Updates From The Farm

Gravenstein apples sizing quickly.This week we've got fruit set and sizing on the brain - we'll be doing our first harvest of the season (June-bearing strawberries are right on time) and working to get quickly-sizing apples and peaches fruit thinned. The wet, cool...

First red strawberry off our June-BearersThis week we're back in the prolonged PNW spring with plenty of rain holding off the need to irrigate. We started this early spring about 2 weeks ahead of last year in terms of tree development and degree days, but the cool...

An impressive fruit strig on a Rovada Red Currant.This week top of mind is managing early season fertility, pest and disease, as well as catching up on mowing, cover crop seeding, and understory management. With trees leafing out we’re seeing signs of spring insect...

Rapidly sizing Methley plumsThis week we’re getting after the early summer blitz of tasks brought forth by the beautiful weather we had last weekend. Grape shoot thinning, irrigation setup, weed management, hydromulch application, foliar fertilizer sprays and cover...

Honeycrisp apples in full bloom (pre-blossom thinning)This week we’re preparing for a blast of sunshine and heat later this week that will surely speed up growth on things across the orchard/vineyard (weeds included). Apples are in full bloom or past bloom on some...

Jonagolds with a robust full bloomThis week we’re doing all the things! Weeds are growing, trees are blooming, fruit is setting, scab spores are afloat, deer are browsing, future plantings are being planned and cover crop fields are being prepped! We are rapidly...

A Betty Peach at fruit set!This week we’re seeing early fruit set on a number of crops across the farm: peaches, plums, pears, and some gooseberries. Things are leafing out in the orchards and we’re still a good way ahead of last year in terms of development....

First visible fruit of the year. Tiny little plums just after bloom. Despite a chilly cloudy start to this week, we are expecting some of the warmest temps we've had thus far by the end of the week. Temps in the high 60s should send most of the apples into full bloom...

Imperial White Currant in flowerThis week is starting off with some cold, blustery weather that, if you weren’t looking at the blossoms out in the field, would make you think we were back in February again. Still managing to avoid any frosts thus far. Speaking of...

This week we’re noting just how far ahead we are of last year at this time in terms of bloom and bud stages: peaches, plums and pears in particular are almost two weeks ahead of last year. Bloom time felt somewhat condensed on some of our plum varieties this spring....

Quince buds at tight clusterNotes from the Field: Week of March 25, 2024 This week we're back to cool wet spring conditions, slowing down the rapid burst into spring that we observed across most crops last week. Fortunately, the nightly lows in Everson are well above...