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. 

2013 Mail Order Form

The new 2013 Mail Order Form is now posted here on the website, under the "Hoshigaki/Persimmons" tab.  If you'd like to mail order hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmon) this year, please print out the order form and mail it back to us with your check.

In the photo you can see Chris moving a stick of freshly peeled persimmons to a new spot on one of the drying racks.  We started peeling the first hachiya persimmons for hoshigaki at the very end of September. The hachiyas need to be fully orange, but still hard to be able to peel in order to start the drying process.  After peeling, each fruit takes around six weeks to dry, depending on the weather.  The peeled fruits are hung by their stems in pairs and massaged every few days to help them to dry evenly.  By the end of the drying process, each persimmon has developed a dusting of natural powdered sugar on its surface, and is soft and sweet.

Because of these natural processes and weather variables, orders may take 8 to 10 weeks to ship.  It's important to get your order in as soon as possible, because supplies are limited to what we can produce while the weather permits.

We also have other varieties of fresh persimmon, Asian pears, quince and mandarins for sale through mail order.  We ship the fresh fruit boxes when they're available and in season.  This year we have only one size fruit box  rather than small and large sizes due to increased shipping costs. 

FARM and BARN OPEN HOUSE OCT. 13, 2013

You are invited to visit our farm's open house event on Sunday October 13, 2013 from 12 to 5 PM.
                                                                     THINGS TO DO
              1.     Hay ride into the orchard at 1:15 and 4:15
              2.    Walking orchard tour at 1:15,  2:30,  and 4:00.  Our attempt to farm without sprays
                                                                                          and synthetic fertilizers.
              3.    Hoshigaki workshop will be ongoing. Come observe, ask questions, and participate in
                                     the ancient art of making dried persimmons.
              4.     Visit Alice the miniature donkey, Koko the mini mule, and Dave the tall horse in the pasture.
                       Don't forget to also see the chickens in the mobile chuk dome.

      

              5.    Play at the straw bale yard.

              6.    Wander in the Pumpkin Patch.

              7.     Taste our produce at the fruit sampling table.

              8.     Shop in the Farm Stand.

Hope you can join us for our Open House.  Look for the event parking lot since there is no street parking allowed.

Qunice and Persimmon Time

Fresh Chestnuts

It's hard to believe that we are already into the quince and persimmon harvest. We have 4 types of brown fleshed persimmons: Maru, Nagamaru, Coffee Cake, and Hyakume.  We have already sold a few soft ripe Hachiya persimmons and are starting to peel the hard ones for making hoshigaki.  We are even picking Fuyu persimmons.       Last year the quince crop was a disappointment.  This year they are beautiful and fragrant.  I am excited to make Dulce de Membrillo and spiced roasted quince.  They pair nicely with ham and pork dinners.
 
Sunnyslope Farm is bringing us apples. At the moment we have Fuji and Mutsu (crispin).  They are also bringing us sweet, moist, and flavorful chestnuts.  We'll  include cooking instructions if you need.
  
The gardens are still producing a small stream of tomatoes, squash, peppers, and beans.

Here's what's at the Farm Stand now:
Persimmons:  Fuyu, Hachiya, Maru, Nagamaru, Chocolate, Hyakume
Quince:  Pineapple
Jujube:  Li
Peaches:  Fairtime (yellow freestone),  Levi (clings from Sunnyslope Farm)
Plums:  Casselman
Asian pears:  Nijuseki (20th Century), Shinseki (New Century), Shinko, Olympic, and Yali
European pears:  De Anjou and Bosc (from Sunnyslope Farm)
Apples: Granny Smith and Fuji (from Otow Orchard)
            Mutsu and Fuji (from Sunnyslope Farm)
Vegetables:  Tomatoes, squash, beans, peppers.  All in limited supply.
Winter squash:  Butternut, and Kabocha
Herbs:  Basil, oregano, and rosemary
Bee products:  honey, propolis,bee pollen, 100% beeswax candles
Jam:  The Good Stuff jams made with fruit from our orchard
Hoshigaki: From last season : strips and whole

Ripe Pears and Peaches

The tractor between two rows of Asian pear trees.

Right now we have many ripe Bartlett and Asian pears, so we're having a buy 5 get one free sale at the fruit stand. Although we are transitioning into more fall fruit like pears and apples, we still have peaches and many kinds of tomatoes.  There are sweet figs ripening and being picked each day, both black mission and brown turkey varieties.

Along with honey from bees at the orchard, we now have bee pollen and propolis for sale.  Jam locally made with our fruit from The Good Stuff is for sale at the fruit stand, too.

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

• Peaches--O'Henry, Rio Oso (yellow freestone varieties),Phillips (yellow cling)
• Plums--Casselman, Kelsey, Elephant Heart, Nodahara September Duarte
• Asian Pear--Shinko, Yoi, Niitaka, Niijiseki (20th Century), Shinseki (New Century)
• European Pear--Bartlett
• Figs--Black Mission and Brown Turkey
• Grapes--Thompson Seedless
• Apples--Golden Delicious
• Tomatoes--various sizes of red tomatoes; heirloom pink and yellow tomatoes; cherry tomatoes (isis cherry, sungold,black cherry, yellow pear, snow white); salad tomatoes (red,indigo rose,pink ping pong)
• Vegetables--Summer squash, eggplant, sweet peppers, green bell peppers, garlic
• Herbs--Basil, oregano, mint (cut if you ask)
• Honey--from bees at our orchard, propolis and pollen,too
• Beeswax candles--handmade 100% beeswax from the orchard
• Jam--made with fruit from our orchard by The Good Stuff
• Eggs--from local free-range chickens
• The Art of Real Food Cookbook--by Joanne Neft and Laura Kenney

Queasy, the Horse

I'm sorry to say that Queasy, the horse died today.  He was Maya's horse who lived at the edge of the orchard. He had lived at the orchard for a lot of years. 

Early Asian Pears and Lots of Tomatoes

Japanese Oxheart, Roma, Sungold, red and black cherry, and Indigo Rose tomatoes

This week we picked some of the first two early varieties of Asian pear, hosui and kosui. More varieties should be ready to pick from now through about November.  These first few varieties of Asian pear were ready a week or so early, like most of the plums and peaches have been.

There are currently 9 varieties of plums available at the fruit stand.  We're  running out of space to display them all, so we can only put out a little bit of each kind.  If you want more of something, feel free to ask us.

Now we have lots of different kinds of tomatoes.  For cherry and small salad tomatoes we have sungold, black cherry, red cherry, Indigo Rose, and Pink Ping Pong. We also have roma type tomatoes, various kinds of regular red tomatoes, and purple, pink, orange and yellow heirlooms.

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

• Peaches--49'er, Suncrest, Fay Elberta,  Gene Elberta, Elberta, Bowen (all yellow freestone varieties); Bowen (yellow cling);  White Lady, Elegant Lady, Babcock, Silver Logan (white freestone varieties)  
• Plums--Kelsey, Elephant Heart, Mariposa, Late Santa Rosa, Black Amber, Laroda, Eldorado, Late Duarte
• Pluots--Dapple Dandy, Flavor Queen, Flavor King
• Valencia Oranges
• Vegetables--Tomatoes (regular, cherry, salad, heirlooms), Zucchini, Summer Squash, Swiss chard, Eggplant (small Japanese and small Italian types), Cucumber (Japanese, Armenian, lemon), peppers (sweet)
• Herbs--Oregano, Mint, green and red shiso, Basil (cut if you ask) 
• Honey--from bees at our orchard 
• Free Range Chicken eggs
• Beeswax candles--handmade 100% beeswax
• The Art of Real Food Cookbook--by Joanne Neft and Laura Kenney

Suncrest Peach Emergency

We now have too many ripe Suncrest peaches at the fruit stand.  Suncrest peaches are a sweet, juicy yellow heirloom peach that are difficult to find. Although they are very delicious, Suncrest ripen quickly and are fragile.
Since they don't ship well or keep for an extended period of time, they aren't sold in major grocery stores.  We can sell soft and ripe Suncrest at the fruit stand because the peaches are picked into boxes and brought directly to the fruit stand, there's no need for packing and shipping.

Suncrest peaches are now at a reduced price at the fruit stand. Right now we have lots of these flavorful peaches, but we won't for long, since once they're picked they don't keep.

Saving Suncrest peaches and his family farm is the subject of the David Mas Masumoto's book,  Epitaph for a Peach--Four Seasons on My Family Farm.  David Masumoto has written a lot of other good books related to his farm and his family history that are worth reading, too. His latest is a peach cookbook called The Perfect Peach:  Recipes and Stories from the Masumoto Family Farm.
 
Here's what's at the fruit stand now: 

• Peaches--Suncrest, Gene Elberta, 49'er, Delight (all yellow varieties), Arctic White, White Lady, Babcock, Silver Logan (white varieties)  
• Plums--Santa Rosa, Black Amber, Laroda, 
• Pluots--Dapple Dandy, Flavor Queen
• Blackberries--wild from around the orchard 
• Valencia Oranges
• Vegetables--Tomatoes (regular, cherry, heirlooms), Zucchini, Summer Squash, Swiss chard, Eggplant (small Japanese and small Italian types), Cucumber (Japanese, Armenian, lemon), beans (green and Chinese long), peppers (sweet)
• Herbs--Oregano, Mint, Basil (cut if you ask) 
• Honey--from bees at our orchard 
• Free Range Chicken eggs
• Beeswax candles--handmade 100% beeswax
• The Art of Real Food Cookbook--by Joanne Neft and Laura Kenney

Red Beaut Plum Special

Some of the first summer fruit is now at the fruit stand.  We have a lot of Red Beaut plums, some apricots and loquat and a limited supply of cherries and early peaches.  Until June 1st we'll have trays of Red Beaut plums at a reduced price. 

For citrus fruit we have pink and white grapefruit, Valencia oranges and lemons.  The first zucchini is starting to be picked in the vegetable gardens and we also have Swiss chard and herbs.

Ume (Japanese sour plums) are also for sale at the fruit stand.  If you would like to order a large quantity of ume, please call ahead. 

We still have hoshigaki (Japanese hand dried persimmon)  at the fruit stand and for sale through mail order.  Through mail order we have strips of hoshigaki from our orchard and strips and whole hoshigaki traditionally produced from a farm in Newcastle.  At the fruit stand we also have honey from bees at our orchard and eggs.

Late Spring at the Orchard

Beehives in the orchard just before a storm

In the fruit stand now we have pink grapefruit, yellow grapefruit, Eureka lemons, Swiss chard, fresh herbs, hoshigaki, local free-range eggs and honey from bees at the orchard.  Hoshigaki can still be ordered by mail order. 

This month you can also buy grapefruit, lemons and hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmon) from us through the Sierra Foothills Producers Co-op.  Make your order online by 4:00 Friday, May 10th and pick it up the next week either at Otow orchard or one of the other pick up locations. This month the Producers Co-op has chicken, quail and duck eggs, organic greens, locally made cheese, honey, sauces, naturally raised meat and other items. 

In the orchard the persimmons and pomegranates are blooming.  Grass is turning brown from the lack of rain.  People have been thinning the Asian pear in an effort to help the trees produce fewer but bigger fruit.  The vegetable gardens are almost planted.  We've been trying to finish planting tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, summer squash and cucumbers now that the weather is warmer even at night. 

Citrus, Eggs and Greens

Chickens dust-bathing at the edge of my garden

Now is the season for eggs.  This is the time of the year that the chickens are laying the most prolifically. Even our older chickens have been laying an egg every few days.  It's also the end of citrus season and the beginning of herbs and greens.  Out in the gardens the Swiss chard and herbs are growing well in the late spring weather.

In the fruit stand we have grapefruit, lemons, Swiss chard, oregano, mint, hoshigaki, and fresh local free range eggs. You can also still order hoshigaki (Japanese hand dried persimmon) through mail order.

We have been busy in the orchard dealing with irrigation issues, mowing and thinning fruit from the trees. We've been getting the vegetable  gardens ready to plant by turning in compost and setting up watering. Some things like beans, garlic and zucchini are already planted.

New Spring Hoshigaki Mail Order Choices

Close up view of Hoshigaki Strips

We now have hoshigaki strips for sale through mail order.  Previously hoshigaki strips were only available for sale at our fruit stand.  Hoshigaki strips are cut from whole peeled persimmons dried in the traditional style by a native Japanese farmer in Newcastle, CA.  The strips are dusted with natural persimmon sugar. Any seeds have been removed. They're easy to share since they're already cut and are just right for a snack.  

We also have hoshigaki from the Nodahara family of Pleasant Hill Orchard in Newcastle, too.  These are whole hoshigaki (hand dried persimmons) with a soft texture and sweetness and natural fluffy sugar. 

The 2012 season hoshigaki from our orchard available now is not as soft and moist those offered earlier in the season.  We also have 2011 season Otow Orchard hoshigaki for sale through through mail order.  Both of these types of hoshigaki are at a discounted price.  Small amounts of non-premium Otow orchard hoshigaki are still for sale in the fruit stand. 

If you'd like to make an order please send it in as soon as possible.  We hope to finish mail orders in the Spring weeks before the weather gets too hot and the sugar risks melting. 

Blossoming Orchard and Producer's Co-op

Blood orange, Grapefruit, Navel Orange, and lemon on a plum tree.

If you come to the fruit stand, free to go out and take a walk in the orchard. It's very pretty right now with the plum, pluot and apricot trees covered in white fluffy blossoms.  The peaches are just starting to put out  pink flowers, too.  It looks like this year peaches and plums will be blossoming at the same time, so the orchard will soon be full of pink and white flowering trees. 

At the fruit stand we now have grapefruit, navel oranges, blood oranges, Eureka lemons, Asian pear, kiwi and hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmon).  Hoshigaki can still be ordered through mail order, too. 

If you order from the Sierra Foothills Producers Co-op by 4:00 on Friday, March 8th, you can pick up your order the next Friday, March 15th at our orchard, or at one of the four other delivery spots.  This month there are new local items offered, such as vegetables and honey.  We're selling hoshigaki, blood oranges and Eureka lemons through the Producers Co-op.

Oranges on Sale

We have juicy and sweet oranges on sale at the fruit stand for $8.00 for a 6 pound bag, or two bags for $12.  Right now we at the fruit stand we also have lots of blood oranges, eureka lemons, yellow grapefruit, kiwi and Asian pear at the fruit stand, along with the very last satsuma mandarins. Blemished fruit for juicing is available, too.

Orchard News & Fruit Stand

Blossoming ume tree in front of the lemon and orange trees

Some of the first trees started blooming in the orchard.  First to bloom are the ume ("oo-meh") trees.  Ume is a small sour Japanese plum that's usually preserved.  The blossoms have a banana-like scent that hangs in the air.  Pluots and early plums have started budding but haven't blossomed yet.  We are finishing pruning persimmon trees and soon will start planting some of the new bare root trees from that we ordered this year.

We've been starting tomatoes and other vegetables by seed in the hot house.  These will be planted out in the gardens in early April.    

At the fruit stand we have mandarins,  navel oranges,  blood oranges, Eureka lemons, Asian pear,  kiwi, butternut squash and hoshigaki. We also have eggs, 100 percent beeswax candles,  and Joanne Neft and Laura Kenny's The Art of Real Food Cookbook .

We're still taking mail orders for hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmons).  You can get to the order form here on our website.

Hoshigaki Still Available

The rooster by a grapefruit tree

We still have hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmon) available from our orchard and also from Pleasant Hill Orchard in Newcastle.  Pleasant Hill orchard is a small orchard owned by the Nodahara family.  Pleasant Hill's hoshigaki is very sweet with fluffy sugar formed on the outside. Right now, there are three ways you can get hoshigaki from us.  

The best way to get hoshigaki is to just stop by the fruit stand, if you're able to. At the fruit stand we have Premium and grade A hoshigaki in various sized packages, as well as hoshigaki strips.  Another way is to order hoshigaki through mail order.  You can print out the order form, fill it out and mail it to us with a check.  We have both Otow Orchard hoshigaki and Pleasant Hill hoshigaki for a few dollars less per pound available through mail order.

A third way to get hoshigaki is to make an order through the Sierra Foothills Producer's Cooperative.  The Producers Co-op delivers once a month to five different sites around our area, including at our fruit stand.  Through the Producers Co-op you can also order locally produced meat, cheese, jams, sauces, and honey.  For February delivery, you must make your order online by 4:00 PM Feb. 8th.  Delivery at our orchard is Feb. 15th from 4:00-4:30. 
The other

Ice

In this photo, Viviano is looking at the ice formations made from the sprinklers one morning this past weekend. We had to turn on some of the sprinklers for a few nights to create a layer of ice on the citrus trees.  The coating of ice is supposed to protect the trees themselves from freezing. The branches are insulated by the ice and the temperature is kept a few degrees higher than the surrounding air.

New Fruits and Producers Co-op

We have three new fruits at the fruit stand--kiwi, naval oranges and blood oranges.  The kiwis are flavorful and the navels are sweet and juicy.  Blood oranges are less acidic and red inside with a red blush on the peel. We also have many mandarins at the fruit stand, as well as Asian pear and winter squash. All types of softening persimmons are available. We still have a good supply of hoshigaki for sale at the fruit stand and through mail order.

The January delivery to our orchard for the Sierra Foothills Producers Cooperative will be Friday, Jan. 18th, from 4-5 PM.  Orders need to be received by Friday, Jan. 11th at 4:00 PM.  Through the Producers Co-op you can order locally and naturally raised beef, chicken, lamb, pork and eggs; seasonal produce such as Meyer lemons and mandarins; and other locally made products like dressings, jams, sauces and cheese.  We are selling our hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmon) through the Producers Co-op this month.  Other delivery locations are in Auburn, Kings Beach, Truckee and Penryn. 

Hoshigaki & Fruit Stand Update

Sunset at the orchard

Hoshigaki (Japanese hand-dried persimmon) is still available for sale at the fruit stand and through mail order.  At the fruit stand we have various grades of hoshigaki for sale, and also hoshigaki from another producer, Pleasant Hill Orchard.  Pleasant Hill Orchard is a small orchard in Newcastle, CA owned by the Nodahara family.  Thier hoshigaki is very soft and flavorful this year with nice fluffy sugar on the outside. We now also have Pleasant Hill's Hoshigaki for sale through mail order at a little less per pound than ours.  Mandarins are also for sale through mail order.

The fruit stand is full of mandarins and soft persimmons.  Soft hachiya are for sale, individually and in trays.  We still have maru (chocolate) persimmons, vodka-treated hyakume, and fuyu persimmons although they're not as firm as earlier in the season. Other items in the fruit stand are large okusankichi Asian pears, white pomegranate, butternut and Black Futsu winter squash, pie pumpkins and raw honey from bees at our orchard.

It's been cold in the past few weeks with some nights of freezing temperatures and many days of rain.  We have been busy catching up with all of the various tasks involved in drying hoshigaki, such as massaging drying persimmons, taking down dry hoshigaki, trimming the tops and sorting them into grades according to softness. Only about one rack of sticks of hoshigaki remains drying in the last drying room. Out in the orchard we have been pruning trees and dropping compost between the rows to help fertilize the soil.