The Blossom Trail

Remember all those stories and photos last summer, and the summer before, too, about the peaches, plums, and nectarines I was getting through our Community Supported Agriculture farm? The beginnings of this year’s fruit is on the trees in the form of blossoms, and there is a 62-mile trail, marked well with signs, that will take you on a trip through all those orchards that give the world the most of its stone fruit. The San Joaquin Valley is California’s top agricultural producing region with the fruit and nut crops bringing in over $2 billion. It is at the heart of our economy.

Usually I travel this trail with my girlfriends, but that was not going to happen this year. One of them has died, another has an elderly husband who is not well, a few more have interests that are taking them elsewhere, and one is working two jobs to keep a roof over her head. So, for the first time ever, Terry accompanied me on this trip. He even drove.

That was nice since I am usually the one to drive this trail. However, I was then at his mercy as to where we stopped. After a few misattempts, Terry figured out how to get off the road without getting into a farmer’s way.

The trees are at their peak right now:

The sun was shining. There was virtually no wind. The temperatures were in the low 70s. What I would call a Goldilock’s day–Just Right.

We stopped for lunch in the small town of Reedley, at Mainstreet Cafe, and then walked around downtown before getting back in the car to finish the trip.

Terry took lots of photos:

A few days after our trip, the winds and rains blew in which would cause blossom drop, but we saw very little on our excursion through the orchards.

Knowing the rains were a possibility, and attempting to keep the chance of brown rot to a low level, we did see signs where fungicides had been applied:

We saw many cherry orchards that were not yet blooming and are thinking we would really like to do a return trip when those trees are in full bloom. I’m just not too sure when the cherries bloom, though.

A few more pictures:

More fruit

My friend, Gladys, and I headed down the road yesterday to a small town that we’ve visited before. I have twitter and Facebook connections with some of the merchants in the small town of Reedley. They had reminded me, through those social media, that it had been many months since I had visited. Gladys and I thought Wednesday would be the perfect day because there is a farmer’s market in the late afternoon.

We first stopped at Mainstreet Cafe and had berry pie and caught up on our lives for the past few weeks. We walked through many of the shops, afterwards, waiting for the farmer’s market to start.

I had been sent a coupon for The Berry Lady so that was my destination. Gladys and I each bought nine pints of blackberries. Beautiful organic fruit.

I put four pints in the freezer, ate one pint, and made a pie with the other four containers.

This is just the best time of the year. Not only do we have all this wonderful fruit, but the light is so beautiful. Our temperatures are cooler than normal, but it is very dry. I’m thankful for each day.

More about life in the San Joaquin Valley

As you may recollect, dear Reader, my retired teacher friends and I headed to small town Reedley on the first day of school this year.  One of my friends had never been there, and she enjoyed that visit so much, she was willing to drive out through the countryside again last week with me. That’s when we stopped and looked at the raisins on the ground in the previous post.

I frequently drive the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, through almond orchards, dairies, and cottonfields, on my way to the bay area to see my darling grandchildren. It was on the latest foray out that long, straight highway that I got a hankering for a drive to the east side of the valley, heading towards the Sierras. Each drive has a totally different feel to it. As one heads east, towards the hills, the roads are often winding, coming up on the Kings River in various places. There are peach and plum orchards, and of course, all those vineyards that produce a bounty of grapes. Lots of citrus groves, too. It can get mighty cold on the east side of valley in the late winter, and often frost reports scare the orange and lemon farmers, prompting them to keep an all-night vigil on their orchards. Sometimes they turn on wind machines; sometimes they burn peach pits; sometimes they flood the rows with water. All to protect the valuable fruit that could be destroyed in one freezing night. Now that I’ve given you a brief description of farm practices in this valley, let me move on to the city life!

My friend and I parked right in front of the Main Street Cafe when we got into downtown Reedley. As I’ve said before, this is like stepping back in time to 1957. I love this downtown. I had a delicious German sausage sandwich which I had been wanting to try on previous trips. Main Street makes their own sausage so I figured it would be pretty tasty, and it was, just like their fine pies. My friend got to have a piece of blackberry pie this time. Previously, I had eaten the last piece they had!

After such satisfying lunches, we had to walk off those calories before getting back in the car. Almost next door to the restaurant are two wonderful shops that are pure eye candy. Garnishes has a myriad of accessories that dazzle the eye. The collection of rings with huge, eye-popping designs was fun to try on.

Laughing at time

Next door is a store where I have shopped for years, David’s of Reedley. When teaching, I would buy holiday gifts for my department here. They have the most beautiful unique things.

At David's

They also have a blog (as well as Twitter & Facebook) that I enjoy. Seems we have a running conversation going most days! This time I bought a Halloween mask: 

Making raisins

The San Joaquin Valley, specifically around Selma/Reedley area, produces the raisins eaten by the world. This year is a big one for the raisin industry  with production at 450,000 to 500,000 tons. Even better for the raisin growers, though, is the price.

Topping out at $1700 a ton, it is the best year in a long time for these growers who take a big risk with this fruit. Just as the Thompson seedless grapes are going down on the paper trays, a rain can come along and cause mold. Or, if the rain comes later, after the raisins have dried, but before the trays are rolled, the raisins can literally wash away, down the rows.

Yesterday, a friend and I took off for the small town of Reedley, about a 30 minute drive out into the countryside. We found a vineyard that still had raisins on the ground so we stopped, not only to take pictures, but so I could give my friend who had never seen raisins in the making, a lesson on how this delicious fruit is produced.

Vineyard

A row of paper trays

These raisins will be processed and packed by SunMaid:

At the Kingsburg plant

The first day of school was two weeks ago

Although the schools around here have been in session for going on three weeks, I have just realized I neglected to tell you about the first day of school, or non school for us retirees. Three of us took off for a trip to a small valley town–Reedley–on that day when the students and teachers were required to return to their places in the classroom. 

The trip down the highway, and across the valley floor, took us past orchards of peaches and vineyards of grapes. We saw pickers in the fields and harvesting equipment on the roads. The dusky smell of harvest was in the air, the smell of dirt and fermenting fruit.

My friends and I checked out a few of the stores in town. We especially liked this sign that we found in one place:

It seemed to sum up our feeling for our lives right now.

Reflecting on this day away, with blackberry pie for lunch, the joy of the first day of non-school still lingers.