Cold Not Hurting Developing Fruit Crops

   The current cold snap is not hurting our developing fruit crops at all.  The temperature here dropped to 30 F on Mon. morning April 13 and to 36 F this morning, and is predicted to drop to 34 F tomorrow morning, Wed. April 15.  Apple trees are still blooming, and the pistils (female flower parts that produce the fruit) are not hurt by those temperatures.  Peach trees and pear trees finished blooming 10 to 14 days ago, and the young fruit that developed can withstand temperatures down to 28 or 29 F with only 10% fruit kill.

'Querina' apple trees are still in full bloom.  Most of our other apple varieties have almost finished blooming.

   We still have many harvested apples and cracked pecans for sale.  We have many #1 'GoldRush' apples for sale, now until we sell out in June or July.  Our 4 workers love these 'GoldRush' apples, and they each eat one almost every day during their mid-afternoon snack break.  We also have some #1 apples of some selections from my apple breeding program.
   We also have #2 apples, with small cracks or other surface damage, which are fine for making apple butter, apple pecan pancakes, applesauce, apple pecan topping for waffles, apple pie filling, etc.  We have many #2 'Enterprise' apples for sale now until whenever we sell out, and they're excellent for making apple pie filling, apple butter or other apple products.  We also have some #2 'GoldRush' apples with rain cracks, and some #2 apples of some selections from my apple breeding program, excellent for blending in applesauce or apple butter.
   Small amounts of harvested #1 apples cost $1.30 per pound + tax.  I pack them in 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 for $25.00 + tax.  You can get a 10-lb. bag each of 2 different apple varieties, and still get the 20-lb. discount.
   Our harvested #2 (2nds) apples sell for just $0.93 per pound + tax, so a 20-lb. box costs $18.60 + tax, which is $7.00 less than a box of #1 apples, including tax.  If you get 40 lbs. or more of #2 'Enterprise' apples, the price goes down to just $0.88 per pound + tax, so each 20-lb. box costs $17.59 + tax, and 40 lb. of #2 'Enterprise' apples costs just $35.18 + tax.
   We'll have harvested, cracked pecans for sale now until we sell out, probably in May or June.  Our high-efficiency pecan cracking machine blows out most shell fragments, so our bags of cracked pecans contain over 75% nutmeats and less than 25% shell fragments, which come off very easily.
   We sell mixed selections from Bill's pecan breeding program in 4-pound bags.  Each bag has the equivalent of 6 pounds of in-shell pecans, and when you pick them out, you get at least 3 pounds of nutmeats.  These are all large pecans with thin shells and great taste.  Each 4-lb. bag costs $16.67 + tax.
   We also sell smaller, 1-pound bags of cracked 'Kanza' pecans.  You get at least 3/4 pound of nutmeats when you pick out these pecans.  Each 1-lb. 'Kanza' bag costs $4.63 + tax.

I harvested this asparagus on Easter Sunday evening. Asparagus did not grow enough to harvest any Monday or today due to cold, but I'll harvest more tomorrow and each day afterward until early June.

   I started harvesting asparagus late last week, and will continue to harvest and sell it until early June.  We grow 'Jersey Knight' asparagus, an all-male variety that produces high yields of thicker spears since there are no female plants that spend energy producing berries.  I harvest the spears by snapping them where they break easily, so almost the entire harvested spear is tender and usable.
   Asparagus is sold harvested, still for $2.78 per pound + tax, and is limited.  So you do need to phone 620-597-2450 a day or two ahead and leave a message on our answering machine to order it, saying about how many pounds you want to get, and the day and time you'll come get it.
   We're still open by appointment until May 31, so you also need to phone 620-597-2450 a day or two ahead and leave a message on our answering machine to order apples and/or pecans.  I return calls after dark to confirm your appointment.