Sunday, October 30, 2016

Last Week for 'Enterprise' Apple Harvest, 'GoldRush' Started

   Some 'Enterprise' apples are still available for pick-your-own customers for the next week.  'GoldRush' apples are available for pick-your-own now until mid-Nov.
   Yesterday 4 of our workers and I started harvesting 'Enterprise' apples into large bins for winter storage.  We filled 44 of these bins that hold about 30 pounds each, so we have about 1300 pounds of apples in our large cooler so far.  We'll harvest more 'Enterprise' apples into the large bins for the next week or so, and start harvesting 'GoldRush' apples into these large bins a couple weeks from now.
Yesterday our workers Skyler England (left), Tim Epler (far right), Tre Maxton (behind Tim), Luke Laws (not pictured) and I started harvesting 'Enterprise' apples into large bins for winter storage in our cooler.
   I'm still harvesting 'GoldRush' apples and some 'Enterprise' apples directly into trays holding 20 pounds each.  We now have many harvested 'Enterprise' apples and some harvested 'GoldRush' apples for sale, kept in our smaller cooler in the sales building.
   'Enterprise' apples keep well in our cooler or your fridge for 6 to 8 months, and 'GoldRush' apples keep well in our cooler or a fridge for 9 to 10 months.  All winter I sort apples from the large storage bins into trays holding 20 pounds each.  So we will have top-quality harvested 'Enterprise' and 'GoldRush' apples for sale until late May or June.
More 'GoldRush' apples are ripening now, so are available for pick-your-own and harvested.
   Small amounts of harvested apples cost $1.20 per pound + tax.  A 20-lb. box of apples costs $23.15 + tax, which saves $1.00 off the per-pound price.  I harvest apples into two plastic bags per box, so you can get a mixed box of one bag of each of two different varieties of apples, and still get the 20-lb. discount.
   We also have many harvested 2nds apples, great for baking or for making apple butter.  Usually 90 to 95% of the fruit is still usable, but they're 69% the cost at $0.83 per pound + tax.  A 20-lb. box of harvested 2nds apples costs just  $15.74 + tax ($0.79 per pound + tax), which saves $8.00 off a 20-lb. box of #1 apples.  If you get 40 lbs. of 2nds apples, the price goes down to just $0.74 per pound + tax ($14.82 + tax per 20-lb. box).
The Karnes and French families of Oronogo, MO picked 'GoldRush' apples (left) and 'Enterprise' apples (right rear) a couple days ago.  Come this week if you want to pick 'Enterprise' apples.
   Smaller amounts of pick-your-own apples are $0.93 per pound + tax for #1's and $0.69 per pound + tax for #2's.  For 40 lbs. or more total of #1 and #2 pick-your-own apples, the price goes down to $0.88 per pound + tax for #1's and $0.65 per pound + tax for #2's.  Weekdays are good uncrowded times to pick apples, for those who are able to come then.
   We're expecting a very good crop of pecans this year.  We haven't been able to start harvesting pecans yet, since we haven't yet had a freeze to advance opening of the shucks.  Once pecan harvest starts, the pecans have to be dried, then cleaned and cracked for sale.  We hope to have cracked pecans for sale starting about Nov. 14, and should have them until late June.
   For payment, we accept cash or checks, but NO credit cards or debit cards.  Please bring your checkbook or enough cash to cover the amount of fruit you'll buy.
   From Sept. 1 to Nov. 30, as the sidebar at left says, we're open our fall hours: Mon. to Sat. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. only.  I'm usually harvesting apples in the orchard, so I put a sign on the sales building to ring the bell.  Ring it loudly, once or twice, and I'll hear it.

Monday, October 24, 2016

Many Pick-Your-Own Apples Now

   Our pick-your-own apple season is going strong.  Many 'Enterprise' apples are ripe now, and more will ripen over the next 2 weeks.  'GoldRush' apples have just started to ripen, and more will be available for pick-your-own until mid-Nov.
We'll still have 'Enterprise' apples for pick-your-own customers for the next 2 weeks, and harvested 'Enterprise' apples for sale for the next 6 months or so.
   We use plastic grocery sacks in different colors for pick-your-own apples, and appreciate it if customers can bring some clean, non-ripped, used bags.  I have plenty of white bags, but am very low on tan, yellow, gray and blue bags, so need those.  Reusing is better for the environment than recycling.  Please also bring back any peach boxes or berry containers you got from previous visits to Brenda's Berries & Orchards, so we can reuse them.  Thanks.
The Harrigan family had fun picking 'Enterprise' apples last week.  Come in the next 12 days if you want to pick 'Enterprise' apples.
   We also have harvested 'Enterprise' apples, Coop 27, Coop 34, and apple selections from my breeding program for sale now.  All our apple varieties are immune to apple scab disease, so we don't have to spray for that disease, so we can put on 1/3 fewer fungicide sprays than if we grew scab-susceptible apple varieties such as 'Jonathan' or 'Golden Delicious'.  I give taste samples of all our apple varieties.
   For prices, scroll down two blog posts.  For payment, we accept cash or checks (from any state), but NO credit cards or debit cards.  We do not have a card reader or a phone line to the sales building.  Please bring your checkbook or enough cash to cover the amount of apples you'll buy.  Thanks.
   From Sept. 1 to Nov. 30, as the sidebar at left says, we're open our fall hours: Mon. to Sat. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. only.  I'm usually harvesting apples in the orchard, so I put a sign on the sales building to ring the bell.  Ring it loudly, once or twice, and I'll hear it.

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Many Apples Ripe Now

   Our pick-your-own apple season started last week.  Some 'Enterprise' apples are ripe now, and more will ripen over the next 5 weeks.  'GoldRush' apples will ripen from mid-Oct. to mid-Nov., so they'll be available for pick-your-own then.
More 'Enterprise' apples ripen each day, and harvest will continue over the next 5 weeks.
   We also have harvested 'Enterprise' apples, Coop 27, Coop 34, and apple selections from my breeding program for sale now.  All our apple varieties are immune to apple scab disease, so we don't have to spray for that disease, so we can put on 1/3 fewer fungicide sprays than if we grew scab-susceptible apple varieties such as 'Jonathan' or 'Golden Delicious'.  I give taste samples of all our apple varieties.
Coop 27 (left box) and Coop 34 (right box) came from the cooperative apple breeding program that produced 'Enterprise' and 'GoldRush'.  We have many harvested Coop 27 apples and some harvested Coop 34 apples for sale now.
   We use plastic grocery sacks in different colors for pick-your-own apples, and appreciate it if customers can bring some clean, non-ripped, used bags.  Reusing is better for the environment than recycling.  Please also bring back any peach boxes or berry containers you got from previous visits to Brenda's Berries & Orchards, so we can reuse them.  Thanks.
   Prices are detailed in the previous blog post.  For payment, we accept cash or checks (from any state), but NO credit cards or debit cards.
   From Sept. 1 to Nov. 30, as the sidebar at left says, we're open our fall hours: Mon. to Sat. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. only.  I'm usually harvesting apples in the orchard, so I put a sign on the sales building to ring the bell.  Ring it loudly, once or twice, and I'll hear it.
   Mondays to Thursdays are good uncrowded times to pick apples, for those who are able to come then.  Many people come to pick apples on Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday afternoons, when the weather is nice as it has been lately.