HMC News – November 20, 2019

Pruning is in full force in our traditional tree fruit orchards, as pictured above. As you can see, the trees are bare of leaves, allowing our crews to distinguish between older wood and fruiting wood. We will soon begin pruning in our high density planting orchards, which is a slightly different process. Pruning allows us to prepare for the next season by maintaining the shape and structure of the trees.

Crop Update:

HMC Farms table grape harvest is rapidly winding down. The weather has continued to cooperate with our harvest, helping to maintain excellent grape quality. It looks like we may finally see some precipitation in the middle of next week. The forecast shows high temperatures in the 60s with some chilly overnight lows to start Thanksgiving week.

Thanksgiving activity sheet – free download!

Thanksgiving is quickly heading our way, which means it’s time to give the kids in your life some activities to occupy their time. HMC Farms has you covered with this free downloadable Thanksgiving activity sheet! This month’s activity sheet will have kids filling in the blanks, coloring, and turkey trotting their way to a grapeful Thanksgiving!

Click here to download the free activity sheet, or find copies at our local library in Kingsburg, California!

HMC News – November 13, 2019

Autumn is staking its claim on our tree fruit orchards. These beautiful fall colors signal that pruning time is near. We wait for the leaves to fall off of the trees in order to prune and select the best fruiting wood. Older wood appears thicker and rougher, like the tree’s trunk, in comparison to fruiting wood, which still has fresh bark and is likely to bear the best fruit.

Crop Update:

Our table grape harvest is still going strong, with weather that continues to cooperate well in our vineyards. The forecast shows daytime temperatures dipping down with highs into the upper 60s to end this week, and then climbing back up a bit to start next week in the high 70s. Some cloud cover lies ahead, but there is still no significant chance of precipitation on our farms.

HMC News – November 6, 2019

This year has proven to be one of the most unusual fall weather patterns we’ve seen. The weather has been virtually perfect for grape growth and harvest on our farms, with high temperatures in the 70s and 80s and cool overnight lows. With precipitation continuing to hold off, we will likely complete our grape harvest before adverse weather hits our vineyards.

Crop Update:

Wildfires have blazed through parts of California over the past few weeks. Our farms were not in close proximity to any of the fires, but we’ve monitored the air quality closely, as smoke from these fires can drift to the valley floor. Fortunately, the major fires have been fully or mostly contained at this point. For updates on the California wildfires, visit the CalFire website. Table grape harvest is still going strong in our vineyards. The forecast shows slightly warmer days, with high temperatures creeping back up into the low 80s.