Many Harvested Apples, Still Some Pick-Your-Own

   On Sat. afternoon, we started harvesting 'Enterprise' apples into large bins for winter storage, ahead of the forecasted cold and rain that we had today and will have tomorrow.  My husband Bill and two of our workers, Andrew Coberley and Cadin Crocker, picked over 800 pounds of apples (that's over 80 pounds of apples per person per hour) into 38 bins and stored them in our coolers.

My husband Bill (left) and our workers Cadin Crocker (center) and Andrew Coberley (right) picked over 800 pounds of 'Enterprise' apples on Sat. and loaded them into storage bins.

   Today I started sorting and packing those 'Enterprise' apples into trays of #1's and #2's for sale.  I'll continue to sort and pack apples all winter and spring until we sell out, probably next May or June.

   The weather should warm up later this week, and we'll still have pick-your-own apples for the next 10 days to 2 weeks.  Apples on the trees are not hurt by light frosts, but we'll need to harvest all remaining apples before temperatures drop below 24 F.

   Pick-your-own apples cost $1.00 per pound + sales tax, and 2nds pick-your-own apples (with hail damage, cracks, or other surface damage) cost $0.79 per pound + sales tax.  If you pick 40 pounds or more of #1 and #2 apples, the price goes down to $0.93 per pound + sales tax for #1 apples and $0.74 per pound + sales tax for #2 apples.  "Pick-your-own" means that you harvest apples from the trees, and you buy everything you pick.

   Harvested apples cost $1.30 per pound + sales tax.  A 20-pound box costs $25.00 + sales tax, so you save $1.00 by buying 20 pounds.  I harvest apples directly into 2 plastic bags lining the boxes, and harvest some mixed boxes with 2 different kinds of apples, one bag of each variety.

This 20-pound box contains a bag of  'Enterprise' apples (red apples) and a bag of 'Sundance' apples (light yellow apples).

   We also have many harvested 2nds apples, which cost $0.93 per pound + sales tax.  These have hail damage, cracks, or other surface damage, and are great for cooking or preserving.

   All pears and Asian pears have now sold, so we're sold out of them for 2020.  We hope to have harvested, cracked pecans for sale starting in mid-Nov.

   For payment, we accept cash and checks (from any state), but NO credit cards or debit cards.  We have no phone line to the sales building, and no card reader.  Please bring your checkbook or enough cash to cover the amount of fruit you want to buy.  Thanks.

   For the first time in 20 years of business, we were given counterfeit money on Sat.  Our bank's cash reading machine found the fake $50 bill in our deposit this morning.   I usually scrutinize the fine print of large cash bills, but since it was Sat. afternoon, our busiest time, other customers were waiting to check out when the woman gave it to me.

   Just come during our fall open hours, but if you want more than 20 pounds of harvested apples, call 620-597-2450 a day ahead and leave a message on our answering machine saying your name, day and time you'll come, and what you want to buy.  Thanks. 

   Pick-your-own customers should bring some used, clean, non-ripped plastic bags to pick apples into.  They must be plastic bags, not canvas tote bags, since plastic bags are the best way to store apples in the fridge to prevent moisture loss.  We're especially low on white plastic bags but can also use other colors. 

   While harvesting apples, I put a sign by the bell on our sales building 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 come to the sales building.