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.