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.