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THIS WEEK’S FRUIT:
Pixie Tangerines
Churchill-Brennies Orchard, Ojai, CA
Pixie tangerines are a late season variety that begin ripening in March and April. Their tough skin gives way to fruit with a very robust flavor.
Golden Nugget Mandarins
Abounding Harvest Mountain Farm, Los Gatos, CA
Appearances aren’t everything. The bumpy peel of the Golden Nugget gives way to a richly flavored and sweet tart flesh.
Navel Oranges
Olson Organics, Lindsay, CA
California Navel Oranges are considered to be the best Navels for eating out of hand. They have a thick skin that is easy to peel, are seedless and have a meaty and sweet flesh that makes them a perfect snack.
To learn about Ken Olson, please see previos blog post at http://bit.ly/2grsBOE.
Fuji Apples
Smit Farm, Linden, CA
Fujis are a cross between Red Delicious and Ralls Janet, an heirloom apple dating back to Thomas Jefferson. They are one of the sweetest variety apples around making them a household favorite.
Pink Lady Apples
Smit Farm, Linden, 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.
Hass Avocados
Bravocado, San Diego, CA
Creamy in texture, nutty in flavor, with a small to medium seed. The Hass skin is easy to peel and darkens from green to purplish-black as it ripens.
…all varieties are subject to change…
A NOTE FROM FARMER AL…
Dear CSA Members:
Yet another storm slams in to California with heavy rain and damaging wind. Many of you may be wondering how this affects the farm and our fruit.
The answer? In a GOOD way!!!
1) Irrigation. Most years we would be irrigation in April. We might even be into our second irrigation. This most recent storm (last night as I write this) saved us an irrigation, which saves us money, of course. But more importantly, it frees up man-power to do critical tasks like weed control which we are WAY behind in. This rain, almost an inch, gave us a full irrigation on replants and new trees. Just last week we planted 100 Royal Tioga cherries, 66 Hosui Asian Pears and 20 peaches and nectarines scattered throughout 15 acres. Without this rain, we would have had to drive out with a tractor pulling a water tank and hand watered in these new trees. One at a time!
2) Mildew. April is mildew month. Dry winds blow in powdery mildew spores from rose bushes all over the County. Rain is actually the best control for powdery mildew, it washes away the spores. This is a HUGE savings in tractor time and materials costs. And, we get nice cosmetically beautiful fruit.
3) Nitrogen. Rain collects it out of the atmosphere and gently drops in onto our soil. That translates to FREE FERTILITY! Watch your gardens. You will see the result of this nitrogen rich rain in the bright green grown on all your plants within a day of this rain.
4) Size. Cell division takes place in April. More cells, means bigger fruit. Cooler Spring weather fosters a longer cell division period, which will give us bigger fruit at harvest time.
So, indeed, April showers are a true blessing to us, and to you when you eat our delicious fruit. Stay tuned for more progress reports!
Organically Yours,
Farmer AL
