Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Blooming trees

Shoko planting trees.

It's a good time to visit the orchard and come take a walk. Plum trees are in bloom with white fluffy flowers and the peach trees are just starting to put out pink blossoms.  By the end of this week the orchard should be full of pink and white flowering trees.

Unfortunately, it's been a very dry winter and spring, so we had to start irrigation for the trees earlier than usual. The trees needed more water before blossoming.  

During the past few weeks we've finished pruning the last trees, like the persimmon and olive trees.  We've also planted around 70 new trees, mostly peaches and few plums. We plan to hang pheromones in the stone fruit trees for the first time this year to hopefully help with pest control.

In the gardens we're starting to make rows for planting.  The first tomato seedlings are growing in the hot house.  We usually plant out tomato seedlings around April 15th, depending on the weather.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Oranges & Grapefruit

Ume branches in bloom (Japanese sour plum)
Blood oranges and grapefruit are now picked and at the fruit stand.  If you like soft persimmons, we have the very last ones of the season now.  We're still selling hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmon) at the fruit stand and through mail order, while supplies last.  Maybe hoshigaki would make a good Valentines or Chinese new year gift?

 The next delivery for the Sierra Foothills Meat Buyers Club will be at our orchard from 4:00 - 5:00 on Friday, Feb. 17th. Orders need to be received by Fri.,  Feb. 10th at 5:00.  Through the Sierra Foothills Meat Buyers Club you can order local naturally grown pork and lamb, grass-fed beef, pastured poultry, eggs, honey and other local products. 

Here's what's at the fruit stand now:
  • Mandarins--owari satsuma
  • Navel Oranges
  • Blood Oranges
  • Lemons
  • Kiwi
  • Hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmon) 
  • Soft Persimmons
  • Perfectly Persimmon Cookbook--1004 persimmon recipes by Jean Brine
  • Placer County Real Food Cookbook--by Joanne Neft and Laura Kenny
  • Eggs

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