July, 2007 - Volume 8, Issue 9



The Perfect Year For Stone Fruit



“What does the freezing weather we experienced last January, a warm and not too rainy spring, and a mild early summer with warm days and cool nights have to do with local produce in July? Everything!” says Jan Thompson.

The weather in the first half of 2007 was a perfect combination to produce bumper crops of plums, peaches, pluots, nectarines, pears and apples. And here at NP, we are proud to offer you the finest local fruit you can find.
 
THE BIG CHILL
Fruit trees need a good chilling to produce abundant fruit. Some years it just doesn't get cold enough for long enough to do the trick. Most stone fruit trees need 700 or more hours of below 45 degrees to produce a good crop. While the mandarin growers were scrambling to keep their trees protected from frost damage, the peach and plum growers were happy with the chill. Local grower Jeff Reiger calls it the “perfect year” and Twin Peaks Orchard growers Raul & Sheila Enriquez report bumper crops from their stone fruit orchard. 

THE MAGIC OF
MOUNTAIN GROWN
Tosh Kuratomi of Otow
Orchard in Granite Bay says that the warm days and cool nights we had in  June enhance the flavor and sugar content of the fruit ripening in the orchard. In fact, in years past, all Placer County Fruit was shipped with the words “Mountain Grown” stamped on the boxes to underscore the importance of the unique foothills climate. “Fruit grown in the hot interior valleys of California can’t develop the complex flavors of our foothill fruits,” Jan explains. 

“Terrior” is a French word, meaning “a sense of place,” and the word describes the sum of the effects that the local environment (the soil, climate, rain, etc.) has had on a particular product. While terroir is often used to describe wine and cheese, it applies to Placer Grown fruit as well. “We should all be grateful for the many blessings of this region,” says Jan, “including a climate conducive to growing some of the best fruit in the country. The high mineral content of our volcanic, decomposed granite soils makes for better tasting fruit and vegetables. My dad always said it was the potassium in the soil that was the secret ingredient in our foothill
produce,” she says.

Stop in soon and experience the delicious Placer Grown difference!