GIVE US ANOTHER MONTH

Immature ume

 

Immature Loquat

       Customers are coming to the orchard asking for peaches, plums, loquat and mulberries.  I tell them "Give us another month."  These future crops look good for now but are still very green and small.  We are still in danger of damage from a a hail storm or a late freeze.  Rain however would still be welcome.

 I am taking orders for ume, Japanese sour plums. Please see the April 7, 2021 entry below for ume details. Looks like the harvest will be from mid May through June.  Please call (916)791-1656 or email: otoworchard@yahoo.com  if you will be picking up your order at the orchard. 

For mail orders, please use page 2 of the 2020 Mail Order form to send us your order information and check.  We ship 8 pounds of ume in a USPS priority mail box.  The cost is $111 per box.  This includes shipping and handling.

       Hoshigaki is available at the farm stand.   With the temperature rising, we are keeping it in the refrigerator or freezer.   The time is coming when temperatures will affect the quality of hoshigaki sent by mail.  At this time we can still send them. Please use our mail order form if you want to order hoshigaki through the mail.

SLOW SEASON HOURS:

Tues, Wed, and Thurs      11:30  am to 1:30 pm

 

Friday and Saturday        10 am to 6 pm           

 

          Sunday         11 am to 5 pm

Closed on Mondays

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

Hoshigaki:  Tender and moist dried persimmons with naturally formed dusting of fruit sugars on the surface.  These were hand massaged and  dried slowly for 4 to 8 weeks.

Eureka Lemons: deep yellow skin and tart juicy flesh.  🍋 Best  lemons to bring out the brightness desired in  lemonade and lemon meringue pie.

Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard

Calendula Salve and Lip Balm

Dehydrated peaches

Herbs: fresh mint, rosemary, thyme, and sage

Here is what we have from other producers:

WoodRose Country Garden in Granite Bay: Fresh 🥗 Romaine Lettuce, Red Romaine. Red Leaf Lettuce, Butter Crunch Lettuce, cauliflower and green onions.

Top O' the Hill Apiary in Granite Bay:  Comb honey  can be used in tea, coffee, yogurt, oatmeal, ice cream, fruit salads and on toast or bagels.  Top of the Hill Apiary also has Bees wax. 🐝

Nastase Honey Farm in Lincoln:  This Honey 🍯 is unfiltered and raw.

Two Feather Farm in Granite Bay:  🐔🥚  Eggs.  Egg production is up.  The hens are well rested and are happy with warmer weather and longer days. 🌞

Jams 🍑 from the Good Stuff. We currently have Plum (Santa Rosa), Peach Cardamon, Chili Apricot, Pepper Pomegranate, Fig Orange Brandy, and Chili Blackberry.

UME, GRAPEFRUIT, LEMONS AND HOSHIGAKI

        We are still in our slow season with modified hours. The farm stand is offering grapefruit, lemons, hoshigaki, eggs, jams and honey.  As the pandemic restrictions relax we are allowing a few small groups to walk in the orchard.

    It's time to think about ume, Japanese sour plums, which look more like apricots.  Whether processing with salt, sugar, alcohol or honey, it is a challenge.  If you are interested in ordering ume, please read carefully.  There is quite a bit of fruit hanging on the trees but there is also a lot of damaged fruit.  Wind, rain and hail blemished most of the fruit.  I will not be highly grading the ume this year. We will sell a modified field run grade (what we pick off the tree will be sold with

minimal sorting).  I have used blemished ume for my own purposes in the past.  The spots are mostly superficial with no effect on the taste. At this time the ume is still immature.  We will possibly harvest from the end of April through mid-June.  If you will be picking up your order at the farm please call ahead so we can put your name on the list and prepare your order as the harvest proceeds.  For Mail orders, please use page 2 of the 2020 Mail Order form to send us your order information and check.  We ship 8 pounds of ume in a USPS priority mail box.  The cost is $111 per box.  This includes shipping and handling.

       Please keep checking this page on our web site for updates on ume.  We will let you know if we get conventional ume from other local producers. Give us a call or send an email if you have any questions.

       This has once again been a dry winter.  We are checking the irrigation system for maintenance and leaks.  All too soon we will have to start watering the trees.  Fruit thinning is just around the corner.  I can already see very small peaches and plums on the trees.

        We continue to process and sell hoshigaki, dried persimmons. These can be purchased at the farm or by sending us a mail order form.

Slow Season Hours started March 2, 2021.  Friday, Saturday, and Sunday hours remain the same.  But Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday hours are changed to 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. If you need to stop by outside of these hours you are welcome to contact us since we are often at the farm somewhere.   If we are near the farm stand we will answer the land line: (916) 791-1656. If we are out in the orchard or garden it is best to text or leave a message on my cell phone since I do not answer unrecognized calls.  (916) 300-0720.

SLOW SEASON HOURS:

Tues, Wed, and Thurs      11:30  am to 1:30 pm

 

Friday and Saturday        10 am to 6 pm           

 

          Sunday         11 am to 5 pm

Closed on Mondays

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

Hachiya persimmon pulp:   Frozen.  Used for  fresh eating and baking.  These are the persimmons that are often referred to as "food of the gods".  Great in smoothies and on cereal or yogurt.

Hoshigaki:  Tender and moist dried persimmons with naturally formed dusting of fruit sugars on the surface.  These were hand massaged and  dried slowly for 4 to 8 weeks.

Grapefruit:  These are the yellow fleshed, very flavorful grapefruit. 

Eureka Lemons: deep yellow skin and tart juicy flesh.  🍋 Best  lemons to bring out the brightness desired in  lemonade and lemon meringue pie.

Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard

Calendula Salve and Lip Balm

Dehydrated peaches

Herbs: fresh mint, rosemary, thyme, and sage

Here is what we have from other producers:

WoodRose Country Garden in Granite Bay: Fresh 🥗 Romaine Lettuce, Red Romaine. Red Leaf Lettuce, Butter Crunch Lettuce and green onions.

Top O' the Hill Apiary in Granite Bay:  Comb honey  can be used in tea, coffee, yogurt, oatmeal, ice cream, fruit salads and on toast or bagels.  Top of the Hill Apiary also has Bees wax. 🐝

Nastase Honey Farm in Lincoln:  This Honey 🍯 is unfiltered and raw.

Two Feather Farm in Granite Bay:  🐔🥚  Eggs.  Egg production is up.  The hens are well rested and are happy with warmer weather and longer days. 🌞

Jams 🍑 from the Good Stuff. We currently have Plum (Santa Rosa), Peach Cardamon, Chili Apricot, Pepper Pomegranate, Fig Orange Brandy, and Chili Blackberry.

MULBERRIES

Many customers have been stopping by to check for peaches and plums.  We tell them probably not till June.  Peaches and plums are still hard and green.  And with the current 4 days of rain they are subject to disease.  
     Tis the season for mulberries though.  So "Here we go round the mulberry" tree. We are starting to harvest Pakistani Mulberries.  This is a new crop for us so we are waiting to see how sensitive it is to the rain we are experiencing this week. Pakistani Mulberries are a long strand of delicate deep purple drupes.  The drupes cluster around a central stem.  They are sweet, juicy and low in acid.  Most people will wash and eat them right out of the basket.  My internet search tells me they can be used in desserts, salads, and paired with cheese or meat.
    Loquat fruit are on the horizon.  By the end of May we  hope to be harvesting some of these memory fruit.  On the tree they are still greenish  and developing a bit of color. 
     In the orchard, the stone fruit thinning is almost finished.  Next the apples, pears and persimmons need to be thinned.  Keeping up with the  weeds is also a challenge this year.  We were just getting it down, and now there is rain.  
     BarleyOats farm will be supplying us with winter vegetables for a couple more weeks then those vegetables will want to bolt.  Our summer gardens are being planted with tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, peppers and okra.  Their production is at least a month off.

Official Statement: We have NO pick-your-own activities.

  HOURS

Tuesday to Saturday: 10 am to 6 pm 

Sun: 11 am to 5 pm

 Closed on Mondays

Here's what we have in the farm stand from Otow Orchard:
Hoshigaki, hand dried persimmons
Eureka Lemons
Marsh white grapefruit (yellow flesh) 
Valencia oranges
Pakistani Mulberries (limited supply)
Dehydrated Asian Pears
Calendula Salve and Lip Balm
Herbs: mint, rosemary, oregano
Honey from our orchard

This is what we have from other producers:
Rio Red Grapefruit from Stony Point (organic certified)
Ume from Sunnyslope Farm 
Jams from The Good Stuff
Winter vegetables from BarlyOats Farm
Honey  from Top O' The Hill Apiary
Bee pollen from Top O' The Hill Apiary
Eggs from Two Feather Farm

LEMONS AND GRAPEFRUIT

At last, we are getting more sunny days. The vegetable plant starts are enjoying more days in the sun.  This year they grew slowly and need to play catch up from being cooped up in the hothouse for so long. We have big plans for this week.  Hoping to put a few vegetable plants in the ground and test the orchard irrigation in preparation for the dry months ahead.
      In the orchard I see apple and pear blossoms surrounded by their tender green leaves. The peach and plum trees have now set fruit and I can find tiny green plums and tiny fuzzy gray peaches.  We are holding our breath and hoping we will escape a late frost or hail storm.
       Lemons and grapefruit are now in season. Customers are discovering the tender, juicy and tasty late season Marsh white grapefruit. They are great for fresh eating and juicing.  The sour Eureka lemons are full of juice and lemon flavor.  3 teaspoons added to my apple pie brought out lots of flavor.
       We added a bright splash of flavor to our Easter dinner table, fresh lemonade.  1/2 cup sugar dissolved in 1 cup of water (microwaved) then cooled. Squeeze 1 cup lemon juice (about 4 lemons). Combine the sugar mixture, lemon juice and 2 cups cold water. Stir well and garnish with 3 fresh mint leaves.


April 1 to May 17 modified weekday hours are listed below.  Please take note.

Official Statement: We have NO pick-your-own activities.

  Hours for April 1 to May 17:
Tu, Wed, and Thur:  11:30 am to 1:30 pm

 Fri and Sat:   10 am to 6 pm

            Sun:   11 am to 5 pm

 Closed on Mondays

For other times, please call  for an appointment.
(916) 300-0720

Here's what we have in the farm stand from Otow Orchard:
Hoshigaki, hand dried persimmons
Eureka Lemons
Marsh white grapefruit (yellow flesh)
Kiwi
Dried figs
Calendula Salve and Lip Balm
Herbs: mint, rosemary, oregano

This is what we have from other producers:
Cara Cara oranges from Pleasant Hill Farm
Rio Red Grapefruit from Stony Point (organic certified)
Jams from The Good Stuff
Winter vegetables from BarlyOats Farm
Honey  from Top O' The Hill Apiary
Bee pollen from Top O' The Hill Apiary
Honey from Nastase Honey Farm
Eggs from Two Feather Farm

MERGING SEASONS

Is it still summer?  Well, yes.  The farm stand is selling peaches, plums, pluots, and tomatoes.  Is it fall?  Well...yes.  The farm stand is selling Asian pears, apples, grapes, and the second crop of figs.

We still have a good supply of plums and are still harvesting our small supply of peaches.  A big thank you to Sunnyslope Farm for bringing their peaches to the our farm stand this summer.  Without Sunnyslope Farm, the peach sales would have been almost non-existent.

If you have never tasted a green plum, please ask for a sample.  The Kelsey plum is wonderfully sweet.

Amazingly, Veronica is still harvesting wild blackberries. This harvest usually does not extend into August as it is doing this year.
 
Official Statement: We have NO pick-your-own activities.
 May to January Hours:
Tu to Sat:   10 am to 6 pm
Sun:            10 am to 5 pm
Closed on Mondays

Here's what we have in the farm stand from Otow Orchard:
Yellow Freestone Peaches:  49er, Gene Elberta, Fay Elberta
Cling Peaches:  Bowen
Plums:  Santa Rosa, Frontier, Burgundy, Eldorado, Laroda, Red Roy, Kelsey, Late Santa Rosa
Wild Blackberries
Grapes:  Kyoho, Thompson Seedless
Asian pears:  Kosui, Hosui
Apple:  Gala
Figs:  Brown Turkey, Green, and Black Mission
Hoshigaki (dried persimmons) No longer available though Mail Order.
Herbs:  basil, rosemary, mint
Calendula Salve
Honey from Otow Orchard
Vegetables: Zucchini, Yellow squash, Asian cucumbers, Lemon cucumbers, Okra, Japanese eggplant, sweet peppers, hot peppers, Tomatoes, Sungold cherry tomatoes, Tomatillos, Long beans

This is what we have from other producers:
Yellow peaches from Sunnyslope Farm:  Elegant Lady, Zee Lady, Elberta
Apples from Sunnyslope Farm:  Gala
Jams from The Good Stuff
Onions and Potatoes from BarleyOats Farm

PEACHES AND WILD BLACKBERRIES

        For the time being, the orchard is giving us peaches.  We are getting Red Haven and Flavorcrest. These are both yellow freestone peaches.  We anticipate a few white peaches will be coming in soon. 
        It is also plum season.  The famous Santa Rosa plum is now available.  These plum have real flavor!  They are sweet, tart and fragrant.   Just full of flavor and juice.  The sweetness and flavor overwhelm the tartness.  Kids and adults can't stop eating them once they have tried them.  We are starting to harvest Satsuma plums.  These are sweet and red fleshed.   A few Frontier plums and Burgandy plums are also available.
       Wild Blackberries happen only once a year.  Wild blackberries are a challenge to  harvest.  They are carefully selected from among thorny vines on what seems to be the hottest days of the year (even when you start at 6 AM).  And only the dark ones ready to lose their shine will be sweet.  Hope you can appreciate the time and skill needed to pick even one
basket of blackberries. The reward is great.

      Otow Orchard vegetables are arriving. We are getting zucchini, cucumbers, beans, okra, peppers, cherry tomatoes, and eggplant.  In the herb department you can request basil, dill, mint, and rosemary.

 May to January Hours:
Tu to Sat:   10 am to 6 pm
Sun:            10 am to 5 pm
Closed on Mondays

Here's what we have in the farm stand from Otow Orchard:
Yellow Freestone Peaches:  Red Haven, Flavorcrest, Regina, Frost
Plums:  Santa Rosa, Frontier, Satsuma, Burgandy
Figs:  Black Mission
Apricots:  Royal Blenheim, Patterson
Wild Blackberries
Hoshigaki (dried persimmons) No longer available though Mail Order.
Herbs:  basil, dill, rosemary, mint
Calendula Salve
Honey from Otow Orchard
Vegetables: Zucchini, Yellow squash, Asian cucumbers, Lemon cucumbers, Yellow wax beans, Kentucky wonder green beans, Okra, Japanese eggplant, sweet peppers, and Sungold cherry tomatoes

This is what we have from other producers:

Yellow peaches from Sunnyslope Farm
White peaches from Sunnyslope Farm
Santa Rosa plums from Pleasant Hill Farm
Red onions from Lovejoy Farm
Jams from The Good Stuff
Eggs from Two Feather Farm
Honey (wildflower) from Top O' The Hill Apiary 

WELCOME TO SUMMER

Welcome to summer.  While the temperature is letting us know that summer is here, we also see the arrival of some early peaches and wonderfully fragrant Santa Rosa plums. The harvest has begun and we see that the the crop of peaches and plums is light.  Call for an update if you are looking for a large quantity of fruit.  We are currently harvesting a few yellow freestone peaches, and plums.
         As you know, you can't always trust the information you find on the internet.  Every day we get phone calls asking if we allow people to pick their own fruit.  We have to tell them "NO, we are NOT a pick your own orchard."  Our harvesters are very skilled, respectful of our operation, covered by insurance, and have families to support.  That said, you are going to get the best product if you let them do what they have been well trained to do.  Besides, it is hot, dusty and weedy out in our orchard.  You are still welcome to go for a walk.
     With the warm weather, BarleyOats winter vegetable farm is taking a break.  Otow Orchard vegetables are arriving. Mostly zucchini! Gradually we are getting Asian cucumbers, beans and okra.  In the herb department you can request dill, oregano, and rosemary.

 May to January Hours:
Tu to Sat:   10 am to 6 pm
Sun:            10 am to 5 pm
Closed on Mondays

Here's what we have in the farm stand from Otow Orchard:
Peaches : yellow freestone
Plums:  Santa Rosa, Frontier
Pluots:  Flavor Supreme
Valencia oranges

Hoshigaki (dried persimmons) No longer available though Mail Order.
Herbs:  oregano, dill, rosemary, mint
Calendula Salve
Otow Orchard Honey
Vegetables: summer squash, Asian cucumbers

This is what we have from other producers:

Blueberries from Sunnyslope Farm
Yellow peaches from Sunnyslope Farm
Jams from The Good Stuff
Eggs from Two Feather Farm
Honey (wildflower) from Top O' The Hill Apiary