NOT RED, NOT ORANGE

Pomegranates are red but ours are pink right now,  Persimmons are orange but ours are brown right now.  Waiting for red pomegranates and orange persimmons?  We are currently selling "white " pomeganates.  This is an old variety that my grandfather planted. They have sweet pink arils with a very small core.  Our persimmons currently have brown flesh.  These brown fleshed varieties are sweet when pollinated in the spring. Red pomegranates will appear in November and orange fleshed Fuyu persimmons will appear around the end of October.

 Hachiya persimmons are just starting to turn orange.  Most are still  hard and puckery. It may take another month for many of them to be soft and sweet.  Every year is different so give us a call if you need an update.

The hoshigaki process will soon begin.  When the hachiya persimmon has full color but still hard and puckery, "shibui," we will select appropriate sized fruit to peel and dry.  Meanwhile we are getting the racks cleaned up and the drying rooms dusted to accommodate the hundreds of persimmons that will be soon hanging in pairs on sticks.  We will soon be starting to peel Hachiya for the hoshigaki process.  

 

 

We are currently in the middle of  Jujube season. Jujube are small round fruit containing a date-like seed.  They are sweet and enjoyed at various stages of maturity.  When yellow and starting to turn brown people eat them to enjoy their sweet crisp apple-like texture.  As they develop more, color they become  sweeter and are still crisp.  As they darken the crispness disappears and the fruit develops wrinkles, and more sweetness.  Still other perfer them completely dried with deep  wrinkles. These dry jujube can be enjoyed out of hand or added to soup or other dishes for flavor, nutritional value and sweetness.   

As we move farther into fall, summer vegetables just are not getting enough sunlight to keep producing, especially the sun loving tomatoes. Lately, I go to harvest 3 times a week with fewer and fewer tomatoes to show for my effort.  Squash are dwindling and cucumbers are still producing but getting shorter and skinnier. Beans, however, are making a short fall comeback. 

 

 Hachiya and Fuyu persimmons are not ready for harvest.  They are getting more color daily but not yet ready.  Fuyu are often ready in late October.  We will soon start to harvest Hachiya but they will not be ready to eat for another month.  I must add that every year is different.

 

 

 

 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.

PLUMS

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

JUJUBE                                         

Li jujube:   Large sweet and crisp or soft and chewy.  Often referred to as Chinese Dates or Red Dates.  Fresh Jujube are low in calories and high in fiber.  As they mature sugars become more concentrated. 

PERSIMMONS

Coffeecake:  Early ripening persimmon.  Don't let them fool you.  They look like Fuyu persimmons but are actually brown fleshed persimmons.   Can be eaten crisp or softer. Sweet flavor when pollinated and brown fleshed. 

Back row: Nagamaru (Chocolate,Tsurunoko), Hyakume (cinnamon), Hachiya. Front row  Maru, Coffee Cake (Nishimura Wase), Fuyu.

 

 

For the novice, our recommendation is to cut the persimmon to see the sweet brown flesh before biting into the fruit.

Maru, Nagamaru, and Chocolate: These persimmons  are brown fleshed when pollinated.  They are sweet and can be eaten hard  or softer.  For the novice, our recommendation is to cut the persimmon to see the sweet brown flesh before biting into the fruit.

 

 

      

 

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.  We usually begin processing the new season hoshigaki in October.  We plan to put a mail order form on this website in late October.  At this time only hoshigaki strips are available at the farm stand.

 APPLES          

Reinette Simirenko, Fuji, Granny Smith, Striped Red Delicious

Striped Delicious:  Sweet, crisp apple.  Red blush over light yellow skin.   Great for snacking and sauce.

Reinette Simienko:  Ukrainian apples.  Sweet tart crunchy apple with unique flavor. Green skin.

Granny Smith:  Green skinned sweet tart apple. White flesh does not discolor with exposure to air.  Although often used for baking it also can be enjoyed eaten out of hand.  For pies it is recommended to add a squeeze of lemon juice.

Fuji:   Our Fuji apples are green with light red blush.  I blame this on our warm weather compared to cooler apple growing regions in the Northwest. Nonetheless our Fuji apples are sweet, crisp and full of juice. They are mostly used for fresh eating but also good for baking, cooking, drying and adding to salads. 

ASIAN PEARS  

Yali:  This Asian pear has the shape of a European pear  It is yellow with smooth skin.  It is tender, sweet, crisp and juicy. Often eaten out of hand. Yali can be added to salads or cooked and paired with a meat dish.

Shinko:  A popular sweet Asian pear. Shinko are crisp and juicy with a background of citrus and butterscotch.  It has brown skin with ivory colored flesh. A refreshing snack to be shared with others or added to salads.  They can be roasted or added to baked goods.  Unwashed Shinko pears can be stored in the produce bin of the refrigerator for one to three months.

POMEGRANATES

White Pomegranates:  The actual name of this variety is unknown. Kichitaro Kawano, founder of this orchard, planted it over 100 years ago.  The name has been lost.  Yellow skin over pink arils. The seeds are sweet with a smaller core than other pomegranates.  Pink juice does not stain.

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

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.

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.

Other Vegetables: (Limited supply.)

Green beans

Bell peppers 

Here is what we have from other producers:

Sunnyslope Farm in Granite Bay, Conventional practices.

    Fuji apples:  Sweet and crisp with red blush over green skin.  Very juicy. 

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.)

     Vanilla Exract:  Homemade in Loomis, CA at La Bella Vito Farm. Fragrant vanilla flavoring from Madagascar vanilla beans.

 

Kijani Farm in Granite Bay.  No spray practice:  

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

 

The California Persimmon:  A book published by the ANR covering history and background of persimmons. Contains many new and traditdional persimmon recipies.

 

 

CHOCOLATE PERSIMMONS

It was nearly the end of the day.  The sun had just dipped below the horizon. The sky was a faded blue.  Realizing  daylight was limited, I was making a quick harvest through the tomato patch.  As I pulled tomatoes off the vines I realized that my peripheral vision was busy.  Turning my attention to the darting movement in the air just above my head I realized that dragonflies were busy.  As I harvested tomatoes they were harvesting insects that I disturbed as I picked tomatoes from the vines.  As I continued down the rows of tomatoes I gave each tomato cage a little extra shake to disturb a few extra critters into the air for the dragonflies on duty.  As I watched this event unfold I recalled an evening from my childhood.  My sister and I were in the farm yard at dusk.  There were occasional dragonflies darting about snatching a bug here and a bug there.  When we waved our arms, they would dart toward us but realize that we were not insects.  We then discovered that if we threw a small  object into the air we could attract the dragonflies.  We had a great time that evening tossing bits of sand into the air and watching as many dragonflies swooped down to investigate these small objects.  I think the dragonflies soon got wise to our antics or it was getting to be time for them to retire for the evening.

Sadly, the peach season is behind us till next June.   Fall crops are in full swing.  We have several varieties of apples, figs, grapes, Jujube,  European pears, Asian pears, and persimmons.  The White pomegranates and Quince are starting and the Casselman plums will be with us for a couple more weeks.

We are starting to harvest the brown fleshed persimmons: Coffeecake, Maru, Chocolate and Nagamaru. If these persimmon flowers were pollinated in the spring, seeds started to form. A persimmon has 8 seeds.  The seeds influence the flesh to turn brown and sweet.  When pollination is not successful the persimmon will remain astringent and the flesh will be orange.   There is a range of sweetness dependent on the number of seeds that formed in the fruit.  For the novice, our recommendation is to cut the persimmon to see the sweet brown flesh before biting into the fruit.

 Hachiya and Fuyu persimmons are not ready for harvest.  They are getting more color daily but not yet ready.  Fuyu are often ready in late October.  We may start to harvest Hachiya in a couple week but they will not be ready to eat for another month.  I must add that  every year is different.

 

 

 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.

PLUMS

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

FIGS   (Limited supply.)

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. 

PERSIMMONS

Coffeecake:  Early ripening persimmon.  Don't let them fool you.  They look like Fuyu persimmons but are actually brown fleshed persimmons.   Can be eaten crisp or softer. Sweet flavor when pollinated and brown fleshed. For the novice, our recommendation is to cut the persimmon to see the sweet brown flesh before biting into the fruit.

Maru, Nagamaru, and Chocolate: These persimmons  are brown fleshed when pollinated.  They are sweet and can be eaten hard  or softer.  For the novice, our recommendation is to cut the persimmon to see the sweet brown flesh before biting into the fruit.

 

 

      

 

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.  We plan to put a mail order form on this website in late October.

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

 APPLES

Striped Delicious:  Sweet, crisp apple.  Red blush over light yellow skin.   Great for snacking and sauce.

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.

Yoi:  Brown skinned Asian pear.  Sweet, crisp and juicy.  Butterscotch and spice undertones.

 

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.

POMEGRANATES

White Pomegranates:  The actual name of this variety is unknown. Kichitaro Kawano, founder of this orchard, planted it over 100 years ago.  The name has been lost.  Yellow skin over pink arils. The seeds are sweet with a smaller core than other pomegranates.  Pink juice does not stain.

Quince:  Related to pears and apples, quince are firm, fragrant, and tart. They contain pectin which promotes gelling. 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.

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.)

Other Vegetables: (Limited supply.)

Green beans

Bell peppers 

Okra

Here is what we have from other producers:

Sunnyslope Farm in Granite Bay, Conventional practices.

    Fuji apples:  Sweet arnd crisp with red blush over green skin.  Very juicy. 

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.)

     Vanilla Exract:  Homemade in Loomis, CA at La Bella Vito Farm. Fragrant vanilla flavoring.

 

Kijani Farm in Granite Bay.  No spray practice:

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

 

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. 

PEACHES, APPLES, AND FIGS

 At the moment we are going strong with Fay Elberta peaches.  When that moment is gone we will have a small crop of O'Henry and Summerset peaches to harvest and then the peach trees will be empty till next June (2026).    

The apple harvest is now starting.  We have Gravenstein and Gala apples. The Gravenstein are an old variety with unique fragrance and tartness.  It is used for sauce and cider or a good sour apple crunch. Gala have a red blush over light yellow skin.  They are a sweet crisp apple great for snacking.

It seems I have been waiting a long time for the second crop of figs to get ready.  Slowly they are starting to come into the farm stand.  We will get a boost from Lupi Farm in Granite Bay that will be bringing us Black Mission figs this week. 

The vegetable garden is at its peak. We are getting tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, beans, peppers and eggplants.  The days are getting shorter and the veggies seem to know.  When I harvest the cucumbers, squash and tomatoes, I can tell that my boxes are lighter than they were last week.

We have an opening at our farm for a worker who  can work in and around the farm stand part time 2 to 4 days per week. Hours will increase as we get into persimmon season.

 

HELP WANTED

Job Posting: Farm Stand worker.  10 to 30 hours per week (hours vary by the season).  $16.50 to $17.50 per hour.

Otow Orchard, 6232 Eureka Rd. Granite Bay

Otow Orchard is a direct-to-consumer farm market. Personal contact with and respect for customers is important to building our business and our community. Produce is grown without sprays or chemical fertilizers. Harvest occurs when produce is mature and at its peak. We support local feeding programs and area farms.  The pay is not great but the experience is rewarding.

We are looking for an honest, reliable, hardworking, self-directed individual who has an interest in growing good food. This is an opportunity to work day to day on a farm and learn about our crops and methods.  Pay is not great but the experience can be enriching.

Job Title: Farm stand and produce associate

Job description:

Assist in farm stand marketing and sales.

Cleaning, inspecting, and restocking the display.

Maintain and clean the fruit stand area and farm yard.

Sorting produce for quality and distribution.

Harvest, irrigate and help maintain vegetable garden.

Build positive relationships with customers and coworkers.

Assignments may require use of hand tools and power tools.

Seasonally and with experience, the job description will change as needed.

Responsibilities:

Work safely and ask for help when needed.

Follow heat stress and food safety guidelines.

Be observant and report or take care of things that are out of line.

Clean up and put away tools and equipment.

Make good use of time.

Requirements:

Reliable transportation.

Be able to safely lift 40 pounds.

Work during extremes of weather: hot, cold, wet, dry.

Dependable attendance.

Good math basics.

Good communication skills (listening and speaking).

Please submit resume and inquiries in person or through email: otoworchard@yahoo.com

Request job history and references. 

 

 

 

 

 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  

Fay Elberta:  Yellow, freestone peach. Juicy and sweet for eating out of hand or baking and canning.  Known for its melting texture.

Opale:  White freestone peach.  Low acid, sweet and juicy. 

Paradise:   White freestone peach.  Low acid, sweet and juicy. 

PLUMS

Eldorado:  Yellow fleshed plum.  Often eaten hard and crisp.  Very sweet. 

Laroda:  Yellow fleshed plum.  Sweet/tart and juicy.  Pleasant flavor.

Kelsey:  Green skin over yellow flesh.  Firm to soft. Always sweet and juicy. 

LSR:  Yellow flesh sweet tart plum.   

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 .

      

 

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. 

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

Gravenstein Apples: Tart and flavorful apple. Often used for sauce or in cider. (limited supply.)

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

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.

Cherry tomatoes:                            

Sungold (orange)

Sweetie (red)

Suncherry (red) 

Other Vegetables: (Limited supply.)

Japanese eggplant

Bell peppers 

Green beans 

Shishito peppers 

Aoshiso leaves 

Here is what we have from other producers:

Sunnyslope Farm: conventionally grown peaches from Granite Bay.

Fay Elberta Peaches:  Very popular variety. Big and beautiful, yellow freestone peaches.  Sweet and Juicy with wonderful flavor and smooth texture. 

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

Fresh Bouquetsi of colorful in-season flowers from La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis. 

 

Lupi Farm in Granite Bay. No spray practice:  

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

 

Nest of baby birds in the tomato vine.