Lots of Peaches and Plums

We have lots of peaches at the fruit stand now.  The early peach varieties have finished and now we're into the more flavorful mid-summer varieties, like Red Haven, Flavorcrest, Regina and June Pride. Sweet and mild white peaches are being picked now, too.  White peaches varieties now in the fruit stand are Sugar Lady, Nectar, White Lady, and white UFO "donut" peaches. 

This is also the time of year we have many varieties of plums.  We have red-fleshed and sweet frontier and Satsuma, fragrant Santa Rosa, and juicy Black Amber plums.  The last Blenheim apricots have been picked.  Zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, basil and other herbs are being harvested from the gardens.  We also have local free-range eggs and local honey from bees at our orchard at the fruit stand. 

Santa Rosas and White Nectarines

We now have Santa Rosa Plums at the fruit stand.  Santa Rosas are flavorful and juicy plums that have a memorable, sweet and tangy taste.  The peach varieties we now have are Bon Jour, Sweet Crest, June Crest, Flavor Crest and Regina.  All of these are yellow peaches, but some of the white varieties should be ready by the end of the month.  We do have Jade white nectarines, though.  This year's crop of  Jade has grown well, without a lot of the scarring and other issues we usually see.  We picked some of the first crop of figs was this week, so we now have some in the fruit stand.  The first crop at the beginning of the summer is usually lighter than the second which we expect in August. 

Fruit Stand Update and Day on the Farm

Here's what's at the Fruit Stand now:

• Apricots-Blenheim
• Peaches--May Crest, June Crest
• Plums--Red Beaut
• Loquat (Biwa)
• Citrus Fruit--Valencia Oranges, Eureka Lemons
• Vegetables--Zucchini and Summer Squash
• Herbs--Oregano, Mint, Rosemary, Lemon Balm
• Honey--from bees at our orchard
• Eggs--from local free range chickens
• Beeswax candles--handmade 100% beeswax
• Placer County Real Food Cookbook, by Joanne Neft and Laura Kenny

June orders for the Sierra Foothills Producers Cooperative should be made online by Thursday, June 12th at 4:00 for delivery during the next week.  Delivery at our orchard will be Friday, June 20th from 3:30 to 4:00 in the afternoon.  There are also other delivery times in Folsom, Penryn, South Lake Tahoe, Kings Beach, Tahoe City & Truckee.

This coming Sunday, June 8th, from 10-3 we will be at the Sinclair Family Farm in Penryn for their "Day on the Farm" event. The event will have sheep dog demonstrations, farm animals to visit, wool spinning, a drawing for a freezer lamb, roasted lamb and pork from Sinclair Farm and other vendors from the Producers Cooperative. 

March and April Hours

We're changing our fruit stand hours for the months of March and April.  In May we will go back to regular hours.

March & April Hours:
Tues., Wed. Thurs.--11:30-1:30
Fri., Sat., Sun.--10-6
Closed on Mondays

If you would like to come at a different time Tuesday through Thursday you can call us and make an appointment. We are usually around at the orchard but we're only staffing the fruit stand during those hours unless someone calls and arranges an appointment.

At the fruit stand now we have navel oranges, yellow grapefruit,  blood oranges, lemons, hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmons) and free-range local eggs. You can also still order hoshigaki from us through mail order.

Special Valentine Hoshigaki Sale

Greetings,
It's Valentine season and we have a sweet deal for our great customers.  Write the SWEETHEART DISCOUNT CODE in the comment box on the mail order form to receive a discount on your order of multiple pounds of hoshigaki to a single address.  This code is good until Feb. 28th, 2014, while supplies last.  Orders will be shipped out no later than March 20, 2014. Progressive discounts apply to a single order. 

SWEETHEART DISCOUNT CODE:  022014

1 lb. of hoshigaki ordered is $43.50 
2 lbs. of hoshigaki ordered is $85.50 
3 lbs. of hoshigaki ordered is $125.50 
4 lbs. of hoshigaki ordered is $163.50*
*Add $38.00 for each pound over the 4 lb. price

We are also offering hoshigaki with a firmer texture yet still soft and moist at $35.00 per pound.  This is item DKA on the order form. There is no discount on this item at this time.

Please note:  No shipments will be made Feb. 11 to 20, 2014 (shipping clerk vacation), but keep sending in your orders.  They will be filled when we get back.  Call the orchard (916) 791-1656 if you need special arrangement for Feb. 11 to 20.

Go to our website's hoshigaki/persimmon tab for the order form.  Please double check your math to avoid delays.

We have hoshigaki for sale with special prices for multiple pounds at our fruit stand, too.  If you are able to pick up hoshigaki at our fruit stand, the price is a lot less since we don't have to pack it and ship it out to you.  The fruit stand is open Tues. through Sat. from 9-6, Sun. from 10-5, and closed on Monday. 

Happy Valentines,

Tosh and Chris

Drought in the Orchard

This week in the local Roseville Press Tribune newspaper there is an article about the drought in our area and how it might affect the orchard.  You can read the article here.  Tosh and farmer Eric Hanson of Pine Hill Orchard are interviewed.  

The orchard is very dry and dusty like it's in the middle of the summer. When the dog runs from the garden through the trees she stirs up clouds of dust.  Usually this time of year the orchard floor is green with grass and other plants sprouting up from the rain, but this winter there's very little new plants growing, including weeds even.  It's been difficult to find new spots to move the chicken dome to because there's hardly any new vegetation for the chickens to eat.  

In the orchard lately Tosh has been pulling out any unproductive trees, and trees that haven't shown any new growth. The current plan is to plug up irrigation in those areas and not plant any new trees this year.  Although normally this would be the time of year to be planting new trees, we don't yet know if there will be enough water and how much we'll be able to use. 

In planning the vegetable gardens we are trying to find ways to conserve water, too.  We are thinking of starting certain crops that need more water later than usual, using more garden space for less thirsty crops, using more mulch and planting varieties that are supposed to be more drought tolerant.  We don't start planting the gardens until sometime in March though, and we'll have to wait and see what's happening with water at that time.  Hopefully it will rain. 

Blood Oranges

Blood oranges are now at the fruit stand.  We also have satsuma mandarins, navel oranges, soft and ripe hachiya persimmons, kiwi, quince, hoshigaki, (Japanese hand-dried persimmons), local free-range chicken eggs, homemade jam, cookbooks, the 2014 Master Gardeners calender, propolis and bee pollen from bees at the orchard and firewood.

Happy New Year!

The fruit stand will be open for shortened hours Tues., Dec. 31st and Thurs., Jan. 2nd.  We are closed Wednesday for New Year's day. 

Here are the hours for this week:
Tues., 12/31-11-2
Wed., 1/1-Closed
Thurs., 1/2-11-2
Fri., 1/3-9-6
Sat., 1/4-9-6
Sun., 1/5-10-5

At the fruit stand we have mandarins, navel oranges, soft persimmons, hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmons),  kiwi fruit, Asian pear, local free-range chicken eggs, honey, propolis, bee pollan, jam and cookbooks.  We still have hoshigaki available through mail order, too. 

Holiday Gifts at the Fruit Stand

We have many things at the fruit stand that could be given as Christmas or New Year's gifts.  In the photo you can see hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmons) in a gift box and in a regular bag, calendula salve, jam made with fruit from the orchard and a pure beeswax candle.  We also have the 2014 Placer County Master Gardener's calender, two different persimmon cookbooks, the Art of Real Food cookbook by Joanne Neff and Laura Kenney.

Hoshigaki is a traditional Japanese New Year's gift.  You can also still order hoshigaki through mail order. If you'd like to pick up a large order of hoshigaki at the fruit stand, please call us ahead of time. 

Mandarins

We have lots of mandarins now at the fruit stand.  They were early this year so we have a good supply already. 

Turkeys, Persimmons, Coffee and Walnuts

Taffy the cat in a hachiya tree

We are selling fresh persimmons, hoshigaki (dried persimmons) and other fruit this month through the Sierra Foothills Producers Cooperative. Through the Sierra Foothills Producers Cooperative you can order local grass-fed, hormone free beef, lamb, pork and chicken, as well as eggs, cheese, produce, bread, honey, jams and sauces. New this month are fresh walnuts, locally roasted coffee and free-range turkeys. 

Orders are made online and then you choose one of five locations to pick up your order.  Locations are Otow Orchard (in Granite Bay), Sinclair Family Farm (in Penryn), Humbug Creek Drive in Folsom, Smoky's (in Truckee) and Tahoe Wellness (in Kings Beach).  

The next delivery from the Sierra Foothills Producers Cooperative to our orchard will be Friday, Nov. 22nd from 4:00-4:30. Orders must be sent in by 4:00 PM Thursday, Nov. 14th.

Fruit Stand and Hoshigaki Update

We are still accepting mail orders for hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmon).   Hoshigaki is for sale at the fruit stand now, too. If you live near our orchard and want to pick up a large order please call and arrange with us ahead of time.  

Here's what's at the fruit stand now:  

• Persimmons--Fuyu, Maru (chocolate), vodka-treated hyakume, hachiya (soft or firm), hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmons)
• Pomegranate--white variety (cream to pink outside, softer, sweeter pink seeds) red variety
• Asian Pears--Okusankichi
• Quince
  
• Apples--Granny Smith 
• Winter Squash--Butternut, Red Kuri, pumpkins
• Vegetables--sweet peppers, herbs
• Honey--from bees at our orchard 
• Eggs--from local free-range chickens
• Seasonal Preserves--From The Good Stuff (some made Otow Orchard fruit)
• Beeswax candles--handmade 100% beeswax from the orchard
• The Art of Real Food Cookbook--by Joanne Neft and Laura Kenney
• Perfectly Persimmon Cookbook--1004 persimmon recipes by Jean Brine
•  The California Persimmon, a persimmon cookbook published by the University of California Cooperative Extension, Placer and Nevada Counties.  

Through the Sierra Foothills Producers Cooperative you can order local grass-fed, hormone free beef, lamb, pork and chicken, as well as eggs, cheese, produce, honey, jams and sauces. New this month are fresh walnuts, locally roasted coffee and free-range turkeys. Orders are made online and then you choose one of five locations to pick up your order.  Locations are Otow Orchard (in Granite Bay), Sinclair Family Farm (in Penryn), Humbug Creek Drive in Folsom, Smoky's (in Truckee) and Tahoe Wellness (in Kings Beach).  

The next delivery from the Sierra Foothills Producers Cooperative to our orchard will be Friday, Nov. 22nd from 4:00-4:30. Orders must be sent in by 4:00 PM Thursday, Nov. 14th.