placed on a lidding table where a crate lid was manually nailed onto it. The crate was then loaded onto my father's, now ancient, 1950 Ford truck.  My father would use rope and trucker's hitch to tie down the load of 40 to 80 crates.  The load was taken to the fruit shed in Loomis where the inspector would open one of the crates and accept or reject our load. Our load was then placed into a gigantic refrigerator along with hundreds of crates from other growers in the area.  When the fruit shed got an order, the crates were placed in an ice cooled box car.  These trains took our plums to places such as Denver, Chicago, Boston, and New York.

     After a full day of packing plums, my mother would send us out to pick blackberries.  Kind of a love hate task.  Wearing a long sleeved shirt and tall barn boots we respectfully picked berries between twisted thorny vines with our bare hands. We always ended up getting poked and scratched but the fruits of our labor were worth while.  In a couple days we would be back to do it all again.  It is blackberry season.  We have  baskets of these wild berries in the farm stand. These blackberries are sweet, juicy and so tasty.

    The Berba crop of figs quickly came and went.  Now we await the second crop. Predicted to show up at the end of July to mid August.

 

 

 

 Hours

    Tues thru Sat  10:00 am to 6:00 pm

    Sunday 11:00 to 5:00

    Closed on Mondays 

Here is what we have at the Farm Stand from Otow Orchard.

Blackberries:  These are wild blackberies that grow on our property.  They are painstakingly picked from thorny vines for your eating enjoyment.  Sweet/tart and soo flavorful.  Usually only in-season during July.

 

PEACHES  

Red Haven:  Yellow freestone peach.  Great flavor, sweet and juicy. 

Sugar Lady: White freestone peach.  This pink to red skinned white peach is sweet and fragrant.  Can be enjoyed on the firm side or left to become soft, juicy and sweet.

Silver Logan:  White freestone peach.  Beautiful pink skin color over white.  Flesh has pink streaks in white flesh.  Intense sweet flavor with some tang to it.  Very tasty. 

Nectar:  White freestone peach.  Delicate and subject to bruising.  White skin over white flesh. Very sweet and juicy (limited supply). 

Babcock:  White freestone peach. Sweet, delicate flavor. Red to pink skin  over white flesh (limited supply).

PLUMS

Santa Rosa:  Old sought after variety for their rich aromatic flavor.  Early season Santa Rosa have yellow flesh that is sweet tart. Late season Santa Rosa have red flesh and are all sweet.  Their fragrance will fills our farm stand. They are great for fresh eating and have been known to win jam contest for their flavor and sweet tart contrast.

Burgundy:  Dark skin over red flesh.  Sweet, mild tasting plum with firm flesh.

Black Amber:  Black skin over Yellow flesh.  Floral fragrance, juicy and sweet. Mostly eaten fresh.  This plum is a freestone and often used in baking.  Black Amber Plum pie is one of our favorite:

4 1/2 cups Black Amber plums. Unpeeled and seed removed.  Slice into a medium size mixing bowl.  Add 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup tapioca, 1/4 teaspoon Almond extract.  Mix all ingredients together and let set for 15 minutes.  Line 9 inch pie plate with pie crust topped with 1 tablespoon diced butter.  Pour plum mixture into crust. Put on top pie crust and seal edges well. Poke holes in top crust to allow steam and juice to vent.  Sprinkle  with a bit of sugar and cinnamon. Place cookie sheet or foil under pie to catch drips. Bake 400 degrees until bubbly.  45 to 50 minutes.

Satsuma:  Old time red flesh plum.  The flesh becomes more and more jelly-like as it softens.   These are small and sweet. (Limited supply.) 

Frontier:  Sweet, mild-flavored plum. Red flesh as it ripens. (Limited supply.) 

  

  Hoshigaki :  These are whole dried persimmons.  They were hand massaged while they dried over a period of four to eight weeks.  Some are firm, others are soft and moist.  All are coated with naturally formed white persimmon sugar.  No sugar added and no preservatives used. We strive to make the best hoshigaki without any shortcuts.  This takes time and attention during the drying season.  Hoshigaki are now available in the farm stand.  Contact us for large on-farm pick-up orders. (916) 791-1656 or email at otowochard@yahoo.com. 

 Hoshigaki strips:  These are pieces of hoshigaki sliced for easy snacking.

 Hachiya Pulp:  Frozen Hachiya persimmon pulp is available. Often used to make cookies, puddings and breads.  Many customers put it on yogurt and oatmeal  or add it to their smoothie.

Eureka Lemons:  These are very tart lemons. Great for contrast in sweet and sour recipes like:  lemonade, lemon meringue pie, sweet and sour pork, and lemon bars.

Valencia Oranges:  Sweet juicing oranges. 

Local Honey  Honey 🍯 from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard. Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard is also available.

⚘ Calendula  Salve and Lip Balm:  Wonderfully thick salve for healing dry skin, bug bites and scrapes.

Summer Squash:

Green and Yellow Zucchini.

Yellow crookneck  

Cucumbers:

Armenian:  Light and dark green in color.  Young cucumbers have few seeds.  Background flavor of melon. 

Asian cucumbers:  Bumpy or spiny. Long green seedless cucumbers. Sweet, flavorful and often burpless. Melon rind-like flavor.

Tomatoes:  Red tomatoes and a few heirloom varieties. 

Cherry tomatoes:                            

Sungold (orange)

Sweetie (red)

Suncherry (red) 

Other Vegetables: (Limited supply.)

Japanese eggplant

Green beans 

Shishito peppers 

Aoshiso leaves 

Here is what we have from other producers:

Sunnyslope Farm: conventionally grown peaches from Granite Bay.

Flavorcrest: Yellow freestone. Juicy, sweet with some tang.

June Pride:  Yellow freestone peach. Sweet and juicy with firm flesh.

 

Stoney Point Orchard,  Loomis, CA organic certified:

    Rio Red Grapefruit:   Juicy and sweet with a bit of tartness. Flesh is pink.

La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis is bringing us fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens.  Limited supply.

Onions:  La Bella Vito Farm is bringing us red, yellow, and white onions sustainably grown in Loomis, CA. (Limited supply.)

Fresh Bouquets of colorful in-season flowers from La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis. 

 

 

 

JULY 4 AND 5 2025

 July 4 and 5 we  will be open with shorter hours.

 

July 4 open 10 am to 2 pm

July 5 open 10 am to 2 pm

Regular hours will resume on Sunday July 6. 

 Regular Hours

    Tues thru Sat  10:00 am to 6:00 pm

    Sunday 11:00 to 5:00

    Closed on Mondays 

 

 

 

FINALLY A TASTE OF SUMMER

     This week we started harvesting some peaches and plums.  Slowly we are beginning to see peaches, plums, pluots, and nectarines ripening on the trees.  Not enough to make all our customers happy.  Hopefully they can be patient.  And when we let a small tray go out the door we try to caution people to let the fruit set on the counter a couple days to bring out the flavor and sweetness and juice.

       In the peach department, we are harvesting Flavorcrest, a yellow freestone peach.  I never think these early freestone  peaches like to come apart as easily as the later peaches.  Red Haven and Regina peaches are coming off the trees.  Two favorite varieties of many of our customers.  They will be at their peak for a week.  So don't miss out.

      In the plum department, the Santa Rosas are quickly coming to maturity.   I'll be sorting a hundred boxes this week.  These all time  favorite plum will be available for about a month.  Occasionally we get a few red flesh plums: Burgundy, Black Splendor, and Frontier.

     Apricot season was unusually productive.  We are winding  down the apricot season with Royal Blenheim. 

     We have cleaned up the citrus trees. Next year's crop is already hanging on the trees.  They are still very small and very green. This year's Eureka lemons and Valencia oranges that we harvested will keep nicely in the cool room for a few weeks.  

     The time we put into our gardens is starting to pay off.  Slowly we are getting zucchini and yellow summer squash. Armenian and Japanese cucumber are also starting their harvest.  The tomatoes are still green although I am beginning to pick some cherry tomatoes.

 

 

 Hours

    Tues thru Sat  10:00 am to 6:00 pm

    Sunday 11:00 to 5:00

    Closed on Mondays 

Here is what we have at the Farm Stand from Otow Orchard.

Apricots:

Blenheim (Royal): Old and very popular variety. Although small, this variety is aromatic and full of flavor.  Don't be fooled by the greenish shoulders, the Blenheim is juicy and sweet with tangy background. Customers keep coming back for them. Blenheims are used for canning baking, drying and fresh eating.

 

PEACHES

Flavorcrest: Yellow freestone peach. Tasty early season firm fleshed peach. Juicier and sweeter when left to ripen on the counter.

Regina: Yellow freestone peach.  Sweet and juicy as it ripens.  

Red Haven:  Yellow freestone peach.  Great flavor, sweet and juicy. 

June Pride:  Yellow freestone peach with dark red skin and intense flavor. Enjoyed on the firm side but will ripen to be soft and juicy. 

Sugar Lady: White freestone peach.  This pink to red skinned white peach is sweet and fragrant.  Can be enjoyed on the firm side or left to become soft, juicy and sweet.

PLUMS

Santa Rosa:  Old sought after variety for their rich aromatic flavor.  Early season Santa Rosa have yellow flesh that is sweet tart. Late season Santa Rosa have red flesh and are all sweet.  Soon their fragrance will fill our farm stand. They are great for fresh eating and have been known to win jam contest for their flavor and sweet tart contrast.

Burgundy:  Dark skin over red flesh.  Sweet, mild tasting plum with firm flesh.

 

Jade Nectarines:  Sweet and tasty white nectarine.  Limited Supply. 

 Figs:  Black Mission and Panache figs.  Breba crop. Limited Supply.

 

  Hoshigaki :  These are whole dried persimmons.  They were hand massaged while they dried over a period of four to eight weeks.  Some are firm, others are soft and moist.  All are coated with naturally formed white persimmon sugar.  No sugar added and no preservatives used. We strive to make the best hoshigaki without any shortcuts.  This takes time and attention during the drying season.  Hoshigaki are now available in the farm stand.  Contact us for large on-farm pick-up orders. (916) 791-1656 or email at otowochard@yahoo.com. 

 Hoshigaki strips:  These are pieces of hoshigaki sliced for easy snacking.

 Hachiya Pulp:  Frozen Hachiya persimmon pulp is available. Often used to make cookies, puddings and breads.  Many customers put it on yogurt and oatmeal  or add it to their smoothie.

Eureka Lemons:  These are very tart lemons. Great for contrast in sweet and sour recipes like:  lemonade, lemon meringue pie, sweet and sour pork, and lemon bars.

Valencia Oranges:  Sweet juicing oranges. 

Local Honey  Honey 🍯 from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard. Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard is also available.

⚘ Calendula  Salve and Lip Balm:  Wonderfully thick salve for healing dry skin, bug bites and scrapes.

Summer Squash:

Green and Yellow Zucchini.

Yellow crookneck  

Cucumbers:

Armenian:  Light and dark green in color.  Young cucumbers have few seeds.  Background flavor of melon. 

Asian cucumbers:  Bumpy or spiny. Long green seedless cucumbers. Sweet, flavorful and often burpless. Melon rind-like flavor.

Here is what we have from other producers:

Stoney Point Orchard,  Loomis, CA organic certified:

    Rio Red Grapefruit:   Juicy and sweet with a bit of tartness. Flesh is pink.

La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis is bringing us fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens.  Limited supply.

Onions:  La Bella Vito Farm is bringing us red, yellow, and white onions sustainably grown in Loomis, CA. 

Fresh Bouquets of colorful in-season flowers from La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis. 

 

The California Persimmon Recipe Book:  Introduction to basic persimmon knowledge followed by recipes for the different types of persimmons.

Krumel Family no spray:  Black mission figs.

NOT WINTER BUT SUMMER

 It's not winter, so hoshigaki season is on the back burner. It is still available at the farm stand but not through mail order.  And now we switch our attention to things of summer like stone fruit and veggies.

The peach season has started but it seems that they sell almost as soon as they are brought into the farm stand.  Don't worry, much more is on the way.  A few lucky customers were able to snag some of the Springrose or Springcrest peaches.  There will soon be Maycrest and Junecrest.  Then we will start harvesting Flavorcrest and Regina peaches.  

Apricots are happy this year.  I'm not sure why but something in the weather we were handed was agreeable to them.  Robada and Royal Rosa apricots sold out quickly.  Now we are bring in Blenheim (Royal) and Patterson.  Both are excellent varieties.

It is an unusual year. Not only do we have a good harvest of apricots but there are also respectable nectarines on the trees.  Meaning they are not quite as scarred up and cracked as we normally have.  There will be a limited amount of white Jade nectarines in the near future.

Loquats are now producing small, sweet and juicy fruit.  Between the large brown seed and the firm yellow skin is sweet juicy flesh.

SANTA ROSA plums are starting ripen.  These are the most popular and sought after variety of plums. They  have a distinctive flavor and enticing fragrance. They are both sweet and  sour at the beginning of the season.  Later ones are all sweet and juicy.  

We are now offering flowers.  The fresh flower bouquets are coming from La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis. The bouquets are garden fresh and contain colorful in-season blooms.  Come check them out.

Slowly the gardens are starting to produce.  Green and yellow summer squash have both made their debut.  A few Sungold cherry tomatoes are getting ready.  Sorry, but big tomatoes and cucumber are weeks away.

 Last fall we dried and massaged persimmons to make hoshigaki.  The ones that did not sell were stored in the freezer.  We will be slowly selling these at the farm stand.  Most of the hoshigaki that we will be selling are firmer or not as sugared as we like.  Nonetheless they retain the favor of hoshigaki.  We cut firmer hoshigaki  into strips and are sold in snack bags.  All this this say hoshigaki is not available through mail order at this time.  Most likely mail order will be available late November and December.  People are encouraged to look for the 2025 Mail order form in October and send their order in early.

 

 Hours

    Tues thru Sat  10:00 am to 6:00 pm

    Sunday 11:00 to 5:00

    Closed on Mondays 

Here is what we have at the Farm Stand from Otow Orchard.

Apricots:

 Patterson:  This apricot has good flavor and can be used for canning, baking drying and fresh eating.  When ripened it is both flavorful and sweet with tangy background. 

Blenheim (Royal): Old and very popular variety. Although small, this variety is aromatic and full of flavor.  Don't be fooled by the greenish shoulders the Blenheim is juicy and sweet with tangy background. Customers keep coming back for them. Blenheims are used for canning baking, drying and fresh eating.

Loquat:  A subtropical fruit popularized in Asia.  Loquat are small round or pear-shaped fruit that grow in clusters.  They are covered with a downy orange skin. The flesh is also orange containing 2 to 4 oval brown seeds.  The taste is tangy, sweet and juicy. We often refer to these as memory fruit.  Children walking to school would sampling them from landscape trees along their route to school.

 

PEACHES

 Maycrest:  Yellow freestone peach.

Junecrest: Yellow freestone peach.

Flavorcrest: Yellow freestone peach.

Regina: Yellow freestone peach.

PLUMS

Santa Rosa:  Old sought after variety for their rich aromatic flavor.  Early season Santa Rosa have yellow flesh that is sweet tart. Late season Santa Rosa have red flesh and are all sweet.  Soon their fragrance will fill our farm stand. They are great for fresh eating and have been known to win jam contest for their flavor and sweet tart contrast.

  Hoshigaki :  These are whole dried persimmons.  They were hand massaged while they dried over a period of four to eight weeks.  Some are firm, others are soft and moist.  All are coated with naturally formed white persimmon sugar.  No sugar added and no preservatives used. We strive to make the best hoshigaki without any shortcuts.  This takes time and attention during the drying season.  Hoshigaki are now available in the farm stand.  Contact us for large on-farm pick-up orders. (916) 791-1656 or email at otowochard@yahoo.com. 

 Hoshigaki strips:  These are pieces of hoshigaki sliced for easy snacking.

 Hachiya Pulp:  Frozen Hachiya persimmon pulp is available. Often used to make cookies, puddings and breads.  Many customers put it on yogurt and oatmeal  or add it to their smoothie.

Eureka Lemons:  These are very tart lemons. Great for contrast in sweet and sour recipes like:  lemonade, lemon meringue pie, sweet and sour pork, and lemon bars.

Yellow grapefruit:  Sweet tart grapefruit with yellow flesh.  This variety has great flavor.

Local Honey  Honey 🍯 from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard. Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard is also available.

⚘ Calendula  Salve and Lip Balm:  Wonderfully thick salve for healing dry skin, bug bites and scrapes.

Peach trees:  We have a few peach trees for planting.  Regina peaches are  a yellow freestone peach that is harvested around the end of June. 

Pakistani Mulberries:  Long dark mulberries. Very sweet. Available only to those on the request list. Call to get on the list.

Summer Squash:

Green and Yellow Zucchini.

Yellow crookneck  

Here is what we have from other producers:

Stoney Point Orchard,  Loomis, CA organic certified:

    Rio Red Grapefruit:   Juicy and sweet with a bit of tartness. Flesh is pink.

La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis is bringing us fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens.  Limited supply.

Fresh Bouquets of colorful in-season flowers from La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis. 

 

The California Persimmon Recipe Book:  Introduction to basic persimmon knowledge followed by recipes for the different types of persimmons.