Apples & Asparagus Ready, Detours

   We still have many harvested 'Enterprise' and 'Gold Rush' apples for sale, and some 'Sundance' apples.  We'll likely sell out of apples by May or June, so call us in the next few weeks if you want some.

   I'm very busy now pruning the apple trees so they'll produce the right amount of good-sized apples this fall.  This morning and early afternoon was a perfect day for pruning.  I really enjoy working in the apple orchard when it's in the 70's with a gentle breeze, as today.  The sight of the trees in bloom is beautiful, as is the scent of the blooms, the feel of the sun and gentle breeze, and the sound of the bees humming as they pollinate the flowers.

I took this photo of our apple orchard in bloom as I was on a ladder pruning the trees.

   Then when I go in for lunch, I eat a 'Gold Rush' apple, so I get the taste from the literal fruit of my labors from last year's crop.  'Gold Rush' apples are still very crisp and much sweeter now than they were at harvest last Nov., since it's such a great storage apple.

   I've harvested some asparagus over the past week, just enough for me to eat with dinner each night until today.  I'll have some asparagus for sale starting tomorrow, April 10, right on schedule.  As shown in the sidebar at left under Crop Sales Seasons, we'll have some asparagus for sale for the next 7 weeks or so, until late May.  Asparagus is limited so you do need to phone 620-597-2450 a day ahead and order it.  Asparagus is still just $2.78 per pound + tax, harvested.

This is the view along our driveway from our sales building, with ornamental crabapple and redbud trees blooming now.

   Through May 31, we're open by appointment, which means to phone 620-597-2450 a day ahead and leave a message on our answering machine with your name, day and time you'll come, and what you want to buy.  I'll return your call after dark to confirm your appointment.  If you want to come that same day, call between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., when I'm often still in the house where the phone rings, before I go out to the orchard to prune fruit trees.

   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 pack apples into 2 plastic bags lining the boxes, and have some mixed boxes with 2 different kinds of apples, one bag of each variety.

   We also have some harvested 2nds apples, which cost $0.93 per pound + sales tax.  These have hail damage, cracks, or other surface damage, and are great for cutting into slices, in salads, or for cooking, baking or preserving.  If you buy 40 pounds (2 boxes) or more of 2nds apples for one household, the price goes down to just $0.88 per pound + sales tax, so $35.20 + sales tax for 40 pounds of 2nds apples.

   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 you want to buy.  Thanks.

   Fruit trees start developing their fruit buds a year or more before the fruit crop is harvested.  During the severe cold in mid-February, the temperature dropped to -16 F here.  This killed all fruit buds on the peach trees, since peach buds are only winter-hardy to about -10 F.  So the peach trees never bloomed this spring, and we will have no peach crop in 2021.

   Apple and pear fruit buds are more cold-hardy, down to -20 to -25 F, and have bloomed beautifully.  We still expect good apple and pear crops so far, as well as good blackberry and pecan crops.

Asian pears were in beautiful bloom on Easter Sunday.  Peach trees in the background did not bloom this spring since fruit buds were killed by -16 F cold in February, so we'll have no peach crop this summer.

   The Kansas Highway Department is replacing 3 bridges on Highway 166 east of Chetopa, KS, and work is expected to take 18 months.  They've installed 3 stoplights and have one-lane traffic open, so it now takes about 15 minutes instead of 5 minutes to drive the 4.5 miles from Chetopa to our farm if you go on Highway 166.

   Those coming here from from the northwest can save time by heading east on Highway 160 from Oswego, KS for 5.0 miles to Hallowell.  Just after you pass Angelo's Deli on your left, turn right (south) onto 90th St., and continue south for 10.0 miles on this paved road.  At the stop sign, turn right onto Highway 166, go just 0.5 miles west, then turn left onto 95th St. at the sign for Brenda's Berries.

   Those coming here from from the east, northeast or southeast can follow your usual route here.  Those coming here from from the southwest should come up through Miami, OK rather than through Welch, OK and Chetopa, KS.