Fruit, particularly tree fruit, is a long-term investment. Farmers need to balance looking ahead to what consumer demand will bring five years down the road with what they are growing and need to sell today. Add to that the disease and pest concerns that typically accompany tree fruit production in many climates, and it’s no … Read more
No matter the industry, in business there’s always an advantage to being first on the market. In peaches, growers receive prices that are at least twice as high in the first few weeks of the season as they get during the main part of the season. Toward the end of the season, prices rise again, … Read more
The “Redhaven” peach, or Prunus persica, is famous for the beautiful pink spring flowers, sweet yellow fruit and amazing gold fall foliage. These peaches grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness between zones 5 and 9. They should be planted and grown in full sun, well-drained soil, and be spaced from 18 to 20 … Read more
Pears, peaches and much more A dirt road leads up a hill to Blum Ranch in Acton, Calif., where the Blum family has been growing peaches, pears and lilacs, and keeping bees for more than a hundred years. In 1891, George Blum, a Swiss stonecutter working in Los Angeles, was looking for a better life … Read more