Still Sweet Cherries; Pick-Your-Own Thornless Blackberries Soon

   I finished harvesting sweet cherries last week, and we still have many for sale now until about June 14.  We sell sweet cherries harvested, for $4.93 per pint + sales tax.

   Sweet cherries are very sweet and crisp and are for fresh eating, not pie-making.  'Bing' is a famous sweet cherry variety gown on the West Coast of North America, but it's very prone to fruit cracking during rains, so doesn't produce well in this area.  We grow 5 other sweet cherry varieties with better resistance to fruit cracking and diseases.

These 'Benton' sweet cherries have a wonderful flavor & very crisp, juicy texture.

   We still have many cracked pecans and 'Gold Rush' apples for sale now also.  Until June 14 we're still open by appointment.  That means to phone 620-597-2450 a day ahead, and leave a message on our answering machine with your name, day and time you'll come, and what you want to buy.  You can make an appointment to arrive here between 10 a.m. and 12 noon, or between 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., Mondays to Saturdays, but please state a specific approximate time.

   If you're driving on Highway 166, see our highway sign, and come up to our farm, you'll see the sign on our sales building saying we're open by appointment and to phone 620-597-2450.  If it's raining, you can call that number, which is a landline to our house, and if I'm in the house, I'll come out to the sales building.

   If it's nice weather I'm likely out thinning peaches on the east side of our farm, so ring the bell on the sales building porch VERY loudly (just a couple times), and I'll drive over to the sales building.  From the peach orchard, I can't see or hear vehicles drive in if you don't call a day ahead so we can look for you.  If you know you'll be coming this way, please phone 620-597-2450 a day ahead and make an appointment.  Thanks.

  Our Summer Open Hours run from June 15 until Aug. 31, as shown in the sidebar at left.  In summer, we're open Mon. to Sat. 7:30 a.m.to 12 noon and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Sundays 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. only.  We're closed Sun. mornings for church services (as we are year-round), and closed from 12 noon to 7 p.m. each day in summer.  We do not take appointments in summer; just come during our open hours.  If you tell others about us, please let them know the open hours.  Thanks.

   'Natchez' thornless blackberries will start ripening in a few days, and customers may begin picking them by appointment on June 12 to 14 if it's not raining.  'Natchez' thornless blackberries keep ripening for 4 to 5 weeks, and we have another variety of thornless blackberries that starts ripening later.  The most thornless blackberries will ripen from about June 20 to July 16, and they'll still be some to pick until about July 26.

   Thornless blackberries are sold pick-your-own only, for $4.93 per quart + sales tax.  We provide quart containers, and have customers fill them level-full.  You'll bring the berries home in the quarts, set on cardboard trays, and we appreciate it if you bring us back the empty quarts and cardboard trays on your next visit to Reid Orchards.

   Some customers bring plastic or cardboard trays, or metal cookie sheets with sides, to set their quarts on, which we also appreciate.  Do NOT bring bowls to dump the berries into, as that could bruise them, and we want the berries to stay in the quarts they're picked into until you get them home and use them.

   These are nice large berries, and you can pick a quart in 5 minutes.  There are NO thorns or chiggers.

We still have some bags of 'Kanza' pecans (right) & many pecans from Bill's pecan breeding program (left) for sale.

   We sell cracked pecans in 4-pound bags, which are over 75% pecan kernels and under 25% shell fragments.  Each bag has the equivalent of 6 pounds of in-shell pecans, and when you pick out the kernels, you get 3 pounds or more of nutmeats.  Each bag costs $19.70 + sales tax.

   'Gold Rush' apples keep in top condition for fresh eating for 10 to 11 months in a fridge when stored in the plastic bags I packed them in.  This apple variety has gotten sweeter after 5 months of cold storage, as starches converted into sugars.  #2 'Gold Rush' apples, with small cracks or other surface damage, are great for cutting into slices for fresh eating, baking and making apple butter.

   Harvested apples sell for $1.48 per pound + sales tax for #1 fruit with no damage.  We have some very nice #2 fruit that sell for $1.18 per pound + sales tax.  A 20-pound box of #2 fruit costs $23.65 + sales tax, and you save $5.00 including tax over a 20-pound box of #1 fruit.

   Projected sales dates for all our crops are shown in the sidebar at left under Crop Sales Seasons.  That also tells which crops we sell harvested, and which crops we sell pick-your-own.

   As always, we take cash or checks for payment, but NO credit cards or debit cards, and no "apps".  We don't use a smart phone, and have no phone line to the sales building.  So please bring your checkbook or enough cash to cover the amount of produce you want to buy.  Thanks.