Shasky Farms - From Our Family to Yours

The trees are loving the warm weather!

2011-03-03T11:48:00.000-08:00

It was so warm this morning, that I could not resist getting out my camera and taking a walk. Our fruit and nut trees are blooming or getting ready to bloom and they look beautiful! Below are some the pictures I took of the highlights from my walk! Enjoy and get ready for the summer and delicious fruit!

Flavorosa Pluots in bloom

Pluots are in bloom. They bloom very heavy, but don't set heavy. When I say "set" I mean each bloom doesn't take to pollination and eventually drop off of the tree.They are very finicky trees!

Newly planted trees leafing out

These are our newest trees that we planted about a month ago. Remember this post...in the fog?!

Pluots going crazy!

Here is a great shot of one variety of pluots that are in full bloom.

Not quite ready to enter the world

This variety of pluots are not quite ready to enter the world, but they will be here before you know it!

Blooms on their way out...fruit on their way in!

These Rose Diamond Nectarines are in the post blooming stage. They have been pollinated and set to produce fruit for the summer. This is an early variety and they will begin to ripen around the end of May, beginning of June.

Almonds blooming

Bees working hard

Walnut catkins getting ready to do their job

Nectaplums with their beautiful red leaves

These Nectaplums look beautiful! Their leaves are red/green all summer long. I can't wait until the leaves are all out to take a more dramatic picture! Keep your eyes open for more photos!

Persimmon participating in the bloom

We hope you are as excited as us. We love the Spring season. It's just so great to see nature takes it course and help us produce bountiful fruit for you to enjoy! We are anxiously awaiting for our fruit to get here, so we can get the Farmer's Markets hopping! See you soon!

Busy as a Bee...

2011-02-10T14:44:00.000-08:00

Spring has arrived...well not officially, but the trees wait no more!
Just wanted to share some pictures I took today...I would post all of them, but I don't think I have that much room!

Our first variety is blooming...it only gets more delicious from here.

First variety in bloom - Snow Brite White Peach

Bees working hard to pass the pollen around.

Didn't get stung once, but it was close a few times.

The blooms were so amazing, even the moon stayed out to look!

We are so excited that Spring is quickly approaching. We enjoy this time of year because we cherish watching what nature is capable of creating! Dream about juicy, sweet fruit tonight!

Planting in the fog...

2011-02-02T09:37:00.000-08:00

We planted our new trees a few days ago. As you can see, it was quite foggy that early morning. We have some new peach, apricot, plum, nectarine, pear, apple and cherry varieties that we can't wait to try. We also have some new interspecific varieties: chums (cherry plum cross) and pubs (plum, peach, nectarine cross).

If you look closely, they are planting!

Gator #1 filled with some patiently waiting trees.

Jim making decisions on where all these trees are going!

Gator #2 filled with load #2 of new trees

We can't wait till these trees get ripe, so we can start doing some taste testing. All of our trees come from Dave Wilson Nursery. Most of our trees, including the new varieties that have been planted are created by Zaiger Genetics located in Modesto. The Zaiger Family has a great history of achieving global prominence for their robust fruit and rootstock breeding program.

From our family to yours...

2011-01-21T12:34:00.000-08:00

Our motto is "From our family to yours". We have our children and grandchildren eating the fruits and vegetables we grow, so it's important to make sure it's ready to eat, right out of the orchard or field. Since we sell at Farmers Markets, we make sure our product is ready to eat.

A common question we get asked, is if we spray our trees, so it's important to educate our consumer. We live, near, and eat from, the same trees from which we sell to you. We do spray, and embrace performance-based metrics: The best outcomes will come only when the best practices are adopted. This land has sustained five generations of our family. We are careful to treat it gently and care for it like a member of our family. We love our trees!

We are movin' & shakin' in 2011!

2011-01-12T13:49:00.000-08:00

Shasky Farms has jumped into 2011 and making waves...of progress, that is! We have so many things to share with you!

We have started pruning our fruit trees this week. Even though it's cold, some of the trees have started to push out leaf buds. It's been a weird winter, but we will take any cold we can get for the trees health.

Pruning like crazy!

We have a ton of citrus ready for our customers at the Farmers Markets. We are currently addicted...yes addicted...to our Satsuma Mandarins. You really have to try them, but then you would become addicted and we just don't know if we can share them! Just kidding...we would love to share them with anyone!

Just a small portion of our citrus trees

Satsuma Mandarin...a Shasky Farms favorite!

We have also planted more red walnuts. They have become one of our popular items for our customers. If you like walnuts, but don't like the acidity, then these are the walnuts for you! They are very tasty and less acidic then regular walnuts. You can read about them in our last post.

We have also ordered some new cherry varieties to increase the length of the season, a few more varieties of apples, pears and a donut white nectarine (more to come later on that variety and others we grow!)

Winter has arrived...

2010-12-17T15:03:00.000-08:00

Winter season has arrived. Shasky Farms has been gearing up for the holiday season with our candied nuts and dried fruit. We are also waiting patiently for our citrus crops to arrive. We will be featuring Murcotts and Satsuma Mandarins, Mandarinquats, Tangors, and a variety of Navel Oranges at the Merced Certified Farmers Market on Saturday from 8 am to Noon.

We have been filling holiday orders like crazy. During the holiday season we feature a special packaged round that is filled with three varieties of either candied nuts or we also have a natural nut round that has natural almonds, walnuts and our red walnuts. What are red walnuts you ask? Well, lets venture down that path and learn more about them!

Red walnuts are a newer variety of walnuts propagated by UC Davis. They have red skin versus the regular walnut you eat have yellow skin. They are low in acid, so people that have allergies to walnuts seems to have less or no allergic reaction to the red walnuts. We planted the Livermore Red Walnuts in 2003 with the thought of them becoming more popular with customers due to their health benefits and low acidity. If you google Red Walnuts, they pop up every where. More and more people are using them in every food dish imaginable!

We are sad to see another year coming to a close, but we are excited to get started in 2011. We have many new fruit trees we are planting and bringing you new and exciting fruits....have you heard of a peacotum, a pub or a chum? Stay tuned for more blogs and we will entice you with our delicious fruit and nuts!

Happy holidays from our family to yours!

2009-10-24T10:49:00.000-07:00

Boy! How time goes bye. Here we are just about to finish with the plums, pluots, and white peaches for the year. But I see that the mandarins are starting to color up. We are in the middle of walnut harvest. The quality of the nuts look very good. Nice plump meats with good color. We are in full swing with our candied almonds. We have a great array of gift packs ready for the holidays. You can pick and choose from all the different flavors. We also have a non sugar pack of natural nuts. The red walnuts have been in great demand this year. We are cracking the new crop as I write. Wouldn't the red walnuts look great in a gift pack or a holiday salad! At our markets we are offering a big variety of holiday decorative gourds and winter squash. All you need to set your table off during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Check out the website checkerouters: shaskyfarms.com for all the latest products. Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!! JIM

2009-08-31T06:12:00.000-07:00

Labor day weekend is upon us. Get ready for R & R. It's a time for rejuvenation and refreshment. There's no better way than to choose a destination where you can just shut down and relax. Make a choice where everything you do is simple and uncomplicated. There is nothing more uncomplicated and easy than making fresh fruit your meal or dessert choice. Just wash, slice, and enjoy. It's turned hot again. There's nothing more satisfying than a bowl of ice cream or yogurt topped with our tree ripe peaches or pluots. We also have many flavors of candied nuts to enjoy. Whether you're at the beach or in the mountains or in your backyard take time and enjoy the beauty around all of us. Take a deep breath, relax and take in the final lazy hazy days of summer. JIM

2009-08-19T07:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome back from vacation! The last of the great summer holidays is upon us. Labor Day weekend, what fun. It's time for a family outing. I see more and more people just enjoying the river beaches and local getaways. This is the time to pack a pacnc basket and don't forget the fresh fruit. The pluots are especially good right now. We have flavor Grenades, Flavor Kings, Flavor Treats, and Flavorich. all are at their peak. Plum varieties ripe are Fortunes, Big Reds, and Emerald Beautys. Most people think that there are less fruit varieties to choose from in the fall. actually we have more to pick from than any other time of the year.

Bust out and picnic this next weekend. Enjoy the remaining days of the season. These are the adventures the family will treasure forever. JIM

2009-08-07T06:14:00.000-07:00

It's time to can or freeze. Fruit is at it's peak for the summer. There are still many varieties to choose from. This week three of our favorite varieties are ripe. O'Henry peaches have a hearty peach flavor, freestone and easy to can. Emerald Beauty plums are an eyecatching green on the outside with a brilliant hue on the inside. Great for salads or garnish. The most requested pluot, the Flavor Grenade is coming into its sugar. It is the highest brick sugar piece of fruit we have.

Yes these are the wonderful days of summer coming to a close as school starts soon. Don't forget a healthy snack of fruit for the kids lunches or after school treat. Or maybe a tried and true idea, a piece of fruit to butter up the new teacher. JIM

2009-07-30T06:38:00.000-07:00

Customers are asking which fruit is the sweetest. This time if the year pretty much all of the fruit is high in sugar and flavor. The taste you savor is really up to you. Different people like different flavors and levels of sweetness. The best way to tell is to sample. A lot of the newer varieties will stay firm when they are at the best ripeness. Some people make the mistake of letting them sit to ripen and when they think they are ripe they are often molding inside. Sample them and determine to your taste when you want to eat them.
We are giving away walnut recipes at our markets. If you don't see them, ask. They are provided by www.walnuts.org. A great website to obtain more information on the nutritional value of walnuts. They are the highest source of omega-3 in the nut world. They are not only wholly nutritious they're simply delicious. See you t the markets. JIM

2009-07-21T15:47:00.000-07:00

Wow!! It finally started to cool off a little. At least the nights have been reasonably cool. This helps the fruit mature at a perfect rate. Once again it is hard on the fruit going to market in this daytime heat. Some of the sweetest, best varieties are close to ripeness. Yellow freestone peaches are as good as they get for those who are looking to can or freeze for later treats. Ask about box rates. Pluots are also close to perfection. The Dapple Dandys are closr for beautiful color and flavor. Beautiful speckled outside with a explosion of red inside. Flavor grenades are three weeks away.
Summer vacations aren't right without tree ripened fruit in the ice chest. Check out our website for locations of the nearest farmers market where we are participating. We will advise you which fruit will travel and stay fresh and flavorful. Thanks for your support. JIM

2009-07-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

I am sorry to say that the apricots are through for another year. We have one tree with a few apricots left but it is one of the trees that was planted here before the first generation of this family moved to this property. Almost none of these apricots even make it to the house, they are eaten by eager mouths while standing under the tree. Even our dogs relax under this tree in the hope that an apricot will hit the ground so that they get a treat. We did dry some of the apricots so we can sell them during the fall and winter months.

The hot weather that we had last week made getting the fruit to the Farmer's Markets a challenge. When the temperature changes that quickly and that drastically the fruit gets really soft really fast. We are on to the next varieties in almost everything now and it's cool again! Oh well I never complain about the cool weather. It could stay in the mid 90's all summer and that would be good for the fruit and great for us!

2009-06-20T06:24:00.000-07:00

Summer is finally here? There is crazy weather all over the US. The good news is that the cool weather at night makes for very sweet fruit. We have more apricots than anticipated. the Blenheims are almost finished, but the Golden Sweets are coming next week. They are sizing well. The pluots are great this week. Flavor Supremes are green on the outside with a vibrant red color inside. They are beautiful in salads.
Shasky Farms is now selling at seven markets in the valley. We have lots of people ask us if we go to the Bay Area. I tell them no we don't. We want to serve the people and places we love. Those people are you, our friends and neighbors. Our home is the San Joaquin Valley.

Cherries, Cherries, and more Cherries

2009-05-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

We picked our first boxes of cherries this week and it finally feels like the farms market season is starting. We are going to 4 markets a week right now and it is nice to have some fresh fruit on our table. There are some white peaches that will be ready next week that I have been sampling everyday. The yellow nectarine are right behind it. Most of the apricots froze during the cold snap we had back in April so there won't be many of those.

Our new market this year is the Old Town Clovis Farmers Market. It has been great to see so many people out and about. We have really been talking to a lot of people at this market about our red walnuts. It's hard to believe that they grow that way but they do. People seem to enjoy the candied nuts too. We are working on our smoked nut recipe and think that we have it almost perfected.

Starting new markets this week

2009-05-12T13:21:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again. I walk the orchards and am amazed every day by the growth of the fruit. It seems like just yesterday that I was out in the bloom with the family taking pictures. Here it is just a few weeks later and the fruit is growing and we are starting to plan our first picking. The cherries will once again be the first fruit of the season but there is a nectarine that is right behind it. After a long winter of oranges and dried fruit we are all anticipating that first sweet nectarine that will kick off the wonderful summer.

This week we are adding Bass lake to our list of markets. We are still going to Merced on Saturday mornings and last week was the first week of Merced's market at the promenade.

Hope to see you soon!