Perdue's 2007 Fruit Season Newsletter

While we’ve had our best blackberry crop ever, it’s been a rather slow and difficult start for the 2007 season with losing all peach and nectarine crops to the Easter weekend freeze. We have been able to make lots of fresh fruit preserves and Betty’s country catsup.

The season is now really looking up! Baskets of Apples

We have a good apple crop---maybe 75%. Started picking Ginger Golds, Paulareds, Galas, Ozark Golds and Honey Crisp last week. By the end of the month will be picking Mc Intosh, Cortland, Empire, Red Delicious and Shenshu. Early September will start picking Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Mutsu, Bramley and Jonathan. Will provide more details on our later ripening apple varieties in future updates.

Probably have the best bunch grape crop ever. Started picking Fredonias last week; Mars, a seedless concord type, this week; and Concords in about 10 days. Muscadines are looking good! Should start picking the Queen’s Figs in a couple weeks.

Can’t forget to mention that the fall bearing Heritage red raspberries look very good. Should start ripening in quantity about the last week in August.

Just a little more bad news: the freeze destroyed all our Bartlett type and Asian pear crops.

Special news: Will be picking up our season’s supply of fresh green Virginia white jumbo peanuts from South Georgia, on August 17. If all goes as planned, will have some boiled peanuts for you by lunch time on the 18th.

We’ve already taken off the early honey crop, extracted, bottled and have for sale. Will be taking off the sourwood honey by the end of the month. Had a good sourwood bloom, so maybe a good make!

So let me tell you about the bees and our friendly, often visiting, black bear(s??). Two weeks ago he got interested in our bee hives. Turned one over and knocked the lid off two others. Did not tear up the beehives or get at their honey. Frankie Gonzalez, who helps me extensively with growing and maintaining the orchards, is the bee keeper. Frankie has taken on the challenge and is determined to keep the bears out of the bees. Last week he constructed a 6 foot high, 7 strand barbed wire fence around each of the two bee hive areas. The bear has stuck his head between the strands, but hasn’t gotten in. More about this developing story later.

This year Clemson University is hosting the annual meeting of the North America Fruit Explorers Society. At 11:00 am on Friday, August 24, we will be honored by their visiting our farm as one of the three fruit farms to be toured in the upstate (60 people will be stopping by).

Will make a production run of fresh apple cider on the 24th to demo to the visitors and for your purchase. Will start regular weekly cider production on September 8. Fresh apple sauce and apple butter the following week.

After September 6, will have locally grown vine ripe tomatoes and fresh picked sweet corn.

Still have Dorman red, jewel black, royalty purple and heritage everbearing raspberries, nesbitt muscadine, seedless and Concord grape plants available. Have obtained “growth tubes” for starting grape vines.

1. High school or college students: after classes and Saturdays. Work involves primarily sorting and boxing apples. Should be at least 15 yrs. old. Please come individually for interview. Do not come in groups.

2. Need adult(s) to work in processing room making apple products: 2 to 3 days a week.

3. Need person to help wait on customers and maintain displays.

Please call Dick Perdue at 979-8378 to apply.

AUGUST:
3rd week: open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 10:00 till 5:30 - will have apples and bunch grapes. With the great rain Saturday night, possibly a few more blackberries.

4th week: open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 10:00 till 5:30 - will have apples, bunch grapes and fresh apple cider.

5th week: open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 10:00 till 5:30 - will have apples, bunch grapes, Heritage raspberries, and figs.

SEPTEMBER thru NOVEMBER:
Starting Thursday, September 6 our retail farm market will be open 5 days a week: Wednesday thru Sunday, 10:00 till 5:30. The market will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

FARM ADDRESS FOR INTERNET DIRECTIONS AND MAP
2400 S.C. Hwy 11
Travelers Rest, S.C. 29690
See Map