Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Pick-Your-Own Apple Season Has Started

   Our pick-your-own apple season started on Sept. 23, the first official day of fall (as it does most years), and will run until about Nov. 12.  This is also our main apple season, when we have many harvested apples for sale.  We will have harvested apples for sale for the next 8 to 10 months, until about late June.
'Enterprise' apples have just started ripening, and will be most numerous for pick-your-own customers during Oct.
   A few 'Enterprise' apples have started ripening and are available for picking.  'Enterprise' apples will be most numerous for pick-your-own customers during the entire month of October, as they are every year.  'GoldRush' apples, our latest-ripening apple variety, do not start ripening until late Oct., and are most numerous for pick-your-own customers during the first half of Nov.
   Pick-your-own apples cost $1.00 per pound + tax for #1 apples (practically perfect) and $0.79 per pound + tax for #2 apples with cracks, bird pecks, or other surface damage.  Those who pick over 40 pounds total (#1's + #2's) get a discount, so #1 apples cost $0.93 per pound + tax and #2 apples cost  $0.74 per pound + tax.  Pick-your-own means that you harvest apples from the trees, and you buy whatever you harvest.  Those who pick some #1 and #2 apples to buy may also pick some #3 apples, with small rotten spots, for free if they want them.
   We now have a good amount of harvested apples for sale.  I harvest all selections from my apple breeding program, since these trees are grown from seeds resulting from controlled pollination, so there's only one tree of each selection.  We still have many 'Harrowsweet' pears and 'Shinko' Asian pears for sale, now until we sell out in about late Oct.  I give taste samples.  Many who didn't like pears, before tasting ours, love these varieties.
I've now harvested a couple boxes each of 'Querina' apples (left) and 'Sun Flare' apples. 'Sun Flare' is a selection from my apple breeding program, so only exists here, and is limited.
  Small amounts of harvested apples, pears or Asian pears all cost $1.30 per pound + tax.  We pick directly into 20-lb. boxes, which I then weigh to exactly 20.0 lbs., so you save $1.00 if you buy a 20-lb. box of apples, pears or Asian pears for $25.00 + tax.  We harvest apples and pears into 2 bags per box, so you can get a 10-lb. bag of pears and a 10-lb. bag of Asian pears or apples, and still get the 20-lb. discount.  Our 2nds apples and pears, with rain cracks, limb rubs or other surface damage, sell for $0.93 per pound + tax.
   We also have some fall red raspberries now, sold pick-your-own only, for $2.32 per pint + tax.  More fall red raspberries ripen each day until the first fall freeze in late Oct., so you can often pick a few pints of raspberries if you ask about them.  Raspberries often get picked out on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, but there are many to pick on weekdays.
   For payment, we accept cash or checks; NO debit cards or credit cards.  Please bring your checkbook or enough cash to cover what you'll buy.  Thanks.
   We also appreciate it if pick-your-own apple customers bring us some clean, non-ripped, used plastic grocery sacks in different colors.  We have customers pick #1 apples into white bags, #2 apples into yellow or tan bags, and #3 apples (if they pick any) into gray or blue bags.
   Our fall hours, shown in the sidebar at left, run from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30.  During this time, we're open 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mon. to Sat., and 1 to 5:30 p.m. on Sundays.
   I'm usually out harvesting pears or apples each morning, until customers start arriving here.  I put a sign on the sales building above our bell, that says "I'm working in the orchard. Ring bell for service."  Ring it loudly, just once or twice, and I'll hear it and drive our utility vehicle up to the sales building.