September News from Chetwyn

Published: Fri, 09/08/23

As Summer Days Fall Away...

Hi ,

Summer is slowing coming to a close. The days are still warm, but the nights cool. The leaves of the tree over our deck are just beginning to turn yellow and fall. The apples are ready to be harvested.

In terms of avocado, the Hass have finished for the season. We have started to pick the GEMs and Reeds will be making an appearance midway through September.

Figs will be making an appearance at the market this month as well. Our trees are loaded with baby figs and we are watching them ripen with eager anticipation.

You can stay up to date on what will be at the market by checking our website's calendar.

Apples Galore--

We have 12 different varieties of apple trees planted in our small orchard and they all ripen at slightly different times. We don’t bring our apples to the market. Instead we have our seasonal tradition of processing the fruit to store for the months to come. However, those joining us on the September farm tour will get to taste a few.

Last week we made 17 quarts of apple sauce off of our Pink Lady apple trees, since it was the first tree to ripen. As of the beginning of September, we have harvested 3 other varieties. Once the apples are picked, we decide if they should be made into apple sauce or dried (or crunched down as a fresh snack).

The name for fruit that has a core is Pome Fruit. Apples, pears, and quince are included in this category. Chetwyn has all three of them! This year, we are cultivating a small crop of quince, which will be used to make quince jam. Upon moving onto the property in 2010, there was a small quince tree planted under the deck that had no room to grow. We took it out and didn’t replant one until about 5 years ago. Anna asked for a quince tree for her birthday and happily planted the gift in the orchard. Last year we had two pieces of fruit but this year there will be more to come. You can tell when they are ready to be picked when they lose the white coat. We will keep you posted on the jam.

We Bag Our Fruit--

In order to protect our fruit, we bag every apple and pear on the property at the start of the summer. Luckily the birds leave the quince alone. We found that small mesh gift bags work sufficiently to deter the hungry birds. Each bag comes with a small satin ribbon that can be tightened around the stem of the fruit, and the bag is roomy enough for the fruit to grow large inside.

The first few years here we tried different things to keep the birds away, but nothing worked. The method of using a mesh bag was inspired by the paper bags that some farmers in Asia successfully use to protect their fruit.

We also cover the nectarines. Unfortunately, this past month a squirrel would steal the entire nectarine (bag and all) and rip out the fruit in the safety of the huge oaks. Sometimes we found bags high up in a tree and then later on the ground with a large hole in it. Having a farm in the middle of wild areas does have its challenges. The animals around us are happy we moved in and are providing delicious meals for them. For the most part, we enjoy all the animals we share this place with. And really, who can blame them for wanting a taste of the wonderful Chetwyn Farm produce?

Pictured from left to right: Bagged nectarine, ripe quince, bagging an apple

26048 Fairview Ave
Hayward CA 94542
USA

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