Support Local Farmers

Hi Kathy,
The Ida Red apples we purchased from you last weekend at the Petaluma Farmers Market made the best apple pie! They did not produce a lot of juice when baked so the bottom crust is not soggy. They definitely live up to their reputation as a good baking apple. Several local grocery stores I asked said they were not able to get Ida Red apples, so thank you very much for growing these apples and making them available.
Sincerely, Pat

Two Rock Ranch in Petaluma

Self Serve Farm Stand

The self-serve, honest-style farm stand at 1051 Walker had quite a few visitors. Thanks to all who stopped by in 2009! This year we will open the stand at the beginning of the season and I will list the varieties available that week on the website. We plan on being at the Petaluma Farmer's Market of course, and if the crop is heavy enough we may go to the Cotati Farmer's Market too.

The Changing of the Seasons

Meanwhile, although the apples are all picked, there is still much to do. The orchard floor has sprouted a green carpet of clover and the leaves left on the trees are turning deep shades of red and bronze. There is a sprinkling of yellow leaves from the tall ash trees that are the wind break west of the orchard. It is very beautiful. I've been mulching and pruning in the orchard hedgerow, which is a beneficial insect and pollinator habitat. I have planted more Osier Creek Dogwood and coppiced the yellow willow. The coppicing produced some very nice straight poles, from 4 to 8 feet in length and about 1 to 2 " diameter. Next year I will use the poles to brace up branches on the apple trees that are heavy with fruit. I took the odds and ends of the coppiced cuttings and walked along the riparian corridor where I stuck them in along the stream banks to prevent erosion and provide shade and habitat. In the spring, new leaves will bud out from the bare sticks and new yellow willow trees will be on the way.

Getting Olympia's Apple Orchard Ready for 2010

We have already begun preparations and plan to plant more apple trees this spring. Our friend and Permaculture Keyline Design guru, Rusty Davis, has laid out a new plot to expand the orchard. Using a Yeoman's plow, Rusty created some beautiful "s" curves with small berms into which we will plant new trees next year.

More apple trees from Antiquity

I have ordered more trees from Trees of Antiquity. Several varieties that we sold out of before our customers had had enough were Honeycrisp, Cinnamon Spice, and Gravenstein, so we will plant more! We will also try some varieties that were much requested, such as Winesap, Macintosh and Pippin. I do not know how they will do in our climate, so I will just plant 2 of each as a trial. One other variety highly recommended is Crown Prince Rudolph, an heirloom tree from Austria, 1860. It is said to be sweet and mildly spiced with a fine texture and is a standout among 200+ varieties in a Pacific Northwest orchard. I can't wait to see how these new trees will do, but I'll have to be patient as it will be a few years before we will have crop to harvest from. Talk about slow food!