Monday, August 31, 2015

Many Pears, Some Peaches & Apples Ripe Now

   Tomorrow starts our fall hours.  From Sept. 1 to Nov. 30, we're open  Mon. to Sat. 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Sundays 1 to 6 p.m. only.
'Blake's Pride' European pears are ripening plentifully now, and I have many picked and ready to sell.  These pears are very large and have a smooth texture and wonderful flavor.
   'Blake's Pride' and 'Luscious' European pears are ripening plentifully now, so I'm very busy harvesting them.  I'm also harvesting some 'Shinko' Asian pears and several early apple varieties, plus 'Flameprince' peaches.  All my workers are back in high school and college now, so I only have their help on Saturday mornings and school holidays such as Labor Day.
'Flameprince' is the last of our 17 peach varieties to ripen.  Our workers harvested some this past Saturday, and I harvest them on weekdays.
    I'm harvesting all these fruits from 4 different orchards around the farm, and can't see the driveway from 3 of these orchards.  I put a sign on the sales building door while harvesting fruit, to ring the bell on the post.  I can hear that from the orchard and come to the sales building.
    Small amounts of peaches, pears, and apples all cost $1.20 per pound + tax.  A 20-lb. box of peaches, pears, or apples all cost $23.15 + tax, which saves $1.00 off the per-pound price. I harvest pears and apples into two plastic bags per box, so you can get a mixed box of one bag of pears and one bag of apples and still get the 20-lb. discount.
We have a few #1 'Gala' apples (left box) for sale, and many #1 'Jonafree' apples (right box).  Excess rain caused many 'Gala' apples to crack, so there are many 2nds 'Gala' apples.
   We also have some 2nds pears and many 2nds 'Gala' apples, with rain cracks or other surface damage, which sell for $0.83 per pound + tax.  Our pick-your-own apple season runs from mid-Sept. to mid-Nov.
   We still have some 'China Pearl' white peaches for sale. These are low in acid so taste sweeter than yellow peaches.  We'll have 'Flameprince' yellow peaches for sale until about Sept. 10.

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Late Peaches & Early Apples Ripe

   "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him."  Psalm 34:8 
    Come taste samples of our 'Carolina Gold' yellow peaches and 'China Pearl' white peaches, plus several early apple varieties. Those who want white peaches, come soon, as I'm almost done picking them.  Deer and birds seem to prefer these 'China Pearl' white peaches, which are low in acid so taste sweeter than yellow peaches.
We still have many 'Carolina Gold' yellow peaches (left box) and 'China Pearl' white peaches (right box) for sale for the next week or so.
   We'll have yellow peaches for sale until about Sept. 10, and white peaches until about Aug. 31.  We still have a late-ripening yellow peach variety left to harvest, 'Flameprince'.  I'll pick 'Flameprince' from Aug. 24 to Sept. 6 or so.  We sell all peaches harvested; we do not allow customers to pick peaches.
   Small amounts of peaches cost $1.20 per pound + tax.  We pick directly into 20-lb. boxes, which I then weigh to 20.0 lbs., so you save $1.00 if you buy a 20-lb. box of peaches for $23.15 + tax.  We also usually have some 2nds peaches, mostly with small bird pecks or rain cracks or other surface damage, which sell for $0.69 per pound + tax.
   We're still open our summer hours through Aug. 31, as the sidebar at left shows: Mon. to Sat. 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 7 p.m. till dark, and Sundays 7 p.m. till dark only.  From Sept. 1 to Nov. 30, we're open our fall hours: Mon. to Sat. 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Sundays 1 to 6 p.m. only.
     Next week and the week after, I'll harvest 'Flameprince' peaches each morning from 7 to about 9:30 a.m., and can't see the driveway from the peach orchard.  So if you plan to arrive before 9:30 a.m., please phone 620-597-2450 a day or two ahead, and leave a message saying when you're coming.  Thanks.  From about  9:30 a.m. to 12 noon, I harvest apples or prune raspberries near the sales building, so I can see the driveway.
I just started harvesting some early 'Gala' apples and have these for sale now.
   I've started harvesting some early apples and have these for sale now: 'Gala', 'Jonafree' and 'Honeycrisp'.  We have just one or two trees of each of these early varieties, so they are limited.  We'll start harvesting some early pears and have them for sale starting about Sept. 1.  Our pick-your-own apple season runs from mid-Sept. to mid-Nov.
We have just one young tree of 'Honeycrisp', so they are limited.
   The sidebar at left gives ripening dates for all our fruits, plus directions to our farm and payment methods.

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Peach Harvest Continues

   Peach harvest continues for the next month.  We grow 17 different peach varieties that provide a succession of ripening over 2 1/2 months.  Each variety is ripe for about 2 weeks.
We're harvesting many 'Carolina Gold' (left box) and 'Glowingstar' (right box) yellow peaches now.
   We're harvesting many 'Glowingstar' and 'Carolina Gold' yellow peaches now, and I just started harvesting 'China Pearl' white peaches on Sat. morning Aug. 8.  I give taste samples of all peach varieties currently for sale.
I just started harvesting 'China Pearl', our 2nd white peach variety.  I'll keep harvesting it for the next 2 weeks, and we'll have white peaches for sale until late Aug. or early Sept.
   Peach harvest goes until about Sept. 10, and our heaviest time for peaches is from July 20 to about Aug. 31.  We sell all peaches harvested; we do not allow customers to pick peaches.
   Small amounts of peaches cost $1.20 per pound + tax.  We pick directly into 20-lb. boxes, which I then weigh to 20.0 lbs., so you save $1.00 if you buy a 20-lb. box of peaches for $23.15 + tax.  We also usually have some 2nds peaches, mostly with small bird pecks or rain cracks or other surface damage, which sell for $0.69 per pound + tax.
   Come during our open hours for summer: Mon. to Sat. 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon & 7 to 9 p.m., & Sundays 7 to 9 p.m. only.  We're closed Sunday mornings for church (as we are year-round), and from June 1 to Aug. 31 we're closed from 12 noon to 7 p.m. due to high heat.
   I'm now harvesting 'China Pearl' white peaches each morning from 7 to about 9 a.m., and can't see the driveway from the peach orchard.  So if you plan to arrive before 9 a.m., please phone 620-597-2450 a day or two ahead, and leave a message saying when you're coming.  Thanks.  From about  9 a.m. to 12 noon, I work in the area around the sales building, pruning raspberries or blackberries or controlling weeds, so I can see the driveway.
   Thornless blackberry season has now ended.  The sidebar at left gives ripening dates for all our fruits, plus directions to our farm and payment methods.

Monday, August 3, 2015

Many Yellow & White Peaches Ripe

   Peach harvest is still going strong.  We're currently finishing harvest of 'Contender' yellow peaches, and still have some 'Intrepid and 'Challenger' yellow peaches and 'Nectar' white peaches for sale.  We're harvesting many 'Glowingstar' yellow peaches now, and have just started harvesting 'Carolina Gold' peaches.  I give taste samples of all peach varieties currently for sale.

We still have 'Nectar' white peaches (left box) for sale, and we're harvesting many 'Glowingstar' yellow peaches (right box) now.
   Small amounts of peaches cost $1.20 per pound + tax.  We pick directly into 20-lb. boxes, which I then weigh to 20.0 lbs., so you save $1.00 if you buy a 20-lb. box of peaches for $23.15 + tax.  We also usually have some 2nds peaches, mostly with small bird pecks or rain cracks or other surface damage, which sell for $0.69 per pound + tax.
We've just started harvesting 'Carolina Gold' peaches, and will keep picking them until about Aug. 17.
   Thornless blackberry season is just about over now.  There are still some sandhill plums to pick for the next few days. 
   Small amounts of everbearing red raspberries and yellow raspberries are ripening now until early Oct.  If you want to pick raspberries, phone 620-597-2450 a day or two ahead, and let me know when you're coming and I'll save them for you.  Otherwise I pick the raspberries for my own use and for Bill to make jam for sale, as raspberries need to be picked every day.
Small amounts of everbearing yellow raspberries (photo) and  red raspberries are ripening now until early Oct.
   We're still open our summer hours until Aug. 31: Mon. to Sat. 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon & 7 to 9 p.m., & Sundays 7 to 9 p.m. only.  We're closed Sunday mornings for church (as we are year-round), and from June 1 to Aug. 31 we're closed from 12 noon to 7 p.m. due to high heat.