Jillian's blog

A Few Questions on Farming

I recently received a few questions about the process of farming from Doreen G., as she was doing some research on peaches, and thought I would take the time to share them with you, as I believe they would be of interest to some of you. They are as follows:

What soil and climate have nurtured the fruit on your farm?

Hail Cannons

Hail cannons, or Anti-Hail cannons, in a sense, are a new technology to agriculture. Although originating in the 18th century, they have been modernized greatly over the past thirty years - the latter 10 being the most significant. These cannons are designed to disrupt the growth phase of hail by emitting a shockwave directly above the cannon. The cannons are comprised of two parts:

Chicago's Shamrock Shuffle

On a gorgeous sunday morning in Chicago on March 25th, 40,000 runners participated in the 2012 Shamrock Shuffle, the largest 5-mile race in the world. This year's shuffle was the inaugaral competition of Kingsburg Orchards' Dinosaur Brand Running Team. Featured runners were Patrick Eubanks of Kingsburg Orchards, John Graves and Damon Marano, of Anthony Marano Company in Chicago. 65 degress and not a cloud in the sky, Chicago rarely sees such beautiful spring days.

Pluot Mania

Kingsburg Orchards announces the inaugural Dino Brand pluot mania competition! We have taken 32 of our proprietary varieties and put them into brackets, allowing you to choose the most popular variety we have currently. We will update round by round, announcing the winner in our June newsletter. Please share the bracket invitation with anyone who has tried our Dino Brand pluots. Your pick to advance to the next round should be based on flavor profile, appearance, and preference. We ask that you include a name, and a location so we can track regionally as the favorites advance.

All A Buzz About Spring

To get everyone in the mood for spring, Deb has compiled a few fun facts about bees and our blooms for you to peruse! We are so excited for all the blossoms to be back, it is such a beautiful time of the year. It is incredible to think that these delicate flowers will begin to develop into delicious, juicy fruit in a matter of months -

The term “honeymoon” comes from a tradition in the Middle Ages when newlyweds were given a months worth of honey wine as wedding gifts.

Skunks are the only natural enemy to a bee.

Good Luck From a Pickle by Deb Ross

We hustle through the year living our lives and cramming too much into our 24 hour days but at this time every year, we slow down just enough to honor traditions new and old and celebrate the joys of Christmas. A tradition can be something as small as a special cookie your great grandma made every year, the whole family wearing matching pajamas while opening presents or being the first person to find the Christmas Pickle on your Christmas tree. Yes! A pickle!  

Baking Pies

For those of you who can't wait to take out your pie tins as soon as you spot a fresh apple or juicy peach, our Apple Pears may be just what you are looking for! We received this email from Jim Gilbert, and are excited to share his pie baking tips with you:

Pages