Tomatoes

Finally we have enough tomatoes so we don't have to limit the number we can let people buy at one time. We have lots more getting ready in the gardens, too.

Peach Season is Here

We've been harvesting lots of ripe sweet peaches lately and have lots available in the fruit stand.

Right now for yellow peaches we have Flavorcrest, Red Haven and Regina varieties. Later this month we'll have Kim Elberta, Gene Elberta and Suncrest. We have Nectar white peaches for sale now and expect Babcock, Sugar Lady and Silver Logan in the next few weeks. Prices are $2-3.00 per pound.

Also in the fruit stand--
Plums-Santa Rosa (tree-ripened and very flavorful) and Satsuma-(red-fleshed)
Fresh Figs, Apricots, Grapefruit
Garden Vegetables-including summer squash, cucumbers, eggplant, string beans, Swiss chard & basil

Look at our harvest schedule on the orchard website for more details: http://www.otoworchard.com/calendar.html

Hazards of Farming--Smoky air from forest fires

Tosh with his respirator by the fruit stand on the afternoon of June 26th.

Notice how the hills in the background to the south are barely visible because of the smoke. Today was also smoky enough to need to wear a respirator to work outside, but not quite as bad as when this photo was taken.

Figs

We now have a small amount of fresh figs for sale at the fruit stand. They're sweet, delicious and also high in vitamins and fiber. Toshio likes to freeze them and then eat them like popsicles.

Sunflower bouquet

If you are lucky, you will be able to see a bouquet of flowers that Helen has arranged at the farm stand. Currently we are showcasing sunflowers.

What's available this week: Flavorcrest peaches, Santa Rosa plums, Jade white nectarines, apricots, grapefruit, green and yellow squash, Swiss chard, French filet beans, Kentucky Wonder green beans, Armenian and Asian cucumbers, Lemon cucumbers, and honey from Newcastle.

Summer Squash and Beans

Helen, Chris and Chrisy's gardens are all beginning to produce the crop for 2008. We have Black Beauty and Cocozella (striped) green zucchinis. The ever popular yellow Zucchini as well as Scallopini and crook neck squash have begun to make their appearance in the Fruit Stand. Yellow Wax Beans as well as Emerite, a French fillet bean are now producing. In about 10 days to two weeks I hope to be harvesting burpless cucumber, Asian eggplants, and Kentucky Wonder Beans.


On the topic of tomatoes. I predict tomatoes will show up in the fruit stand in about 3 to 4 weeks.
We hope you ha ve time to come by the orchard to see our gardens.
'

Santa Rosa plums

The appearance of Santa Rosa plums in the fruit stand is a sign that summer has officially arrived here on the farm. This plum is so popular it seems to have a fan club. It is fragrant with a distinctive sweet and sour flavor that thrills your palate.
The peach supply may be a little low this week since we have only a few Junecrest trees. Very soon we will be offering Jade a white nectarine, and Flavorcrest and Red Haven peaches,
We also have small Blenheim apricots, Red Beaut plums, grapefruit, hoshigaki, yellow and green zucchini, Swiss chard, beans, and basil.

Bee on Buckwheat

I couldn't get a good photo of bees on the borage plants, but here's a bee on some buckwheat flowers in the garden.

Borage & Winter Squash

This weekend I had to pull out all the borage that had re-seeded itself and filled up a row in the garden. I felt bad having to pull most of it out, since the bees like to visit it so much, but I needed the space for winter squash. I left a few borage plants growing on the edges so the bees would still some have a few plants to be drawn to. The plants make good mulch in the paths, except that they're a little prickly. I hoed in compost and planted winter squash in the row. You can see the spots I planted marked with sticks.

Peach Season Starting

Right now the fruit stand has Spring Crest and May Crest peaches. They are both a yellow freestone peach, like many of our peaches. Our taste testing has yielded good reports. They are better than our early peaches usually are, but nothing measures up to our Faye Elbertas. Right now we are selling peaches from $2.00 to $2.50 per pound.
While supplies last, we will be selling our seconds (good for bakers who are not squeamish about "less than perfect" peaches) for $0.75 per pound.

Apricots

Robata is a large, round, orange apricot @$3.00 per pound. We have a short supply of Orange-Red a smaller and flavorful apricot at $3.50 per pound.

In the Fruit Stand: Apricots, plums, peaches, loquats, lemons, grapefruits, hoshigaki, calendula salve, basil, Swiss chard, and zucchini.


In the orchard: We invite customers to take a short walk into our forest of fruit trees and to visit Peas and Harmony's demonstration garden.

Red Beaut Plums

We have started harvesting the first plums of our summer season. Red Beaut is a red skinned yellow fleshed plum. We are excited to see these in our fruit stand at $2.50 per pound.