Twenty Years Later...

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Hard to comprehend where the time went but this month is 20 years since we purchased our property and began this adventure... Fortunately, every day is still a ridiculous amount of fun!

We're currently in a wet spell, which is definitely appreciated considering we have already seen multiple days north of 90 already this spring. The rain gauge reads 31.64" for the year to date. That considered, all varieties of fruit have set terrifically so far!

I enjoyed teaching the Master Gardeners about citrus last Saturday and then presenting the same slides to the California Rare Fruit Growers on Sunday before their annual Citrus Tasting. Greetings to anyone landing here from either of those amazing communities.

Fingers crossed for a productive, uneventful (from a fire/weather perspective) summer!!

Weather Update 4.12: 2.56" storm/33.58" ytd!

Coming Around Again!

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It was a truly pleasant summer in the Santa Cruz Mountains. After the past few years of scorching sun and fires, foggy mornings were a welcome occurance. Incredible that we made it through without any truly brutal tripple digit heatwaves and without needing to break out the air purifiers once!

In fact, fire season is over... 4.74" of rain have fallen so far this fall. The band-tailed pigeons already migrated, wild turkeys are gathering, and our fruit crops are fat and happy! Lots of varieties are moving: Pineapple guavas, Pindo palm dates, Bearss limes, Australian finger limes, Yuzus, Bergamots, Meyer lemons, Buddha Hand citrons, Tunas (prickly pear cactus fruit), Fuyu persimmons, 'Wonderful' pomegranates and four varieties of Mandarins have gone out the door in the past couple of weeks.

Satsuma mandarins and Hayward kiwis should start hitting stores and restaurants next week. Thank you to all our customers. It is pleasure growing for you!!

The Year That Slid Away...

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This is our first genuinely rainy day of the 2024 season: 0.55" so far since midnight, bringing us to 0.91" for the year to date. Quite a bit of time has elapsed since our last post... The year, quite literally, slid away.

A few weeks after our update last January, a large section of Mountain Charlie Road began traveling downhill. We were cut off from schools, work, life... It was truly one of those 'you don't fully appreciate what you have until it's gone' moments. The road was out from February through the end of September. We are super grateful to have it back!!

That said, lots of photos above of the year gone by. Thank heavens the rain is returning... there is hope of another system rolling through later this week. It has been a very dry fall with a couple of fires in the past few weeks entirely too close for comfort.

Sending love and light to all who follow these musings!

New Beginnings

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Time and seasons slip away... much has elapsed since our last update here! We're already 12.44" into a new rain year. That's ~5" below our historical average for the first week in January, mostly on account of it being such a dry November. Fingers crossed for El Niño to pull us into the black over the next couple of months.

On the farm front, we're back around to citrus, although our yields on that front are also trending lower. Last spring's snow wreaked havoc on developing citrus blossoms. Even the Meyer lemons are only holding fruit on their lower/more shielded branches. That said, the fruit we do have is exemplary.

In other news, we recently received additional Organic Certification from The Real Organic Project. We support their mission to stop the corrosion of the organic label by industrial agrobusiness. We are also proud to be among the founding households in the newly incorporated Mountain Charlie Firewise Chapter. Lots more information and resources about the Firewise program can be found on their National website as well as the Firesafe Santa Cruz website.

Wishing all a happy, healthy new year!

Successful Seasons

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What a winter... over 70 inches of rain so far (and still falling as I type), and nearly 7000 pounds of citrus out the door. We finally "sold out" for all intents and purposes of full size oranges, mandarins and lemons yesterday.

The winter's weather included the President's Week Snowpocalypse, which blanketed the Santa Cruz mountains with 8-14" of the white stuff depending on elevation, as well as a carpet of power outages and broken limbs. The cleanup is still ongoing and was only compounded by last week's "bomb cyclone," which came equipped with whipping winds, power outages and blocked roads of its own!

Between squalls, the sun is becoming an ever more present visitor. Yesterday was outright warm. Birds are busy, buds are breaking, and plants are flowering everywhere... Already looking forward to mulberries!

Housekeeping Note: Google recently ended their Feedburner email subscription service. Those previously subscribed to blog updates will be receiving an email from follow.it. We hope you will click the confirmation link to continue receiving updates! Thank you!!

Keep on Growing, Keep on Going, Keep on Flowing

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What a difference an atmospheric river makes! Our rain gauge now stands at 44.33" for the year, 19.54" of that since January 1st. We've had power outages, high winds taking down trees, and mudslides along our roads. Mostly however, life's been a giant game of Whack-A-Mole, trying to keep culverts from plugging as epic storm surge chucks sticks, mud, rocks and even entire logs down the hill to the creek.

That said, we are grateful for the water; we are grateful to have such juicy fruit this year; and we are grateful to live in such a beautiful part of the planet!

"And it never failed that during the dry years the people forgot about the rich years, and during the wet years they lost all memory of the dry years. It was always that way." John Steinbeck, East of Eden, 1952.

Vitamin C-son

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Our citrus season is in full swing with Bearss Limes, Meyer Lemons, Australian Finger Limes, Owari Satsuma Mandarins and Buddha Hand Citrons all going out the door last week. Wonderfully, rain season is on too! We recieved 1.91" today, bringing us to 8.95" year to date.

We had very sucessful pomegranate and persimmon harvests this fall. We cut the water to both after the September rain and, after some cool nights, wound up with perfectly ripe fruit and only a handful of culls. The leaves around the property treated us to a vibrant change of seasons as well.

Wishing all safe holidays and a merry burn season!

Finally Fall...

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The leaves on our pomegranates are golden yellow, and the first few cases of their fruit went out the door yesterday. This fall has blessed us with seasonal temperatures... cool mornings and warm afternoons, which are a welcome respite from the weeklong heatwave that ushered in September. Our weather station recorded 111 degrees on the hotest day. In a dramatic turn however, we had 1.85" of rain fall a couple of weeks later, greatly reducing the fire danger.

Heatwave aside, this spring and summer were not all that terrible temperature-wise. A low pressure system set up off the coast, allowing the marine layer to form in Santa Cruz and occasionally blessing us with foggy mornings. The real issue with this summer was that it began last January... Only three inches of rain fell last winter after New Year's, and our rain total for the entire year ended up around 32". Holding thumbs for many steady rainstorms this winter!

On the farm front, the first few cases of Meyer lemons went out the door yesterday as well. We have heavy crops of Fuyu Persimmons and Bearss limes looking to follow suit in a couple of weeks.

Merry Citrus!

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The sun is shining on the morning of Christmas Eve, though that follows a few days of rian with more forecast. Our rain year is off to a terrific start, and the 26.11" we've recieved already surpasses last year's total.

There are large crops of citrus hanging on our trees. The fruit has been quick to size up, slow to color, but its flavor is outstanding!

Wishing everyone safe holidays and prosperity in the new year!

Storm Update, 12/29: 8.17" storm; 29.74" year-to-date.

Nearly Around The Sun Again...

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It's hard to believe it was nine months since I posted here, but there it is, so there you have it... Our rain year last year ended just north of 23". There was really only one storm to speak of, an 8" day in February, but other than that, what fell evaporated just as fast. That said, we had a relatively gentle summer to date with plenty of marine layer action, and we're certainly in a better place than this time last year, when we were being evacuated due to fires.

What smoke blew in a few weeks ago mixed with said moisture to make for some hazy days, but at least it smelled of pine trees and not burning houses. The first few troughs of low pressure have already rolled through, and while they've been dry, they provide some hope that we may have a normal rain season, without the 'ridiculously resilient ridge' swatting all of our moisture north of Vancouver.

While we were quiet on the blog front, we've been nothing but busy on the farm front. Over 7500 lbs of citrus went out the door last year, and we're a few weeks away from Bearss limes kicking it all off again. Our avocados are currently on sale down at Wild Roots Felton and Boulder Creek. Also be sure to visit The Penny Ice Creamery's newest location in Hanger on Mount Hermon Road, Scotts Valley. Their grand opening featured our Thomcord grapes.

We're currently four rounds deep into the canning of tomatoes for this winter with another due this weekend. We've also already dehydrated two rounds of jalepenos, the first round of cayennes and the first round of hot wax. We have a wonderful molé pepper that's yet to fully ripen, but we're certainly looking forward to its crop. In the meantime, our sweet peppers, poblanos, pickling cucs, yellow melons and asian pears are still cranking. Pomegranates, pumpkins and persimmons are not far behind.

Stay safe, turn off the news, get outside and pray for rain!

Sneaking Up On Winter Solstice

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Our world is finally getting a bit moister as 2020 trickles to a close. The farm's rain gauge currently sits at 4.15 inches since September, and CalFire officially opened burn season this week. We had quite a few piles lined up before the Cruz August Complex sparked into existence, but extensively brushed out around the house once it got going. We encourage everyone to work on their defensible space and maintain fuel breaks around driveways and along public roads this winter.

On the farm front, our tomatoes held on until the first week in December, through 5 rounds of canning. All our garlic went in just before Halloween and is already 8" tall, as are multiple beds of winter greens.

Currently, citrus season is in full swing! Australian Finger Limes, Bearss Limes, Kaffir Limes, Buddha Hand Citrons, Meyer Lemons, Genoa Italian Heirloom Lemons, Owari Satsuma Mandarins, Bergamot Sour Oranges, and Yuzus have all gone out the door in the past couple of weeks with many more to go. Over 400 pounds of Fuyu Persimmons, a couple hundred pounds of Blue Hubbard Squash and Wonderful Pomegranates rounded out our fall crops. Page Tangelos and Algerian "Clementine" Tangerines are next.

Happy fuel reduction and more rain please as always... gentle, so as not to kick off landslides in the recent fire scars, is perfect!

Got to Get Better in a Little While...

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This post is long overdue... I kept putting it off for various reasons... First it was the heat-wave; then Santa Cruz County was in flames and we were evacuated after dark by the police; then there was hotter heat -we hit 111- accompanied by choking smoke. The final shot above is of a very close call (~1/4 mile from the bottom corner of our property) last week.

Both the temperature and Air Quality Index are scheduled to be in the triple digits tomorrow, and our family is again sleeping on the living room floor on camping mats with fans tonight because the rest of the house is filled with smoke... and yet, we are grateful for the majestic abundance that surrounds us!

Our hearts go out to all those who have lost their homes, property, livelihoods this year. Our deepest gratitude goes out to all the first responders who put themselves in harm's way to save our mountains. Our prayers go out to all of those still threatened by fires throughout the State.

Starting the storm watch a little early this year... There's hope that a trough approaching the California Coast at then end of next week, the remnants of Tropical Storm Marie, might bring us some moisture.

Here's to anticipation of a wet winter this year, full of productive forest management and ripping burn piles!

The Vitamin C Train Rolls On!

Our hearts go out to the entire world as it struggles to contain the current coronavirus outbreak.

In an effort to limit our exposure, we are only delivering to Wild Roots Felton while shelter-in-place orders remain in effect. Please make note of their temporary operating hours and senior/immune-compromised-only hours before visiting and make every effort to protect their employees and your fellow shoppers.

Above are photos of Tango Mandarins: a seedless version of W. Murcott Afour Mandarin (top image); and Genoa Italian Heirloom Lemons, Washington Navel Oranges, Cara Cara Oranges and Jincheng Oranges, which were delivered this morning (bottom image).

Stay safe and Godspeed to all!

Golden Goodness

Twenty cases of Meyer lemons made their way north today to take part in Bi-Rite Market's "California Citrus Experience." They are available at both their 18th Street and Divisadero locations, and throughout the San Francisco Bay Area via Instacart.

These lemons are at peak ripeness and were harvested yesterday and this morning. Stock up and enjoy!

***Also, for more on the history of Meyer Lemons and even a photo of Frank Meyer himself, this is a very informative article.

A Decade In Bloom

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Hope everyone had a happy and safe new year and successfully negotiated the wrinkles in time as last decade wound down to the wire!

Our rain gauge sits at 16.68" with more due this weekend.

Pomegranates, pumpkins and persimmons are done. Citrus is on!

Our hearts go out to all those who have lost the homes and livelihoods in the Australian fires. We continue to clear brush and create shaded fuel breaks in the timberland surrounding us, and CalFire has done a wonderful job on the northbound side of Highway 17.

We urge anyone reading this in California to take advantage of our winter weather and do the same!

Beautiful Bounty

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Still waiting for moisture to fall from the sky over here. There is a ridge of high pressure that has blocked any storms from reaching us so far this year. Fingers crossed that breaks down towards the end of this month.

In the meantime, citrus is already coming off the trees, as are persimmons and pomegranates. Our Banana Pumpkins are on the menu at The Penny, and fresh fruit is available at Wild Roots.

Wishing all gratitude, happiness, health and family over the Thanksgiving holiday!

The Sunset of Summer

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A few shots of summer before it fades to fall... avocados are sold; tomatoes and peppers are on; pumpkins, plums and pears are next, followed by persimmons, pomegranates and kiwis.

We've actually had fairly "normal" weather for the duration of the summer: not too many scorching days, and even a few unseasonably cool ones. Evapotranspiration for the year is only at 31.62". Hopefully September and October continue the trend and smoothly transition to fall and winter. We have everything mowed to the quick, raked and swept in case they don't.

Wishing everyone prosperity, happiness and abounding harvests!

Rain Day Mid-May!

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In a rare turn of weather, we've had 1.66" of rain so far today, bringing our total for the year to 53.99". Furthermore, the rain is forecast to intensify this evening and perhaps even continue through next week.

It is a welcome respite from mowing, mulching, bed-prep and the planting of our summer crops. After putting all of our irrigation systems on a one week rain delay today, I finally took the time to look back through the photos since our last post.

The results of that effort are above. Not documented are our Shasta Gold Mandarins, which were truly winners this year. Also a huge shout-out is in order to our newest customer Snap Taco: 'EAT TACOS, BE HAPPY!' and, as always, thank yous to Wild Roots Market for featuring our citrus all winter!

Storm Update, 5.21: 3.84" storm; 56.17" year-to-date.

Rain, Rain, Snow Away!

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February is off to a wet start! 6.50" of rain fell during its first four days, bringing our gauge up to 30.33" for the rain-year to date. The storm ended with a light dusting of snow yesterday morning (last photo above). Far more fell on some of the higher peaks around the Bay Area and remained there today.

On the farm front, citrus season is in full swing. I spent all day harvesting Meyer lemons and plan to do the same tomorrow. Algerian "Clementine" Tangerines, Bergamot Sour Oranges, Buddha Hand Citrons, Cara Cara Navel Oranges, Fukushu Kumquats, Genoa Italian Heirloom Lemons, Golden Globe Satsuma Mandarins, Hayward Kiwis, Meyer Lemons, Owari Satsuma Mandarins, Page Tangelos, Shasta Gold Mandarins, and Washington Navel Oranges have all gone out the door so far in 2019. Gold Nugget Mandarins, JinCheng Sweet Oranges, Late Satsuma Mandarins, and Tango Mandarins are on deck.

Wishing you a (Belated) Happy 2019! We are grateful for all of our clients and excited for the year ahead.

P.s.- We recently captured some amazing footage of a lioness and her cubs feasting on a doe. Be forewarned, it is fairly graphic. The video can be viewed here.

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!