HAIL STORM

Winter Hours:

Closed Sundays and Mondays.

Open Tues,Wed and Thurs only two hours 11:30 to 1:30

Open Fri and Sat:   10 am to 6 pm

    Please note, we will be closed on Sundays and Mondays till mid May.  We are open Friday and Saturday and have abbreviated hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.   Sorry for the inconvenience.  You are welcome to call me for special hours at (916) 300-0720, or (916) 791-1656.

 

March 17, 2025.  Little pea sized kernals of ice.  A blast of rain drops and with it came the hail.  I doubt many fruit or leaves that were exposed  got away undamaged.  Fortunately it is still early in the season and many trees have not yet put out leaves or tiny fruit.  The ume crop however was on its way to being big enough to thin off the less desirable fruitlets. The plums that had already set were so small that the hail probably just knocked them off the tree.  The peaches are just at the beginning stages of bloom so only a few fruits were formed.  We will see how much is left to harvest.  So this is farming.  Not much we can do about the weather.  I'm hoping that we can avoid more hail events going forward.  But, we are not in charge.

On the brighter side lets talk about eggs.   Our chicken farmer, La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis, is feeling the effects of longer days. The older hens are producing more regularly.  The young ones are starting to lay small eggs.  With the shortage of eggs, we are happy to get even these smaller eggs to sell.  Supply is still limited, please call during open hours if you want to reserve eggs (916) 791-1656.

Stoney Point Orchard in Loomis has delivered its last picking of certified organic Tango mandarins.  Now the trees are empty till next season.  The supply is very limited and will be sold out quickly.  Stoney Point also delivered Rio Red grapefruit and Navel oranges. These are juicy, sweet and tasty.

Our orchard is waking up.  We see blossoms and green leaves pushing out of their winter shell. The weeds are flourishing and will soon add different colors to our green carpet.  Yellow, purple and white mustard as well as golden poppies.  A week ago I spotted some beneficial insects: lady beetles (ladybugs) and lacewing. I'm happy to see them since we use them to keep pest populations low. This is important since we do not use sprays. Under ground the gophers are waking up. Tree roots and vegetable roots are at risk from these hungry rodents.  Many homeowners despise coyotes but I am happy to see a few patrolling the farm.

 

 

 

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

 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.  For mail orders please use our 2024 mail order form. 

 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:  These are bare root peach trees.  They should be planted in the next few weeks.

Here is what we have from other producers:

Pleasant Hill Farm in Lincoln, no spray.

    Navel Oranges:  Sweet and juicy, orange fleshed oranges.

    

Stoney Point Orchard,  Loomis, CA organic certified:

    

    Meyer Lemons:  These lemons have dark yellow skin and are less acidic than regular lemons.  Known for their flavor and fragrance.

  Skin is thin and is often used for its fragrant zest.

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

    Navel Oranges:  An orange is an orange.  Sweet juicy oranges.

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

 

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

This Lady Beetle has only a few spots because it just emerged from its pupal state.

FRUIT TREES FOR SALE

     Now is the time to plant bare root peach trees.  We have selected old time, flavorful varieties that are sweet, and juicy. Our summertime customers keep asking for them after the trees are empty. 

      Springcrest:  Yellow freestone peach. Early June harvest. Good flavor for an early season peach.  Sweet.  Self- fruitful. 

      Summerset:  Yellow freestone peach. Mid-August, late season peach. Sweet, juicy, melting flesh. Self- fruitful. 

     Gene Elberta:  Yellow freestone peach.   Mid to late July. Great flavor, sweet and juicy. Self- fruitful. 

     O'Henry:  Yellow freestone peach.  Early August. Great flavor. Sweet,  juicy, firm flesh.  Self- fruitful. 

      Fay Elberta:  Yellow freestone peach. Late July.  Melting, sweet, juicy flesh. Great flavor.  Self- fruitful. 

      Suncerest:  Yellow freestone peach.   Late July.  Red and yellow flesh.  Great flavor, sweet and juicy. Self- fruitful. 

      Regina:  Yellow freestone peach. Late June. Sweet and juicy. Self- fruitful. 

      We are happy to give planting directions if needed. 

         Although our winter hours are limited,  we have a good supply of seasonal fruit.  It is still citrus season. We have mandarins,  oranges, lemons, and grapefruit. 

    We are just about finished putting hoshigaki away in storage.  There are a few more boxes to knead and sort.  We are finding that many of these last of the season hoshigaki had a hard time drying.  Some got hard too fast, others never seemed to dry. Some have less sugar than we expected.  Many of these pieces will be cut into strips of hoshigaki for snack bags.  They make a nice sweet treat.  Gradually, we will be taking Hoshigaki out of storage to sell at the farm stand or through mail orders.  Hoshigaki is available in the farm stand and through mail order. Please contact us for large on-farm pick up orders.  For mail orders, please use our  2024   mail order form. 

    We are starting to prepare for our summer vegetable garden. We are excited that our tomato seeds successfully germinated.  Now we must watch and water them carefully for the next month.  Meanwhile we will be deciding where to plant them and start forming beds for the plants.  When the soil warms up we will directly seed summer squash and cucumbers.

 

     The orchard is starting to blossom. The workers are pruning peaches and plum trees between the rain storms.  They will also be cleaning up the brush, cutting suckers,  planting trees,  and cleaning the weeds around the base of the young trees. Ume have finished blooming and we can see tiny fruit on some of the trees.

   Please note, we will be closed on Sundays and Mondays till mid May.  We are open Friday and Saturday and have abbreviated hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.   Sorry for the inconvenience.  You are welcome to call me for special hours at (916) 300-0720, or (916) 791-1656. 

 

Closed Sundays and Mondays.

Open Tues,Wed and Thurs only two hours 11:30 to 1:30

Open Fri and Sat:   10am to 6pm

 

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

 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.  For mail orders please use our mail order form. 

 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.

Navel Oranges:  fresh, sweet and juicy oranges.

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.

 Kiwi:   Brown fuzzy skin.  Sweet, tart fruit. Green flesh with tiny black seeds. (Limited supply).

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

Blood oranges: Sweet tart oranges that have deep red flesh.

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:  These are bare root peach trees.  They should be planted in the next few weeks.  See list above.

Here is what we have from other producers:

Pleasant Hill Farm in Lincoln, no spray.

    Navel Oranges:  Sweet and juicy, orange fleshed oranges.

    

Stoney Point Orchard,  Loomis, CA organic certified:

    Tango mandarin:  Sweet, tender mandarins. Thin tight skin.

    Blood oranges:  Sweet oranges with red flesh. 

    Meyer Lemons:  These lemons have dark yellow skin and are less acidic than regular lemons.  Known for their flavor and fragrance.  Skin is thin and is often used for its fragrant zest.

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

 

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

 

SLOW SEASON HOURS

    What does slow season look like on the farm at the beginning of February?   No fresh persimmons, apples, peaches, plums, tomatoes or squash.  We are dreaming of the next crop of these.  Branches are bare with no leaves or fruit.  Vegetable seeds are still hiding in their little seed packets waiting for soil and moisture. workers are pruning branches, cleaning up last year's summer gardens, and the tractor is tilling the soil and adding decomposed horse manure to the orchard and gardens. 

 

     Slow Season is citrus season.  We have mandarins. lemons, and oranges.  Satsuma mandarins from Otow Orchard have sold out but we have a supply from Mihara Farm in Lincoln.  Pleasant Hill Farm in Lincoln brought us Navel and Cara Cara Oranges.  Lupi Farm in Granite Bay is supplying us with beautiful fragrant Meyer Lemons. Our own orchard is supplying us with Clementine mandarins and  Navel oranges.  In a few weeks we will be getting pink grapefruit.

    The Kiwi vine is slowly giving us a small harvest.  We would like the kiwi to be vine ripened but frost may dictate the harvest. Wait and see.

    We received a shipment of  bare root fruit trees for planting.  We have selected our favorite varieties to replant bare spots in the orchard.  Since we had to order more than we need we are making trees available for sale here at the orchard. We have peaches, plums, apples, mulberries, apricots, and ume.

    It may be February but the hoshigaki we peeled in December is still being processed. They are finished drying but we are giving them another massage and sorting them by texture and quality. Hoshigaki is available in the farm stand and through mail order. Please contact us for large on-farm pick up orders.  For mail orders, please use our mail order form. 

   Please note, we will be closed on Sundays and Mondays till mid May.  We are open Friday and Saturday and have abbreviated hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.   Sorry for the inconvenience.  You are welcome to call me for special hours at (916) 300-0720, or (916) 791-1656. 

 

Closed Sundays and Mondays.

Open Tues,Wed and Thurs only two hours 11:30 to 1:30

Open Fri and Sat:   10am to 6pm

 

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

 Persimmn 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.

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

          Okusankichi:  Large brown Asian pear. Crisp and juicy.  This is a winter keeper and is not as sweet as the earlier varieties.  Very refreshing. Thick skin with course white flesh. Flavor improves with storage.

Clementine Mandarins:  Deep orange easy to peel skin, Sweet and juicy.

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.  For mail orders please use our mail order form.

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.

Here is what we have from other producers:

Pleasant Hill Farm in Lincoln, no spray.

    Navel Oranges:  Sweet and juicy, orange fleshed oranges.

     Cara Cara Oranges:  These oranges are orange on the outside but pinkish orange on the inside. Plus the flesh is sweet and juicy. They are thin skinned and sweeter than navels. 

 

Mihara Farm in Lincoln, Conventional practices.

     Satsuma Mandarins:  Easy to peel, sweet mandarins from the foothills of Placer County. These are are citrus y sweet and full of juice.

Lupi Farm in Granite Bay, no spray:  Meyer Lemons:  These sought after lemons are less acidic than regular lemons. They have a thin peel often used for its fragrant zest.  Meyer are rounder than regular lemons with a dark yellow skin.

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

 

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

 

  I don't recall a year with so many apricots. I searched the internet for what to do with apricots.   I found a tempting photo of Apricot Clafoutis by Oventales.  The recipe was easy enough and the results were delicious.  I will make this again with apricots or other fruit, like European plums.

Santa Rosa plums are starting their season. They are already sweet, juicy, fragrant and flavorful.   These plums are an all time favorite for so many folks.  Many recall the tree planted in their childhood backyard and in many cases, continue the tradition. 

We finished the early peaches and are now waiting for the next varieties to mature. Regina, Red Haven and Flavorcrest should begin harvest by the end of June.  These three varieties are yellow freestone peaches. We are hoping for a bigger harvest than last year. 

I have tasted the first cherry tomatoes. They are slow to start but this warm weather should give them a boost.  Hope I can sell my first basket full this week. There are many green standard tomatoes on the vine. I'm hoping to have some to sell by mid July.   The Japanese cucumbers are getting a jump start.  We are harvesting a box of them a day.  These cucumbers are seedless and thin skinned.  They have wonderful fresh cucumber flavor.  Many people enjoy them for a healthy cold crunchy snack.  Of course they are great in salads, sandwiches and just sliced.  We will be getting peppers, eggplant and beans from the garden in a few weeks.

The first of the figs for the year have suddenly arrived.  It will be a short season.  In August, we are expecting the second fig crop.

We were able to get some persimmon trees to sell.  Let us know if you want a Fuyu or Hachiya persimmon tree to plant.

 We continue to have a supply of hoshigaki (Japanese dried persimmons) in the freezer.  These are sweet and tender with traditional persimmon flavor.  They are coated  with hoshigaki sugar.  A sweet treat.  They are available at the farm stand.  Mail order may restart when the weather cools down.

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.

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.

Apricots:    

   Royal: Sweet tart apricot with a background of honey when soft (limited supply).

   Patterson: Large firm apricot with good flavor (limited supply).

Figs:   The first crop, Breba, is now available for a short time.  

    Black Mission figs are dark, with sweet fig flavor.  Popular variety.

    Panache or Tiger Stripe figs have red strawberry pulp. Very popular for it's sweet berry-like flavor.

Summer Squash:  Green and yellow zucchini. Very fresh and easy to cook.

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. 

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

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:

    Black Beaut Plums:  Sweet tart plums with dark skin and yellow-red flesh. Very juicy when soft.

Sunnyslope Farm in Granite Bay, conventional practices:

    Flavorcrest Peaches:  Yellow freestone peaches.  Juicy and firm sweet tart flesh.  (Limited Supply.)

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

TIME FOR CITRUS

         Sweet tang.  Some of us crave it along with the intense flavors offered by the many varieties of citrus.  Citrus fruit are not just for fresh eating.  They are so important in flavoring our meals, and for making juices.  Let's not forget that citrus fruit can supply much needed Vitamin C for our wintertime health.  We will continue to have a variety of citrus fruit available for a couple of weeks.  When the oranges and mandarins are gone we should still have grapefruit and lemons.

         In addition to citrus fruit we are also harvesting Kiwi fruit.  There is also a good supply of hoshigaki.

        We have a supply of bare root fruit trees to put in the ground.  We will be planting plums, pluots, cherries, Asian pears and both yellow and white peaches.  These trees are available for some back yards.

        This is the quiet time of year for the orchard.  Only the citrus trees have fruit and leaves. The other trees are resting.  Soon the plums and pluots will start to bloom.  There will be patches of white blossoms in the orchard to mark their spots.  By mid March we should see the pink blossoms of peaches and nectarines.  If you plan to walk the orchard during bloom time, it is best to call first to find out what is blooming. This year seems different than previous years.

 

        On March 5th we will be starting our modified hours.  It will be our regular hours on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Our Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday hours will change to just 11:30 to 1:30.  And of course, Closed on Mondays as usual. We anticipate these hours for March, April and May.  If you need other times to visit, we will try to accommodate you.  We are often at the farm somewhere but not necessarily in the farm stand. You may call ahead at  (916) 300-0720. You will have to leave a message or text.

HOURS:

Tues through Sat  10:00 am to 6 pm 

Sunday  11:00 am to 5:00 pm

CLOSED ON MONDAYS 

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

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 began peeling persimmons in October.  We peeled the last persimmons at the beginning of December. 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.  For mail orders please use our mail order form  for the 2023 season.

Yellow Grapefruit:  Sweet tart and a bit bitter. Very tasty.

Navel Oranges:  Sweet and Juicy.

Blood Oranges:  Sweet and juicy with dramatic red flesh. Good for fresh eating, juice, marmalade, or adding to salads or drinks.

Satsuma Mandarins:  Sweet, juicy, and easy to peel.  Very popular this time of year. Great flavor and an easy healthy snack. Can be added to desserts, salads, and drinks. Zest can be used to flavor sauces and marinades.

Clementine Mandarins:  Sweet and juicy. Easy to peel with delicate membrane.  They are more mild than oranges and make an easy healthy snack.  Can be added to salads and desserts.

Persimmons:

    Hachya : Frozen persimmon pulp.

Kiwi:  Fuzzy brown skin over  green flesh speckled with black seeds.

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.

English Walnuts:  Shelled for you.

Here is what we have from other producers:

Kijani Farm
in Granite Bay, organic practices:

     Kabocha, Japanese winter squash (pumpkin).

Lupi Farm  in Granite Bay, no spray:  Meyer Lemons:  Tasty and flavorful lemons, low in acid.

Pleasant Hill Farm in Newcastle, no spray:

Navel oranges:  Sweet and juicy with great flavor. 

Cara Cara oranges:  These pink fleshed oranges are sweet and juicy with great flavor.

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

Preparing vegetable garden.

   

 

 

 

CITRUS SEASON AND HOSHIGAKI SPECIAL

         On our farm it is a time of renewal. Most trees are bare so we can see an unobstructed view of the orchard.  This view will change as the trees put on leaves.  But for now we see the rolling hills of our foothill orchard and the bare branch structures of our trees.  They are waiting for life to return to their limbs. A few trees have started to bloom. I wonder if we got enough chill hours (Temperatures below 45 degrees F.) this winter to push a robust growth.  A delayed and erratic bloom season is one of the responses to the warmer climate we are experiencing. We like it, but it is confusing to the trees which then can't react in their normal ways.

          We are having a Hoshigaki Valentine Special. For customers coming to the farm, we are offering discounts ranging from $1 to $6 per pound.  The greatest savings are for those who purchase 5 pounds or more.  Special sale will end February 15, 2024.

(I know it will be confusing.  The above offer is for hoshigaki picked up at the farm.  The offer described below is for orders sent in the mail.)

        We are offering a VALENTINE SPECIAL  at this time, good for hoshigaki mail orders received between Jan. 22 to Feb. 15, 2024.  

              Buy 3 pounds at $60 per pound and receive one pound free.

  Total order must be sent to a single address.  

Use the second page of the order form with the description "Valentine Special 2024"   $180. 

Each "VALENTINE SPECIAL"  must be sent to only one address.  Please call or email  if you need clarification. otoworchard@yahoo.com  or  (916) 791-1656.

We are now moving onto citrus season. With the cold weather citrus fruits can add to your intake of vitamin C.   We have mandarins, oranges, grapefruit, lemons and yuzu.

 

HOURS:

Tues through Sat  10:00 am to 6 pm 

Sunday  11:00 am to 5:00 pm

CLOSED ON MONDAYS 

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

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 began peeling persimmons in October.  We peeled the last persimmons at the beginning of December. 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.  For mail orders please use our mail order form  for the 2023 season.  See Valentine Specials described above.

Apples: 

        Fuji: Known for being sweet juicy and always crisp.

Yellow Grapefruit:  Sweet tart and a bit bitter. Very tasty.

Navel Oranges:  Sweet and Juicy.

Blood Oranges:  Sweet and juicy with dramatic red flesh. Good for fresh eating, juice, marmalade, or adding to salads or drinks.

Satsuma Mandarins:  Sweet, juicy, and easy to peel.  Very popular this time of year. Great flavor and an easy healthy snack. Can be added to desserts, salads, and drinks. Zest can be used to flavor sauces and marinades.

Clementine Mandarins:  Sweet and juicy. Easy to peel with delicte membrane.  They are more mild than oranges and make an easy healthy snack.  Can be added to salads and desserts.

Asian Pears: 

    Okusankichi:  Large winter Asian pear.  It is a good keeper.  It is sweet with a hint of tartness.  Juicy and crisp.  Limited supply.

Persimmons:

    Hachiya:  Tall acorn-shaped persimmon.  It is astringent until soft and jelly-like. It becomes very sweet soft and delicate. Fresh eating right out of its skin or often used for baking cookies and pudding. Used for making hoshigaki.

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.

English Walnuts:  In the shell.  You have to crack them.

Here is what we have from other producers:

Mihara Farm in Newcastle, CA, Conventional practices.  Satsuma mandarins. Sweet, juicy.

Kijani Farm

in Granite Bay, organic practices:

     Kabocha, Japanese winter squash (pumpkin).  Butternut winter squash

Stoney Point Farm, Organic certified, Loomis, CA: 

Oro Blanco Grapefruit:   Easy to peel white grapefruit. White flesh that is sweet or sweet-tart. Skin is greenish to yellow.

Yuzu:  Aromatic citrus fruit like a mandarin or lemon with uneven skin.  Valued for its fragrant zest (skin) and tart juice.  Much like lemon, yuzu is used to flavor sauces, dishes, teas and drinks.  Supply is limited.

Lupi Farm  in Granite Bay, no spray:  Meyer Lemons:  Tasty and flavorful lemons, low in acid.