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A new article appearing in the current issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry explores the concept of “superfoods” and makes a case that fresh grapes have earned what should be a prominent position in the superfood family. More than 60 peer-reviewed studies have been published in the scientific literature on grapes and health that explore the positive effects grape consumption has on heart health, brain, skin, immune health, and more from the over 1,600 bioactive compounds found in grapes, including antioxidants and polyphenols. Schools across the country have already started or are getting ready to start…
The start of the California grapes season has been unlike one we can remember in recent history. Due to the minimal amount of triple digit degree days this summer, and cooler than normal nights over the last month and a half, we are seeing color move faster than we have in past summers. This strange but welcome start means we are now waiting for the sugar levels and flavor to catch up with the color, when almost always the opposite is true. While we are still trending about 5-7 days early, the color gave us false hope about two weeks…
The extended forecast last month showed more days of rain than sunshine. While rain is still a welcome occurrence during this stage of growth for our tree fruit, hail is not. Hail is our biggest concern from now until harvest because it can occur abruptly and cause damage to a lot of fruit in a very short amount of time. We have been searching for solutions to assuage our fears of adverse weather for years. Up until recently, our best plan of action was to use hail cannons. These large, cone shaped machines, fire sound waves into the sky. The…
As we ease into the imported table grape season, there is a bit of trepidation paired with hopefulness for the remainder of the Peruvian season. The total volume shipped to the US from Peru is now close to even with last year. The previous year was much earlier with a majority of the Peruvian volume arriving in November -December, in contrast to this year where a majority of the fruit landed the end of December and early January. Chilean and Peruvian vessels have been delayed by record sized waves on the Pacific Coast. The East coast strike is still uncertain,…
Our California table grape harvest is finished for the season. We will continue to ship seedless table grapes from California throughout this month. Due to the drought in Peru, the crop size and availability of Peruvian grapes present a lot of questions, with very few answers. We will continue to update as information becomes available. In our vineyards, we removed the vine cover from our late season varieties. Our pre-pruners have been hard at work this month, cutting back the excess growth from our vines this season. Removing this growth makes the hand pruning process mush easier, allowing individuals to…
With the tree fruit season winding down, now is when we focus on replenishing the soil for the season to come. Earlier this year, when flowers and leaves were present, tissue and soil samples were taken from the orchards and vineyards. This gave us a snapshot of the plant nutrient status. Samples were studied so that each block could receive a custom blend of fertilizer to keep it healthy and performing at its peak. Now that harvest is almost complete, we continue to replenish the soil with compost. Compost enriches the soil with carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, while also…
We are finally seeing full harvests on Krissy, a variety we had to walk away from in several fields after last year’s tropical storm. In addition to Krissy, we’re harvesting Scarlet Royals, Timco, Ivory, and Great Green. It appears overall volume has moved up a bit due to good color movement on the reds and temperatures in the low 100’s/high 90’s. Temperatures will sneak back up this week for a bit, but our hope is that this is the last heat wave of the season. We will continue to harvest these mid-season varieties in full force and anticipate a smooth…
In the Central Valley, weather patterns have become increasingly erratic, reflecting broader shifts in climate. Historically known for its hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters, we are now experiencing more frequent and intense temperature extremes, with hotter heatwaves and unpredictable cold snaps. The once reliable winter rains have become less predictable, contributing to periods of severe drought interspersed with heavy, destructive storms. This variability disrupts traditional agricultural practices, threatens water resources, and challenges the resilience of local ecosystems. This has caused unpredictable shifts in pricing and availability produce. The biggest issue is that the quality can be affected in…
The hot days tend to slow the rate of tree fruit maturity, leading to a delayed or extended harvest on varieties we are currently picking, or will pick within the next week. We are adding nutrient applications to our plum orchards to help protect them from sunburn and heat stress. Grapes are growing rapidly and are vulnerable to sunburn at this stage of maturity. We are doing our best to grow the canopy as much as possible for protection for the berries. So far, this year has been excellent for surface water deliveries. We had a better than average winter,and…
Other than a few big spring storms, the weather has been ideal for tree fruit maturation. We started harvest with the yellow and white peaches, yellow and white nectarines and organics. Plum harvest began at the end of May. The early season plums are a delicious nod to what is to come, building excitement for our proprietary Plumsicle. We are already taking prebookings for the sweetest part of summer, so be sure to contact your HMC Farms representative so you don’t miss out on Plumsicle, our favorite fruit of the season. We are in the process of thinning our late…
