Do you remember the game “Red Light, Green Light”? You know, the one where everyone lines up at the starting point, and then the leader yells “green light” and you run as fast as you can until they say, “red light”. It’s a game of starts and stops. Well, 2022 seems like a “Red Light, Green Light” kind of year.

(Red Light) It started in the spring during which we experienced very cool and wet conditions. Our bloom was sporadic and drawn out, and the pollinators were not super active. Then we had uncharacteristically high temperatures the second week in May (Green Light). You might remember those 90+ degree temps. All of a sudden, our strawberry patch flushed with ripe berries. We opened the patch for u-picking on a Saturday morning, and then by the next week the temperatures had dropped and stayed in the 50–60-degree range for several days (Red Light). Our berry patch never fully recovered.

The sweet cherries were right on time, ripening around Memorial Day, and this year’s crop was fantastic (Green Light). Full speed ahead! The cherry harvest was fast and furious, lasting around two weeks. We so enjoyed having many, many families out to participate in our first ever pick-your-own cherry event.

Our peaches seem to be on a delayed schedule this year due to their sensitivity and responsiveness to weather conditions (Red Light). The cool spring temperatures slowed early development, and then a scorching hot and dry June seemingly caused the trees to “pause” fruit ripening and conserve resources until we finally received some much-needed rain. At last, we found a regular pattern of peach picking in mid-July and our activity increased significantly (Green Light).

Then rain. Lots of rain. (Red Light). We need rain (some, but not all the rain at one time) You see, we don’t pick peaches in the rain. It messes up the fuzz causing them to look weird. Also, the rain can pool in the stem wells and soften the peach causing them to fall or drops of rain hang on the bottom of the peach and can cause it to become soggy. Also, it’s not very safe for us to be climbing wet ladders or working from a slick wagon. Delayed start times and flexible staff allowed us to supply peaches for our stand and markets, but recent weeks have caused lots of Red Light/Green Light situations.

You have the Green Light to come visit us to pick your own fruit (or get some pre-picked) as we push through this final month of peach season and transition into the upcoming apple season. We hope to see you soon.

The biggest off-season, behind-the-curtains tasks we perform is pruning - cutting and removing branches from peach, apple and cherry trees. So, why am I out in the cold, windy, cloudy days pruning instead of sipping drinks at the beach. Questionable life choices! Actually pruning is critical to quality fruit production. Let’s talk about peach trees.

First we prune to keep trees in a desired shape. In the photos, you see a peach tree with four main scaffold limbs extending from the trunk. That’s the v-shape we want in a commercial peach tree. To maintain this tree structure, we remove branches that are growing in the wrong direction or in the wrong place, or are too long or too close to the ground.

🎵Let The Sunshine🎵 🎵Let The Sunshine In🎵 Everybody sing!🎵THE SUNSHINE IN!🎵 (If that doesn’t cause an earworm, just Google “Let the Sunshine In” by the 5th Dimension. You’re welcome.) With that now firmly stuck in your head for the rest of day, we want the v-shape so the tree’s canopy is like a big funnel open to the sky. We remove large interior branches to maintain an open canopy. This v-shaped, open canopy… wait for it, 🎵Lets The Sunshine In🎵! By now you have figured out that sunlight is important to our peach trees, mostly for photosynthesis (energy production) and good coloration of the peaches. The open center also allows air to move more freely through the branches, helping reduce disease pressure.

Lastly we remove branches to limit the amount of fruit the tree grows. Sounds counter-intuitive doesn’t it? A tree has a certain amount of energy to support its growing peaches. If that energy is spread across 1,000 peaches, golf-ball sized peaches result. By pruning we reduce the number by about 50% (see the after photo) - which allows the tree’s energy to focus on growing the beautiful peaches you expect.

This July, when you’re eating a big, juicy Countryside Orchard peach, remember we were out there during those cold, cold days pruning away. Hmm…I doubt you’ll remember; but…you’ll remember this! 🎵Let The Sunshine🎵 🎵Let The Sunshine In🎵🎵The Sunshine In🎵

Sitting on the beach and sipping drinks with umbrellas... (I wish!)

This time of year, I am commonly asked, “So, what do you do in the winter?” As if the “off-season” means being “off” of work. I understand most people are far removed from farming, and do not understand all the work that it takes to raise a crop. Even though I know this, I am still amused by the question, and even more by their surprise when I talk about working outside when the temperature and conditions are less than friendly.

You see, we raise tree fruit. This is a bit different from many other specialty food crops like vegetables; once we plant trees, they are in the ground for many years (hopefully) and require annual “maintenance” of sorts. Unlike annual crops we don’t plow our fields in the fall and wait for spring to plant.

So, when I use the term, off-season, I’m really talking about the time when the hard work happens. We’re talking equipment maintenance, structure repairs and upgrades, taking out old trees, planting new blocks of trees – you know, the “to-do” lists we placed on the back burner during harvest season. And then, most importantly, the care and maintenance of our trees. Each and every tree gets personal attention as we prune out sickly, dead, or ill-placed branches.

The pruning on our farm takes around 3 months. We make thousands of pruning cuts! And there are piles and piles of brush left behind. You see, everything we cut from the trees falls to the ground. To say the least, we generate a lot of brush! We toss the branches to the aisles and then use a tractor to push them to form piles. Instead of burning the prunings, we choose to mulch the wood and use the chips around the farm. Whew, this seems like a job that will never end. Won’t be seeing you at the beach!

(P.S. If anyone wants wood for their BBQs, send us an email or leave us a message… less to run through the mulcher!)

It’s August. Almost summer’s end. Those words hold so much meaning for us.

You see, we start picking peaches in mid to late June. It’s always exciting, but almost casual, with not so many early season trees. We don’t pick every day. That leaves time for other odd jobs (thinning, mowing, trimming, planting pumpkins). Picking ramps up in July as we get to the freestone season. We pick peaches every day, and our markets and farm stand start to get busy. But nothing compares to AUGUST.

Everything hits in August. We are picking across multiple rows/varieties. I’m talking multiple thousands of pounds of peaches each week! We continue to go to our local farmers markets and add deliveries to other locations across Indiana. We open our U-Pick peach block to the public. The first varieties of our main season apples begin to ripen and are ready to pick. And then… a majority of our team goes back to school. It happens every year. Two or three times the work, with about a third of the workforce. We know it’s going to happen, yet it still kind of takes us by surprise.

Our days are full. Buckets and buckets of peaches to pick, weigh, sort, pack and load into the cooler. Helping customers choose their peaches and discussing recipes and preservation techniques. Giving directions for u-picking fruit. Answering the phone and giving directions. Sweating in the 90+ degree heat. There is little time for those other jobs (mowing, trimming). We're so busy we sometimes forget to eat lunch. You think I’m kidding or exaggerating – I’m not.

We love summer and the hustle and bustle of peach season. It’s really our main event and we prepare year-round for it. So come get your peaches before the season ends (sometime around the end of August). Then, we invite you to visit us in the fall during apple and pumpkin season. Things should be a bit less crazy then. Maybe we’ll even remember to eat lunch.

It’s PEACH SEASON!!! We made it! It’s what we’ve been working toward the entire off-season. Although we still have some “farm chores” that need to be completed, our days are now centered around checking trees and picking the fruit that is ripe. Let me use a sports analogy. It is like we have been practicing and practicing, and now it is finally game time.

Our harvest season is fast-paced and spans from late May (strawberries/cherries) to late October (apples). While I am always ready for a break and enjoy the slower pace of winter, I get antsy sometime in April. I’m tired of the physical labor and quiet. I’m ready for the hustle and bustle of employees and customers and markets.

So, here we are. It’s July and the rhythm of summer is setting in. We have a good team (albeit, small) working with us this year, and many of them are new to us. It has been fun getting to know these employees and teaching them about the work of growing fruit. Up to this point, we have done lots of tree care, which is very important, but not too exciting. But now we are picking! It’s like we’re finally in the game.

If you have visited us at the farm or at the area markets, I hope you can tell that we missed you! The onset of a new season means we get the opportunity to see you and catch up with you. It’s so fun for us to recognize friends from past seasons and also to make new acquaintances. If you are new to our sphere, welcome! Feel free to chat us up and ask questions.

We’ll see you soon at the orchard (M-F 9am-4pm/Weekends 9am-1pm) or at a market: Wednesdays - Market on Main, 9am-1:30pm; Saturdays - Franklin Street Bazaar, 9am-1pm and Historic Newburgh Farmer’s Market, 8am-noon.