Mornings are getting chillier and shadows are growing longer; Fall is quickly approaching. With Labor Day marking the unofficial end of Summer, we decided to include apples from the first harvest of the season in this week's Share to kick off our favorite time of year. You're going to start seeing a LOT of apples in the upcoming Shares, the majority of which will be coming from Northern New Mexico, where the most of apples are grown in this state.
Earlier this season, we were able to meet with some of our apple farmers to learn about the different phases of the growing season. At that time the apples were still small, green, and tart. During our visit, we learned that for them the apple season beings in the winter. Due to the fact the the majority of the apples grown in New Mexico come from the north, farmers go to great lengths to keep their trees happy during the unpredictable northern New Mexican winters. For example, Chris & Taylor at Freshies just built a MASSIVE heated greenhouse over their fruit trees to keep them toasty and frost-resistant during the winter months. Eddie & Linda from Rancho de Santa Fe have constructed 30-50 foot windmills to blow warmer air onto their trees when the temperature drops. It can take anywhere from 6-10 years before an apple tree starts to bear fruit. This helps us to better understand why they put so much effort into protecting their trees and nurturing them through each season.We can't imagine how devastating it would be to lose an orchard that is 15+ years old because of frost. Next time you crunch into a perfectly crisp apple, think about the year-long care and planning that went into it!
Click here to download a PDF of this week's Newsletter!
Earlier this season, we were able to meet with some of our apple farmers to learn about the different phases of the growing season. At that time the apples were still small, green, and tart. During our visit, we learned that for them the apple season beings in the winter. Due to the fact the the majority of the apples grown in New Mexico come from the north, farmers go to great lengths to keep their trees happy during the unpredictable northern New Mexican winters. For example, Chris & Taylor at Freshies just built a MASSIVE heated greenhouse over their fruit trees to keep them toasty and frost-resistant during the winter months. Eddie & Linda from Rancho de Santa Fe have constructed 30-50 foot windmills to blow warmer air onto their trees when the temperature drops. It can take anywhere from 6-10 years before an apple tree starts to bear fruit. This helps us to better understand why they put so much effort into protecting their trees and nurturing them through each season.We can't imagine how devastating it would be to lose an orchard that is 15+ years old because of frost. Next time you crunch into a perfectly crisp apple, think about the year-long care and planning that went into it!
Click here to download a PDF of this week's Newsletter!