Chetwyn's May News

Published: Sat, 05/01/21

Flowers and Farm Wilderness

Good day ,

So glad you are joining us for another newsletter! We have lots to share--from blossom explosions to puppies--but first...

Big Announcement!

We will finally be back at the market this month with four early varieties of avocados: Fuerte, Bacon, Ettinger and Zutano.

These are green skinned avocados, which means their peel will still be green when they are ripe. You can tell when they are ready to eat by giving them a gentle squeeze; they will have a bit of give.

Grove as a Native Habitat

The grove is full of avocado blooms right now! Avocado blossoms are small green flowers; they are very not showy, but what they lack in colors, they make up for in number. Now our Fuerte, Zutano, Bacon, and Mexicola trees are covered in an explosion of blooms.

Bees and other insects find the unique scent of avocado flowers irresistible. At this time of year, the grove is alive with different types of insects climbing around the bunches of blooms. In addition to our own honey bees, we have seen native bees, lady bugs, lace wings, tiny wasps, and a number of flies. To encourage these insects to stick around, we planted a Rosemary bushes and some native plants, which can be pollinated all year long.

Because of the influx of insects, a variety of birds have appeared to have a quick snack. One of the prettiest we have seen is the Western Blue Bird, but the Black Phoebe is fun to watch. The photo is of the Lesser Gold Finch.

What a wonderful experience to provide a native habitat for our local fauna!

Fun Fact: Avocado Blossom Edition

Did you know that an avocado blossom changes from male to female over the course of a day? One might open as a female flower in the morning, close midday, and open again as a male in the afternoon. Because of this, having different varieties of avocado trees greatly increases the chances of a good crop. Different varieties of avocado tree change flowers at different times, which allow easy cross-pollination.

New Family of Coyotes

A new family has moved in by Chetwyn. A coyote recently gave birth to four pups! They live in a culvert under our driveway, so we often see them playing when we drive home. We have a guardian llama and donkey to protect our herd from the parents--and the family can be quite loud--but it's fun to see the wildlife around our farm.

We are excited to see all of you at the market this month!

Warmly,

Dave and Anna

Chetwyn Farm