SUMMER IS SETTING

The display is full.  It is the time of year when summer meets fall.  There are still peaches, plums, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and peppers.  And now we are adding apples, Asian pears, grapes, Jujube, and figs.  Soon enough there will be European pears, pomegranates, persimmons and quince.

 We have had a gentle summer but this week we will be seeing triple digit temperatures.  I'm having trouble keeping up with the cherry tomatoes.  For one, I  don't much like being out in the hot weather, and two, the heat is encouraging them to ripen quickly. By the time I get out there, many are split or just fall off the vine as I pick adjacent cherry tomatoes.  The squash and cucumbers are slowing down.  Now they produce smaller fruit that take longer to grow to maturity.  I think the vines have worked hard this summer and are getting tired.  I hope you were able to get some tomatoes this summer. It seems that the best are gone.  The production is slowing down and the tomatoes are getting smaller and not so pretty.

Most of the summer fruit trees are empty.  It may appear that this is a non-productive time for them.  In fact, they are preparing next year's crop.  The twigs are developing buds that will produce flowers in the spring and fruit in the summer.  Even though there is no fruit currently on the trees, we continue to water the trees in hopes that the next season will be a good one.

Along with the start of some fall crops, we are starting to prune trees that have finished their production for the year.  Some trees need to be lightly pruned before the wet weather sets in. Trees get less disease when pruned during dry weather.

 

 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  

Summerset:  Yellow, freestone peach. Juicy and sweet for eating out of hand, baking or freezing.  Fine texture.   (Limited supply.)   

Fairtime:  Yellow freestone peach. Red blush over yellow skin. Sweet and juicy. (Limited supply.)

PLUMS

Casselman:  Yellow fleshed plum.  Very sweet and flavorful.  Becomes more sweet and juicy when stored.    

Empress:  Yellow flesh European plum. Often used for baking. (Limited supply.)

FIGS

Brown Turkey:  Brown speckled skin with sweet, pink flesh. Mild sweetness with thoughts of honey.

Black Mission:  Black skin with tan, caramel flavored flesh. Sweet and chewy.

Panache (Tiger Stripe):  Greenish brown striped skin.  Very sweet, pink flesh .

JUJUBE

Li jujube:   Large sweet and crisp or soft and chewy. 

Sugar Cane:  Small and very sweet and crisp. 

      

 

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.  A limited supply of 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. We usually begin processing the new season hoshigaki in October.

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

 

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

GRAPES 

Thompson Seedless:  Small, sweet, yellow grapes.

Kyoho:  Large, sweet, purple grapes with seeds. Flavorful and juicy. 

ASIAN PEARS  

20th Century:  Yellow skin. White, crisp flesh.  Sweet and very juicy.

New Century:  Yellow skin. White, sweet, crisp flesh. 

Kosui:  Yellow skin. White, crunchy flesh. Sweetand juicy  

Hosui:  Brown rough skin. Very Sweet with crunchy flesh. 

EUROPEAN PEARS

Bartlett Pear:  Sweet and juicy European pear. Flesh is white with soft texture and mild fragrance. Used for fresh eating, canning poaching and baking.  I love mine with a scoop of cottage cheese.

 

D'anjou Pear:   Sweet and juicy European pear. Enjoyed when it is a little firm.  Can be eaten out of hand or sliced into cereal or yogurt.  May be poached or used in baking.  Skin remains on the green side.  Ready to eat when neck area begins to soften.

 

Quince:  Related to pears and apples, quince are firm, fragrant, and tart. They contain pectin which promotes jelling. Seldom eaten raw it is usually cooked with sweetener for jam jelly, candy or added to stews. Quince sauce pairs nicely with pork.

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. (Limited supply.)

Cherry tomatoes:                            

Sungold (orange) 

Sweetie (red)

Other Vegetables: (Limited supply.)

Japanese eggplant

Bell peppers 

Shishito peppers 

Aoshiso leaves 

Here is what we have from other producers:

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. (Limited supply.)

 

Lupi Farms in Granite Bay. No spray practice:  

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

Thompson Seedless:  Small, yellow, sweet seedless grapes.

Dark grapes:  Unknown name.  Small, purple, sweet, seedless grapes. 

Kijani Farm in Granite Bay.  No spray practice:

 

Butternut Squash:  Sweet nutty winter squash. Orange flesh is concentrated in the neck of this squash. 

FALL IS HERE

Blessings received.  Thank you for the comfortable weather. We are enjoying it. The plants are also reacting to this change in weather.  The summer garden is slowing down.  The cucumber plants look half dead with their aphid infestation drying the leaves.  The job of aphids is to suck juices  out of leaves.  Close inspection of the leaves reveals little black and orange insects. These are the larvae of lady beetles feasting on aphids. This is why lady bugs are a beneficial insect. As their population increases, we are increasing the population of lady beetles that will be around in the spring when the next season begins. Like beneficial pest insurance. 

Trees are also reacting to the cooler weather and shorter days.   Soon leaves will be changing colors and fall fruit will start to ripen.  We are watching persimmons, apples, quince, and pomegranates.   

As I write this, peaches are disappearing from the farm stand.  The peach trees are empty.  It will be May or June 2025 before those trees can produce ripened peaches again. Sad for many who have enjoyed the peach production this year.  Let's hope the next will be as generous.

A walk in the orchard last week found puncture vines. These plants have been a thorn in our side for all time.  We have only been able to keep them under control by kneeling down on the ground and hand digging and pulling each plant out of the ground. Then carefully and lightly placing a palm down on the earth where the plant was removed. I feel the stings of thorns piercing my palm.  When I lift my hand I remove the seeds that are clinging to my palm.  The seeds and all the vine material I have removed go into a plastic bag and are disposed of in the trash.  We have to keep on top of puncture vine growth.  It is an aggressive weed pest.

We are getting a selection of winter squashes.  Mostly Kabocha the Japanese pumpkin, and also butternut and acorn squash. These can be roasted, steamed, baked or added to soup, stew or baked goods. I often season with a sweetener, they can also be seasoned with herbs, garlic and butter or olive oil. A very versatile vegetable.

 

As a reminder, We will have shortened hours Thursday Sept 26 through Tuesday Oct. 1.                     

                                          Thurs Sept 26:  10 am to 2 pm

                                           Friday Sept 27:  10 am to 2 pm

                                           Sat Sept 28:  10 am to 2 pm

                                           Sun Sept 29:   11am to 4 pm

                                           Mon Sept 30:  Closed

                                           Tues Oct 1:    10 am to 2 pm

                                            Wed Oct 2:  Resume regular hours

Puncture vine

REGULAR HOURS

Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, 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

Plums: 

 Casselman:  Last plum of the year for our orchard. Yellow flesh, sweet crisp plum variety with great flavor and texture.

 

Grapes: 

        Thompson Seedless :  Small, yellow, seedless grapes.  Crisp and very sweet.

Jujube:  Also called Chinese dates and natsume.  They are a small, oval shaped drupe with a date like seed. Enjoyed when crisp green to brown and even wrinkled and chewy. They are sweet with apple-like texture but not as juicy as apples.

Apples: 

Red Delicious:  Sweet mild flavor. Popular for its red color.  Unfortunately, due to the high heat, most of our Red Delicious apples are striped red this year.  Nonetheless they are sweet, tender and crisp.  Usually eaten out of hand or cooked.

Golden Delicious:  Sweet mild flavor with yellowish skin. Great for cooking, adding to salads and fresh eating. 

Granny Smith:  Light green skin over white flesh.  Sweet, tart, and crisp.  Great for cooking and baking.  It retains its shape.  Also enjoyed eaten out of hand. 

Asian Pears:  Asian pears should be enjoyed while firm and crisp like an apple.

        Shinko:  Firm, sweet and crisp pear.  Brown skin with outstanding flavor and floral fragrance. Eat out of hand or slice and add to salads.  Good for storage.

         Yoi:  Firm, sweet, light brown-skinned Asian pear with a background of butterscotch.  Enjoy when crisp. Not recommended for storage.

        20th Century:  Firm, thin skinned yellow Asian pear. Very popular for its refreshing juice and light crisp texture. It has a mild flavor and keeps well. Eat out of hand or add to salad.

         Yali:  Pear-shaped, firm Asian pear.  Smooth-skinned with fine sweet-tart flavor similar to anise and spice. Very juicy and fragrant. Attractive delicate appearance. 

        Olympic:  Large, sweet, brown pear. Heavy and dense.

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. The hoshigaki is available in the farm stand. You may drop in for on farm pick up.  Contact us for large on-farm pick-up orders. (916) 791-1656 or email at otowochard@yahoo.com.  Mail orders may restart when the weather cools.

Persimmon: 

  Frozen Hachiya persimmon pulp.

      Coffee Cake, Nishimura Wase:  These look like Fuyu persimmons but are astringent unless pollinated. Only when pollinated do they become brown and sweet.  We try to display only the sweet ones 😋but may occasionally miss.  😝. 

Winter Squash: 

     Kaboch:   This winter squash is a popular Japanese pumpkin. It has a hard dark green skin with a thick deep yellow or orange flesh.  Sweet and nutty flavor.  Great for steaming, roasting, baking, stuffing and adding to soup and stews. 

          Delicata: This is a cylindrical green or orange striped squash.  It  has sweet, creamy flesh and edible skin.  It can be roasted, steamed, baked, microwaved, sauteed or stuffed.  The seeds are edible when toasted.

Lady Beetle larvae.

         Butternut:   One of the most popular winter squashes because of its generous flesh.  The seeds are contained in the bulbous end and the neck is all flesh.   It has a sweet nutty flavor.  It can be roasted, steamed, baked  and chopped into soups, stews, casseroles and curries.  Flavor a can be savory or sweetened with syrup and butter.  

Acorn: Green or orange skin with longitudinal ridges.  It has sweet yellow orange flesh inside.   

Japanese cucumbers:  Seedless and tender. So crisp and refreshing as  a snack on a warm summer day.We love the flavor of these cucumbers and are always sad when they are gone.  (Limited supply.)

Chili peppers: Aji Amarillos, Jalapeno, Buena Mulata. 

Sweet peppers: Green, orange, and purple sweet peppers. (Limited supply.)

Japanese eggplant:  Limited Supply

Basil:  Fresh from our garden.

Blue Lake green beans: Crisp, stringless green beans with mild flavor.  Great for fresh eating, freezing and cooking

Long beans: Tender green beans that happen to be 6" to 15" long. Cut to your desired length.  Uses as any other green bean.  Great seasoned with sesame oil.

Red or Green Shiso leaves:  Beefsteak herb. Japaneses aromatic herb used in salads, soups and on noodles. Can be paired with sashimi. Red shiso is used in preparing umeboshi.

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

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

Here is what we have from other producers:

WoodRose Country Garden in Granite Bay, organic practices:

        White Onions and Garlic (Limited supply.)

        Sweet Bell peppers (Limited supply.) 

       

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

FAY ELBERTA PEACHES

 Fay Elberta peaches are ready.  These peaches are the favorite of many peach lovers because they are sweet and juicy with a smooth texture. Often used for jams, canning, freezing, baking and fresh eating.  Some say this peach was discovered around 1915 in Placer County.

We continue to have other white and yellow peaches (see list below).  For those looking for cling peaches we now have Bowen Cling peaches.   The two basic types of peaches are freestones and clings. Most familiar is the freestone peach so called because the flesh does not cling to the pit or the stone of the peach.  We love how the peach easily comes apart when cut along its seam.  Freestones are generally sweet, soft and juicy. The other type of peach is called cling because the flesh sticks to the pit.  Clings are usually more firm and not as juicy while still sweet.  Because the flesh clings to the pit it is necessary to carve the flesh off the pit or just eat it out of hand.  Clings remain more firm when cooked or added to salads.

So many plum and pluot varieties to choose from.  People are discovering Mariposa plums.  Beautiful, sweet and juicy.  Flesh is red, white and pink. We also have Friar, Kelsey, Elephant Heart, and Laroda.  In the pluot department we have Dapple Dandy and Flavorqueen.

The jujube are just starting. We get a few each day.

Also coming into the farm stand is the second crop of figs.  We have Black Mission, Panache, and Brown Turkey figs.

Please note:  The farm stand will have modified hours so Tosh and I can get away for a week.  Thurs Sept 26:  10 am to 2 pm

                                           Friday Sept 27:  10 am to 2 pm

                                           Sat Sept 28:  10 am to 2 pm

                                           Sun Sept 29:   11am to 4 pm

                                           Mon Sept 30:  Closed

                                           Tues Oct 1:    10 am to 2 pm

                                            Wed Oct 2:  Resume regular hours

REGULAR HOURS

Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, 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

Plums: 

Laroda:  Dark skin with yellow flesh.  Sweet and juicy with mild tartness.  Good flavor.

Elephant Heart:  Mottled skin with red flesh. Juicy and sweet.

Mariposa:  Mottled skin with red and white flesh.  Juicy and sweet. Tip tends to get very juicy before rest of the plum gets soft.  Great flavor and texture.

Kelsey:  Some like it hard and some like it with a little give.  This is a green skinned plum with yellow flesh.  It is surprisingly sweet.

Friar:  This is a dark skinned, yellow fleshed, freestone plum. Sweet with mild tartness. 

Late Santa Rosa:  LSR. Yellow flesh, sweet/tart, crisp plum variety. Santa Rosa in name only so I call it LSR. Enjoyable.

Pluots:

        Dapple Dandy: Cross between a plum and an apricot. This red and white fleshed freestone pluot is sweet with a background flavor of plum and apricot.

          Flavorqueen:  Cross between a plum and an apricot.  This pluot starts out greenish yellow.  As it ripens to all yellow this pluot reminds me of nectar.  It is so sweet.

 Peaches:

     Fay Elberta:  Yellow freestone peach.  Known for its smooth texture, juiciness and sweet flavor.  Very popular with many long time peach fans.  Origins are from Placer County.  Great for fresh eating and slicing. Often used for jam, baking, canning or freezing.

     Rio Oso Gem: This peach is also local.  It has its origins in Rio Oso, California.  It is a sweet, yellow, freestone peach with rich flavor when ripe. It is a challenge for us to grow since the pit often breaks apart and distorts the peach appearance. Firm or soft it is a good tasting peach.

     Bowen:   Not a freestone.  This is a cling peach.  The flesh is firm and sticks to the pit.  Eat out of hand or carve the flesh off the pit.  When cooked or added to salads it will retain its firmness. Sweet and less juicy than freestone peaches.

      O'Henry:  Great dark orange freestone peach. Sweet and juicy with intense flavor.  Very popular peach and a sure sign that the late peach season has arrived.

     Opale:  Sweet, juicy, white, freestone peach.  Wonderful flavor and fragrance.

Figs:  Black Mission: Sweet, with firm, dark skin.

          Brown Turkey:  Juicy and sweet with green and brown skin. Flavor has melon undertones.

          Panache: Also called Tiger Stripe.  Skin is dull green with some striping.  Reddish flesh is juicy and sweet with a berry background.

Grapes: 

        Kyoho grapes are dark skinned, seeded grapes with intense flavor.

        Thompson Seedless :  Small, yellow, seedless grapes.  Crisp and very sweet.

Jujube:  Also called Chinese dates and natsume.  They are a small, oval shaped drupe with a date like seed. Enjoyed when crisp green to brown and even wrinkled and chewy. They are sweet with apple-like texture but not as juicy as apples.

Apples:  There are a few Gala apples appearing on our table. Sweet apples with a crunch. Attractive yellow red skin.

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. The hoshigaki is available in the farm stand. You may drop in for on farm pick up.  Contact us for large on-farm pick-up orders. (916) 791-1656 or email at otowochard@yahoo.com.  Mail orders may restart when the weather cools.

Persimmon:  Frozen Hachiya persimmon pulp.

Summer Squash:  Green and yellow zucchini. Very fresh and easy to cook. (limited supply)

Japanese cucumbers:  Seedless and tender. So crisp and refreshing as  a snack on a warm summer day.We love the flavor of these cucumbers and are always sad when they are gone.  

Tomatoes:  Red, yellow, golden and striped. (limited supply)

Sungold cherry tomatoes:  Sweet orange cherry tomatoes.  Fruity flavor. The most popular cherry tomato at our farm for years.  (limited supply)

Chili peppers: Aji Amarillos, Jalapeno, Buena Mulata

Japanese eggplant:  Limited Supply

Okra:  Okra loves the heat of the summer. Green tender pods.

Basil:  Fresh from our garden.

Long beans: Tender green beans that happen to be 6" to 15" long. Cut to your desired length.  Uses as any other green bean.

Red or Green Shiso leaves:  Beefsteak herb. Japaneses aromatic herb used in salads, soups and on noodles. Can be paired with sashimi. Red shiso is used in preparing umeboshi.

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

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

Here is what we have from other producers:

Mihara Farm in Newcastle, conventional practices:

     Kiwi:  Fuzzy green and sweet/tart.

Sunnyslope Farm in Granite Bay, conventional practices:

      Elberta peaches:  Yellow freestone peaches.  Sweet and juicy.

Lupi Farm in Granite Bay. No spray practices.

         Black Mission Figs: Sweet and flavorful.

WoodRose Country Garden in Granite Bay, organic practices:

        White Onions and Garlic

        Arugula:  Fresh greens with distinctive peppery flavor.  Add to your salad, sandwich, pesto and pizza or cook in stir fry or soups.

Kijani Farm in Granite Bay, organic practices: 

       Red cherry tomatoes, and Roma tomatoes. (Limited Supply).

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

 

 

 

 

 

PEACHES, PLUMS, AND TOMATOES

 We are experiencing the heat and heart  of summer.  We are busy on the farm trying to keep up with the harvest and preparing it for sale.  A great deal  of produce this year is going to the food bank and other programs.  The fruit is on the smaller side due to the heavy crop.  The larger pieces are generally sold at the farm stand and the smaller  but still tasty  ones go for donations.  The really ugly and very small ones usually end up feeding animals.  

There are so many varieties of plums to offer.  Red fleshed plums are:  Burgundy, Frontier, Elephant Heart, and Mariposa.  Yellow fleshed plums are:  Santa Rosa, Laroda, Kelsey, and Red Roy.  Each one has it's own flavor, texture and aroma.  Hope you will find one that pleases your pallet.

Pluots are also coming on.  There are Dapple Dandy, Flavor Queen, and FlavorGrenade.  These are crosses between a plum and an apricot. 

More varieties of peaches are maturing.  Currently harvesting Gene Elberta, Silver Logan, Bowen, Sugar Lady, Fay Elberta, Loring and 49er. 

The gardens are producing tomatoes, okra, peppers, eggplant, tomatillos, long beans, squash, and cucumbers. Some of the plants are suffering from the high heat which decreases its production and vitality.

REGULAR HOURS

Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, 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

Plums:  

     Santa Rosa: Sweet, and juicy. One of the all time  most   popular  varieties.  They are very flavorful and fragrant.   Don't miss out.

    Burgundy:  Soft or firm sweet plums with pleasing mild red flesh and non tart skin.

Frontier:  Dark skin with reddish flesh.  Sweet and juicy when ripe and non tart skin.

Laroda:  Dark skin with yellow flesh.  Sweet and juicy with mild tartness.  Good flavor.

Elephant Heart:  Mottled skin with reddish flesh. Juicy and sweet.

Mariposa:  Mottled skin with red and white flesh.  Juicy and sweet. Tip tends to get very juicy before rest of the plum gets soft.  Great flavor and texture.

Kelsey:  Some like it hard and some like it with a little give.  This is a green skinned plum with yellow flesh.  It is surprisingly sweet.

 Peaches:

    Gene Elberta:  Yellow freestone peach.  Juicy and sweet with great flavor and texture.

    Silver Logan:  White freestone peach.  Sweet, juicy, with mild tang.

     Sugar Lady:   White fleshed peach with dark skin.  Mild flavor but sweet.

     Babcock:  White freestone peach.  Can be enjoyed hard or soft.  Sweet with distinct pleasing flavor. 

     Bowen:   Not a freestone.  This is a cling peach.  The flesh is firm and sticks to the pit.  Eat out of hand or carve the flesh off the pit.  When cooked or added to salads it will retain its firmness. Sweet and less juicy than freestone peaches.

Blackberries: These are wild blackberries hand picked by our experienced harvester.  They are sweet and tasty.   Due to the heat this summer their season may be shorter than usual.

Figs:  Black Mission, Brown Turkey and Panache.

Grapes: 

        Kyoho grapes are dark skinned seeded grapes with intense flavor.

        Thompson Seedless :  Small yellow seedless sweet grapes.

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. The hoshigaki is available in the farm stand. You may drop in for on farm pick up.  Contact us for large on-farm pick-up orders. (916) 791-1656 or email at otowochard@yahoo.com.  Mail orders may restart when the weather cools.

Valencia Oranges:  These oranges have thin skin and high juice content. Used for  juicing or fresh eating.  Slice them in half and cut them into smiles.😋

Persimmon:  Frozen Hachiya persimmon pulp.

Summer Squash:  Green and yellow zucchini. Very fresh and easy to cook. (limited supply)

Japanese cucumbers:  Seedless and tender. So crisp and refreshing as  a snack on a warm summer day.We love the flavor of these cucumbers and are always sad when they are gone.  

Tomatoes:  Red, yellow, golden and striped.

Sungold cherry tomatoes:  Sweet orange cherry tomatoes.  Fruity flavor. The most popular cherry tomato at our farm for years. 

Sweet peppers:  Limited Supply

Chili peppers: Limited Supply

Japanese eggplant:  Limited Supply

Okra:  Okra loves the heat of the summer. Green tender pods.

Basil:  Fresh from our garden.

Red or Green Shiso leaves:  Beefsteak herb. Japaneses aromatic herb used in salads, soups and on noodles. Can be paired with sashimi. Red shiso is used in preparing umeboshi.

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

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

Here is what we have from other producers:

Mihara Farm in Newcastle, conventional practices:

    Ruby Red Garapefruit: Pink fleshed grapefruit 

     Kiwi

Sunnyslope Farm in Granite Bay, conventional practices:

      Suncrest peaches:  Yellow freestone peaches with streaks of red flesh. Sweet and juicy.

Lupi Farm in Granite Bay. No spray practices.

         Black Mission Figs: Sweet and flavorful.

         Black and yellow seedless grapes:  sweet and juicy.

WoodRose Country Garden in Granite Bay, organic practices:

    White Onions and Garlic

Kijani Farm in Granite Bay, organic practices:  red cherry tomatoes (Limited Supply).

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

TOO MUCH HEAT

      Last time I complained about the heat affecting peaches.  Little did I know the heat that would be presented to us this week would be so much more intense. Peaches are still being harvested.  We have been cautioning customers to eat these end-of-season peaches before they are soft and juicy.  They have a tendency to get mushy. We are currently harvesting Late Alamar, Summerset, and Fairtime freestone peaches.

     We have Mutsu apples from Sunnyslope farm, (conventional practices).  The Mutsu are also  called Crispin.  They are good for fresh eating, salads, baking and making sauce.  They are juicy, sweet,  and crisp.

     Soon we will be having jujube.  These little gems are mostly  still green.  We are starting to see a few brown ones on the trees.  This ancient fruit is sweet and crisp like an apple but not as juicy.  Many people seek them for their health benefits.  Most of us just enjoy snacking on them.

    The heat had a profound effect on our tomatoes.  Production slowed down. Many were damaged by the intense sun we have been having. WoodRose Garden continues to bring us a few tomatoes every day.  She has many green tomatoes on her vines and just a few red ones. Be patient.

  

REGULAR  SEASON HOURS:

TUESDAY THRU SATURDAY  10:00  TO  6:00

                            SUNDAY      11:00 TO 5:00

CLOSED ON MONDAYS

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

Casselman plums:  Yellow fleshed, crisp,sweet and juicy.  Great flavor.

Yellow freestone peaches: 🍑

              Summerset:  Best tasting late season peach.  Sweet, juicy and great flavor.

             Fairtime:  Sweet and juicy with a little tang.  Good flavor.

             Late Alamar:  Good flavor, sweet tart

Asian Pears:

           Hosui:  early season brown Asian pear.  Very sweet.

           20th Century:  Yellow skinned fresh crisp and juicy.  Very refreshing.

           New Century:  This yellow pear is very sweet, juicy and crisp.  

           Yoi:   Sweet brown Asian pear.  Caramal flavor.

           Shinko:  Sweet brown Asian pear.  Good crunch and juicy.

Bartlett pear:  🍐This European pear is soft and juicy when turning yellow.

Figs:  

            Brown Turkey:  brown skin with sweet pink flesh.

            Panache:   Often called Tiger Stripe.  Large fruit has green skin and pink flesh.  Very sweet.

            Black Mission :  Most common variety and well loved for its sweetness and texture.

Hachiya:  frozen persimmon pulp.

Grapes 🍇:

           Thompson seedless:  Small yellow seedless grapes. Sweet and juicy.

           Red Purlett:  Lavendar red skin and sweet seedless berries.

Honey 🍯 from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard. Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard 

⚘ Calendula  Salve and Lip Balm 

Japanese Eggplant:  small tender eggplant. Great for stir-fry or making pickles.  (limited supply)

Tomatoes : 🍅Slicing, Salad, and cherry (limited supply).

Asian cucumbers:  🥒Crisp and flavorful. Seedless and burpless.  Many people are enjoying eating them out of hand.  Just wash and take a bite (limited supply).

Long beans:  long green beans, use like regular green beans. These are tender and cook quickly.

Winter squash:

         Red Kuri:  Deep orange shell with thick, sweet, dry flesh. great for baking, stews, roasting, side dish, or dessert.

         Kabocha:  Green shell with thick, sweet, nutty, dry flesh. Traditional Japanese pumpkin. Often steamed with soy sauce, broth and mirin.

         Delicata:  Yellow and green striped shell.   Unlike other winter squash, delicata have thin skin.  Sweet, delicate flavor, easy to prepare.

         Black Futsu:  The black bumpy shell turns orange when mature.  Sweet flesh with fruity background.  Can be roasted, steamed, baked, fried and even made into pie.

         Butternut:  Pinkish beige shell yields a neck of solid flesh and a small seed cavity. Smooth, sweet flesh can be baked, steamed, or roasted.  Can be added to soup, stir fry, stews.

Hot peppers:

         Buena Mulata hot peppers.

         Jalapenos

         Aji Amarillos:  Peruvian chili peppers

         Shishito:  Japanese chili peppers that may or may not be hot.

Tomatillos:  green tomato like vegetable often used in green salsa.

Okra:  Little green slimy vegetable. Great when fried with cornmeal.

 

Here is what we have from other producers:

 Sunnyslope Farm in Granite Bay,Conventionally Grown:  Trazee peaches: Sweet/tart, juicy yellow freestone. (limited supply).

WoodRose Country Gardens in Granite Bay: (organic practices) Red, white and purple potatoes, 🧅,  garlic, summer squash, cucumbers, Armenian cucumbers, green beans, lettuce, eggplant, bell peppers, sweet cherry peppers, 🌶Jalapenos, Serrano, Slicing tomatoes, San Marzano tomatoes (Roma type), cherry tomatoes, Greek oregano 🌿🌿, rosemary, thyme, and basil.  Winter squash:  Spaghetti squash, Butternut squash, Delicata squash.  If you are lucky you might snag one of her melons: Ambrosia or watermelon.

Kijani Farm in Granite Bay:(organic practices)  Fresh Swiss chard, kale, cherry tomatoes on the vine, and large zucchini.

Lupi Farm in Granite Bay:  No spray production. Black Mission figs.

Top O' the Hill Apiary in Granite Bay: Honey🍯. Top of the Hill Apiary also has bees wax 🐝.

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