7/11/2012 11:42pm by Jeannine Anderson - Site Administrator.

They are hard to come by and a lot of work to pit, but sour pie cherries make one of the best pies ever.  DeLap Orchards in the Okanogan is picking them this week and we'll be happy to bring some back for you, but you have to order by email before this Friday.  We aren't sure of the price, but expect they will be between $4 and $5 per pound and you'll need to pick them up during our regular business hours on Tuesday, July 17 because they are not long keepers and should be processed as soon as possible (even if that means just throwing them in the freezer to deal with later).

When was the last time you had a real, homemade cherry pie? mmmmmmm

 Posted 7/5/2012 11:54am by Jeannine Anderson - Site Administrator.

This morning started off at Rest Awhile Fruit Stand in Pateros, where we picked up the first peach of the season; Queen Crest.  She's early and kind of small but the smell in the van is almost intoxicating.  Amy Wu bought this farm from Bill and Lois Woods about five years ago and began working to change it from a conventional IPM farm to a certified organic farm.  This is Rest Awhile's first year as a certified organic farm.  Congratulations Amy!

Now we're waiting for the rainier's to be packed at Bartella Farm in Omak.  We've been buying organic and conventional fruit from John and Cindy Bartella for eleven years, since we first started Madrona Grove.  During the course of those years they phased out conventional farming practices across the board and now the farm is fully certified organic.  This will be their last year farming here though, because they have sold the farm to a young man named Autumn, who plans to continue growing most of the fruit varieties that John has perfected here up on the Omak flats.  We are really going to miss John and Cindy but are relieved to know that we'll still be able to get the high quality organic fruit we've come to expect from this farm.  We've also heard little rumours that John won't be able to completely give up farming, and his new spot down by the Okanogan River sounds like it's good for growing food, as well as fishing for steelhead.

So stay tuned, and be sure to come on out to the fruit stand on Tuesday or Friday from 12:00 to 7:00 pm for a taste of summer sunshine from Eastern Washington.

 Posted 7/2/2012 7:38pm by Jeannine Anderson - Site Administrator.

Michael and I just got back from another fruit loop from Wenatchee to Yakima.  Come on out for black and red cherries and two varieties of apricots.

Stop by tomorrow from 4-7 to celebrate the opening of fruit season with snacks and beverages.

See you there!