Giving Thanks!

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After many dry and smokey days we give thanks for rain and breath a sigh of relief to have the AQI back at 0. 2.73" have fallen with more on the way. Our hearts go out to those who lost lives and property in the recent fires.

On the farm front, citrus is on! Meyer lemons and Bearss limes are flying out the door along with the end of the Fuyu persimmons. Satsumas next!

Ever grateful!

Fall Colors

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Though our daytime temps remain consistently in the low 80's, our nighttime temps are now falling into the low 50's. We did get 0.11" of rain in showers early this month, but the rest has been dry. The rain gauge has only registered 0.17" since mid-July. Hopefully, November brings some good storms with it.

On the farm front, our Fuyu Persimmons and Persian Banana Pumpkins can be found on the menus of The Penny Ice Creamery and The Picnic Basket. Buddha Hand Citrons and Wonderful Pomegranates are available at Wild Roots Market, Felton. And be sure to keep an eye out for a brew containing our Pindo Palm Dates from Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing.

Lots of citrus on the horizon! Bearss Limes and Hayward Kiwis next!

Avocados Everywhere!

A huge thank you to Coke Farm and Veritable Vegetable for helping us distribute our #48 Hass avocados this year. The photo above was taken right before the forklift arrived to haul them into cold storage.

We are also grateful to all of the local vendors carrying and using our #60's: Bevy Produce, Scotts Valley Market, Staff of Life Market, The Food Bin; #70's: Aptos Natural Foods, Steamer Lane Supply, The Food Bin, The Point Market & Cafe, Viva's Organic Mexican Kitchen; and #84's: Wild Roots Market of Felton.

We also donated three large cases of #2's and #90s to the Delancy Street Foundation, "the country's leading residential self-help organization for substance abusers, ex-convicts, homeless and others who have hit bottom."

We're knee deep in peppers, cucumbers, onions and heirloom tomatoes right now. Persian Banana Pumpkins, Fuyu Persimmons and 'Wonderful' Pomegranates are around the corner.

On the homefront, we have everything mowed down to the quick and raked to dirt. Our hearts go out to those affected by the ongoing wildfires. Wishing all a happy and safe end of summer!

The View From June

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With citrus season fading into summer's rearview mirror, June Taylor's Bergamot, Genoa Lemon & Rose Geranium Marmalade is a great way to capture a snapshot of its full glory (our bergamots and lemons). It can be paired with a raft of sparkling drinks make from INNA shrub's newest offerings made from our rose petals (pictured above--contact Dafna directly to purchase).

Coming to the present, four days from the Solstice, our weather continues to provide surprises. It went from 92 degrees last Tuesday, to 48 and drizzling last night. We actually received 0.15" of precipitation over the course of this weekend. All of our row crops are in the ground and established at this point, so they appear unaffected by the climactic confusion. Fortunately, it's warm and sunny again as I type this.

We're already looking forward to cucs, onions, peppers, tomatoes and pumpkins! Avocados next!

Spring in Bloom

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Citrus, avocados, pomegranates and persimmons are all in bloom. Pakistan mulberries just began to ripen this week. We have a beautiful crop of avocados this year from the flowers brought on by last year's rains. The trees are loaded!

After a miraculous March, our rain gauge ended up at 27.22" for the year, more than doubling what we had received through the end of February. Crops and weeds alike responded positively to the late pulse of moisture, and mowing and weed-whacking have consumed the past couple of weeks.

Our perennial borders enjoyed the late rains too and are keeping the bees and hummingbirds quite busy. Our main beehive is getting supered tomorrow morning. It had quite a beard going as this afternoon passed 80 degrees (see last photo above).

... bed prep and row crops come next!

In Prayer For Rain...

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Despite a wildly successful start to 2018 on the farming front, we are acutely aware of the complete lack of rain since November. With little more than an inch falling for all of January-most of February, our rain gauge sits at 13.11". We never backed off from any of our water conservation methods from the previous dry spell, but we are already looking for ways to double down...

On the fruit front, 4954 lbs. of Meyer Lemons went out the door this season! Huge thanks to Bi-Rite Markets & Creamery, Preserve Farm Kitchens and Blue House Farm's CSA for their late game orders!!

With the mandarins, we've had an amazing crop as well. Tango Seedless Murcotts are on their way to the Penny Ice Creamery in the AM. Tangos and our Late Satsuma Hybrids will be on the shelves again at New Leaf Felton this week as well. Gold Nugget and some gigantic Shasta Gold mandarins are on deck.

Gratitude goes out to those who attended this year's Citrus Workshop at the UCSC Farm last weekend. I'm looking forward to addressing this year's crop of Master Gardeners later this spring.

Pound your drums and dance for rain!

Winter Weather

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This winter's weather is odd to say the least. We made our final tomato harvest of the season yesterday! I finally took the plants and cages down today. While the heirlooms were long over, the paste tomatoes were still going strong, and the cherries were beginning to rally!!

Since our last post, praising CalFire for their efforts up here, Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties suffered the largest recorded wildfire in California history and are now battling mudslides, as the rains finally arrive. Our thoughts remain with all those affected.

We recorded one of our driest Decembers ever (0.11"), though we finally received a significant pulse early in 2018, putting our rain gauge at 12.03" rain year to date. Fortunately, it's looking like a few bands of moisture will reach us towards the end of this week and into next.

On the fruit front, the weather's been splendid! Our citrus is going gangbusters. We're already through Page Tangelos and Owari Satsuma Mandarins, and halfway through our Algerian 'Clementine' Tangerines. Our 'Late' Satsumas, Shasta Gold Mandarins, Gold Nugget Mandarins and Tango Tangerines are all loaded on deck.

In the larger fruit, we began harvesting Washington Navel Oranges this week. Jincheng Sweet Oranges, Cara Cara Navels and the Moro Blood Oranges are all still a few weeks out.

Be sure to look for us on the menu at Assembly and the Penny Ice Creamery, as well as in Bevy Produce and the New Leaf Markets in Felton and Boulder Creek.

A special shout out goes to our newest partners: INNA jam and Jamnation, who are using our Meyer Lemons this year! Speaking of which, I envy those who scored one of Manresa Bread's Meyer Lemon Tarts!

Here's to a healthy, happy and abundant 2018!