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THIS WEEK’S FRUIT:
Flavor Rich Pluots
Frog Hollow Farm, Brentwood, CA
A small pluot about the size of golf ball with deep purple skin and a golden flesh that has an excellent balance of acidity and sweetness.
Shinko Asian Pears
Frog Hollow Farm, Brentwood, CA
The Shinko has a round shape which is slightly flattened. The skin is bronze with brown russeting and its juicy, creamy white flesh has a subtly rich flavor. One of the last pears to pick, it comes off the tree with a butterscotch note to its sweetness
Shinseiki Asian Pears
Frog Hollow Farm, Brentwood, CA
The Shinseiki is medium-sized pear with smooth yellow skin. They’re nicely crisp with a sweet white flesh that’s refreshingly juicy.
Pink Lady Apples
Frog Hollow Farm, Brentwood, CA
Pink Lady’s are a cross between the Golden Delicious and Lady Williams. They are a crisp and juicy apple with a tart finish. Pink skins and a creamy white colored flesh that resists browning make this an excellent apple for salads and slicing.
Warren Pears
Frog Hollow Farm, Brentwood, CA
Featured in Martha Stewart Living and Oprah’s Favorite Things List, this is Frog Hollow Farm’s signature pear and for good reason. The Warren pear has a classic European texture – very soft and juicy – with a silky sweetness that avoids the typical grittiness found in most varieties.
Pomegranates
Frog Hollow Farm, Brentwood, CA
Native to the regions of Persia and the Western Himalayan range, pomegranates have been cultivated for several millennia. When sliced open a beautiful array of jewel-like seeds are displayed. The aril is the colorful casing that surrounds the edible seeds and has a sweet tart flavor. Enjoy the arils alone or use them in salads, desserts, or beverages.
….all varieties are subject to change…
A NOTE FROM SARAH:
It’s Fall! Can you all see it in the long shadows and feel it in the hint of chill on the morning air? I know it’s been hot. A whopping 97-100 degrees here on the farm this week. But Fall is definitely in the air. The tree leaves are yellowing, the grasses are drying and the sun is low on the horizon. This is by FAR my most favorite time of year here. The harvest is mostly in, ground work is starting and vacations are being planned.
Our crews are working hard getting the orchard and trees ready for the winter ahead. We’re in the process of irrigating. Some may ask why now – aren’t the rains coming? Well…what if they don’t? Our trees have worked hard producing amazing fruit for us – they need a deep watering in preparation of “storing” up. Even when the rain does come, this time of year, when days can be well into the 90’s, the trees need to be replenished and well hydrated as they prepare to go dormant.
The ground team is moving ahead of our tree team clearing the weeds directly under the trees in preparation of the Tree team coming in behind them.
The tree team is spreading compost under the young trees one 5-gallon bucket at a time (the men move at 1.5 acres/hour – even in this 97-degree heat!). The mature trees get a dose via our compost spreader, which is pulled behind the tractor. We spread 40,000 pounds of compost per acre all of which is made from the cast offs of our own products. Five years ago when we started making compost here on the farm no one knew what to do. Including us! Over the years it’s all become automatic. Every crew/team here has a routine of hauling waste out to the pile where it gets turned into a soil enriching gift to our trees. We have coffee grounds from our café in the Ferry Building coming back here twice a week along with grounds from Blue Bottle and Peet’s so we can incorporate it into our compost and at the same time help those businesses reduce their carbon foot print. It’s a Win/Win!
According to the weather forecast we’re in for a shift this weekend. They’re predicting a 54% chance of rain this coming Sunday, October 2nd. Our fingers are crossed here that comes into fruition! If it does, it feels like we’re off to a good start for the rainy season! I’ll be doing my rain dance, for sure.
Be Well,
Sarah
