MULBERRY SEASON HAS STARTED

 More produce is showing up sooner than I thought.  Maybe this will be an early year for summer fruits.  We have started to harvest peaches, plums, pluots and apricots.

   Winter vegetables are still with us as we get summer veggies planted.  I found that it is a bit tricky planning to put several crops into the same ground in succession.  For example, the row that was producing radishes and turnips last month are now planted with tomatoes.  And because we grew lettuce in  a different spot, we were able to plant eggplant.  And since seed potatoes arrived late we have to find a new place for the chili peppers.  

 

As we get more supply, the slow season hours will extend to later in the afternoon.  Look for the "OPEN / CLOSED" signs at the entrance to the driveway. 

SLOW SEASON HOURS 

February to mid May:

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

 Fri and Sat:  10 am to 6 pm

 Sunday                   CLOSED

 Monday                 CLOSED

You may request an appointment if you need a different time We will try to accommodate. Call my mobile phone and LEAVE A MESSAGE.  (916) 300-0720.

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

VEGETABLES:

Komatsuna:  Tender leafy green vegetable, thought of as a Japanese spinach.  Taste is more like bok choy, mild with slight mustard flavor.  Can be added to salad, stir-fries, and soup. 

 Beets:  Vibrant red and healthy root vegetable. Often boiled, roasted or pickled.  Can also be eaten raw.  The leaves are also desired for saute, and adding to soups and stews.  

Carrots:  They are NOT big, long and tough 🥕.  The carrots are tender, slender, sweet and tasty.  

 Salad Greens:  We have a tender mix of leafy green and baby romaine lettuces.

Sugar Snap Peas:  Fresh, crisp, and juicy. These sweet and crunchy peas can be enjoyed raw or gently cooked. Can be used for garnish.

 Broccolini:  similar to broccoli but milder and sweeter.  The florets  leaves and stems are all edible in stir fries, sauteed, grilled, steamed, roasted, and raw.

FRUIT:

Flavorrosa pluot:  Early, dark skinned pluot with red flash. It has a sweet fragrant flavor (limited supply).

Royal Rosa apricot:  This early season apricot is tasty, sweet and juicy (limited supply).

Loquat:  This early season tropical fruit is sweet and refreshing.  It is small and juicy with sweet mild flavor.  Texture is similar to ripe pears.  Contain a large seed.

 

Spring Rose white peach: Small but amazingly tasty, sweet and juicy peach (limited supply).

Red Beaut plum:  Early season plum. Juicy and yellow fleshed (limited supply).

Pakistani Mulberries:  Long stemmed, dark mulberries.  They are sweet and juicy (limited supply).

Hoshigaki :  These are whole dried persimmons.  They are hand massaged while they dry 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 are currently selling hoshigaki at the farm stand. For on farm orders of more than 1 pound it is best to email or call us to make a pre order.  

Hoshigaki strips:  Thin slices of hoshigaki for snacking.

Persimmon Pulp: Frozen pulp is available for baking or adding to oatmeal, smoothies, desserts or cereal. Some of our customers look forward to eating it like a popsicle!

 

Valencia:  These are juicing oranges but most people just peel and eat like any other orange. They are sweet and very juicy.

UME:  Japanese Sour plum. (Limited supply). Processed with salt, alcohol or sweetener.

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:

Arrow Place, Auburn, 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.

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

 

 

SOONER THAN I THOUGHT

 Mother Nature always keeps us on our toes.  Just when I  thought I had a pretty good idea about when we have certain products available, Mother Nature throws a curve.  I thought ume (Japanese plums) would start to be ready in mid May.  Well, the early variety of ume is ready for harvest, nearly two weeks early.   Mulberries were also expected mid May.  We started to harvest them last week. 

The mulberry trees are loaded but the rain was unexpected and harmful.  As a result of rain we see some berries are molding on the tree.  99% of the mature berries are on the ground and unsalable.  Our first rounds of mulberry harvest are disappointing.  I am hoping drier weather will still provide us with a good harvest.  Our Pakistani Mulberries are long, dark and sweet.

We are carefully watching the ume trees.  The trick is to pick them when flavor has developed yet still hard and green. Ume remain sour even when soft and over ripe.  The ume is processed for its unique flavor with salt, alcohol or a sweetener. For different results it can be used when hard and green to when it is yellow and softer. At this time it looks like orders have exceeded supply.  I really won't know till every thing has been harvested.

Early vegetables are finished. We are selling spring veggies: lettuce, komatsuna, beets, sugar snap peas, and arugula blossoms.  The garden beds have been formed for the next crops. As early vegetables finish, we are transitioning to summer vegetables.  The tomato and eggplant plants are in the ground.  Last week we planted cucumber seeds and this week we may be putting squash seeds into the ground.  

 

 

SLOW SEASON HOURS 

February to mid May:

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

 Fri and Sat:  10 am to 6 pm

 Sunday                   CLOSED

 Monday                 CLOSED

 

You may request an appointment if you need a different time We will try to accommodate. Call my mobile phone and LEAVE A MESSAGE.  (916) 300-0720.

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

Vegetables:

Komatsuna:  Tender leafy green vegetable, thought of as a Japanese spinach.  Taste is more like bok choy, mild with slight mustard flavor.  Can be added to salad, stir-fries, and soup. 

 Beets:  Vibrant red and healthy root vegetable. Often boiled, roasted or pickled.  Can also be eaten raw.  The leaves are also desired for saute, and adding to soups and stews.  

Salad Greens:  We have a tender mix of leafy green and baby romaine lettuces.

Sugar Snap Peas:  Fresh, crisp, and juicy. These sweet and crunchy peas can be enjoyed raw or gently cooked. Can be used for garnish.

 

Hoshigaki :  These are whole dried persimmons.  They are hand massaged while they dry 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 are currently selling hoshigaki at the farm stand. For on farm orders of more than 1 pound it is best to email or call us to make a pre order.  

Hoshigaki strips:  Thin slices of hoshigaki for snacking.

Persimmon Pulp: Frozen pulp is available for baking or adding to oatmeal, smoothies, desserts or cereal. Some of our customers look forward to eating it like a popsicle!

 

CITRUS:

Valencia:  These are juicing oranges but most people just peel and eat like any other orange. They are sweet and very juicy.

UME:  Japanese Sour plum. (Limited supply). Processed with salt, alcohol or sweetener.

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:

Arrow Place, Auburn, 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.

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

 

Pomegranate tree in bloom.

 

 

 

 

LITTLE FRUITLETS

Plums

 We are looking forward to the summer crops.   On my most recent walk in the orchard, I saw little green plums, peaches, apricots, and Asian Pears on  the trees.  Hopefully these will be blessed with good weather till maturity.  

Peaches

Asian Pears

Apricots

The ume (Japanese sour plum) crop looks better than usual.  Keep your fingers crossed.  Not much damage yet and a decent crop.  All that can change in the event of a hail storm or freeze. 

 

The garden is producing fresh veggies. We are selling salad mix with baby romaine and leaf lettuces.  Beets are on their way.  Turnips are about finished.  We have little carrot greens rising above the soil and potatoes just got planted.  There is a small stand of sugar snap peas.  I am beginning to see a few flowers. Unfortunately, it will be a small crop of snap peas this year. If the warm weather holds, we will begin to plant summer vegetables like squash, tomatoes and cucumbers.

 

SLOW SEASON HOURS 

February to mid May:

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

 Fri and Sat:  10 am to 6 pm

 Sunday                   CLOSED

 Monday                 CLOSED

 

You may request an appointment if you need a different time We will try to accommodate. Call my mobile phone and LEAVE A MESSAGE.  (916) 300-0720.

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

Vegetables:

Arugula:    Popular and tasty leafy green.  Popular in salads, stir fries, and on pizza. Young arugula is more mild. Mature leaves are often desired for their strong spicy flavor.

Komatsuna:  Tender leafy green vegetable, thought of as a Japanese spinach.  Taste is more like bok choy, mild with slight mustard flavor.  Can be added to salad, stir-fries, and soup. 

 

Turnips:    Turnips are a versatile vegetable.  Young turnips can be eaten raw in salads or with dips. Cooked turnips become tender and mild. They can be added to stir-fries, soup, stew, mashed or roasted.  The leaves can be cooked in stir-fries, soup, stew and with a bit of meat or eggs. Turnips and their leaves can also be pickled.

Salad Greens:  We have a tender mix of leafy green and baby romaine lettuces.

 

Hoshigaki :  These are whole dried persimmons.  They are hand massaged while they dry 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 are currently selling hoshigaki at the farm stand. For on farm orders of more than 1 pound it is best to email or call us to make a pre order.  

Hoshigaki strips:  Thin slices of hoshigaki for snacking.

Persimmon Pulp: Frozen pulp is available for baking or adding to oatmeal, smoothies, desserts or cereal. Some of our customers look forward to eating it like a popsicle!

 

CITRUS:

Valencia:  These are juicing oranges but most people just peel and eat like any other orange. They are sweet and very juicy.

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:

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 might bring us fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens.   Currently no supply. 

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

 

Looks like snow or hail but it is olive blossoms on the ground.

 

Olive tree in bloom.

Honey bees visiting persimmon blossoms.

 

EAT YOUR VEGETABLES!

The characteristics of winter are quickly disappearing. We could certainly use more moist events like rain for our quickly drying soils and snow accumulation for our summer water needs.  Nonetheless, spring is upon us.   With the unusually hot dry spring we are already checking the irrigation lines.  We find big leaks, small leaks, misplaced tubing, missing emitters, and rodent damage. The apples and pears are blooming and the peaches and plums are showing small fruitlets.  All our bear root trees are planted and pruning is about finished.  Grass is growing like weeds and the weed eaters are buzzing.

  It is the time of year for me to inventory our trees. I make notes on which trees were removed and which new trees were planted. I walk up and down each row and make notes on my well worn map.  It is a nice time of year to be in the orchard, if you don't have allergies.  I look at the trees and to see how they are starting to grow for the coming season and what is the possibility of a crop. I was surprised to see what I thought were brown dry leaves among new lush green leaves.  Upon closer inspection I found that the brown leaves were actually a butterfly emerging from its cocoon.  

Parasitized aphid

 The vegetable garden is producing radishes, turnips, arugula and komatsuna.  We are watching for peas, lettuce, carrots, beets and broccolini. After setting small broccolini plants in the garden, they were visited by excited and hungry aphids.  Fortunately the aphids attracted an army of predators:  lady beetles, lace wings, syrphid flies, and parasitic wasps. We occasionally go out to squash aphids but are letting the good bugs have a reason to stay.  We will need their help for the rest of the season.

Lady beetle larvae

White syrphid fly larvae

SLOW SEASON HOURS 

February to mid May:

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

 Fri and Sat:  10 am to 6 pm

 Sunday                   CLOSED

 Monday                 CLOSED

 

You may request an appointment if you need a different time We will try to accommodate. Call my mobile phone and LEAVE A MESSAGE.  (916) 300-0720.

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

Vegetables:

Arugula:    Popular and tasty leafy green.  Popular in salads, stir fries, and on pizza. Young arugula is more mild. Mature leaves are often desired for their strong spicy flavor.

Komatsuna:  Tender leafy green vegetable, thought of as a Japanese spinach.  Taste is more like bok choy, mild with slight mustard flavor.  Can be added to salad, stir-fries, and soup. 

 Radishes:  Fresh, crisp, red radishes. Mild flavor.  Beautiful addition to your salads.  While very popular in salad, radishes can also be cooked.  The greens can also be cooked or pickled like kimchi.

Turnips:    Turnips are a versatile vegetable.  Young turnips can be eaten raw in salads or with dips. Cooked turnips become tender and mild. They can be added to stir-fries, soup, stew, mashed or roasted.  The leaves can be cooked in stir-fries, soup, stew and with a bit of meat or eggs. Turnips and their leaves can also be pickled.

Hoshigaki :  These are whole dried persimmons.  They are hand massaged while they dry 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 are currently selling hoshigaki at the farm stand. For on farm orders of more than 1 pound it is best to email or call us to make a pre order.  

Hoshigaki strips:  Thin slices of hoshigaki for snacking.

Persimmon Pulp: Frozen pulp is available for baking or adding to oatmeal, smoothies, desserts or cereal. Some of our customers look forward to eating it like a popsicle!

 

CITRUS

Yellow Grapefruit:  Our yellow grapefruit are small but mighty in flavor. Sweet and juicy.

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:

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 might bring us fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens.   Currently no supply. 

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