pines, peaches...and colorblindness
Delp Christmas Tree Farm - St. John, Kansas
Yesterday, I wrote a post about writing and reading on the small web. It gained a bit of traction, so today I have selected a topic that should crater the level of interest. But, as I mentioned in yesterday's post, the great thing about the small web is that I write about what I want.
My brother operates a Christmas tree farm and orchard near a small rural Kansas community (my hometown). The Christmas tree farm was started by my grandfather in 1959 and was passed down to my dad, and now my brother.
The orchard is a relatively recent development. Bless his heart, my brother decided it would be a good idea to plant four-hundred peach trees and four-hundred apple trees. Throw in a few pawpaws and persimmons for good measure. While not a full-time gig, the orchard is a LOT of work. Pruning trees; keeping insects, birds, and fungus at bay; and picking fruit.
Each summer I return to Kansas for a month to help my brother with the Christmas tree operation. Every tree must be sheared, every summer (in order to make sure it maintains shape). As a kid, this was my full-time summer job. Along with my brothers, and our friends, we braved the heat, humidity, insects, and tree sap to give Christmas trees their recognizable shape. In those days, we used a machine that looked like a large hedge trimmer (Saje) to get the job done. We were shearing between 150 and 250 thousand trees every summer. Now, we shear with hand shears-- about 20,000 trees a year. Still, a lot for two people.
The author (in his youth) shearing with a Saje in a young field
The author's best friend, posing (baseball card style) with a Saje
This summer, I was able to get in on picking peaches. The trees were loaded. We spent several hours each morning, battling humidity and mosquitoes, and picking several hundred pounds of peaches (daily). There is an art to picking. Too early, and the peach won't be sufficiently sweet. Too late, and it will go bad fast. Color is a key indicator of readiness which complicates matters since my brother and I are both colorblind. It is hard for someone who is red-green colorblind to see remnants of green on a peach. So, we smell the fruit that is accessible (does it smell peachy?) and rely on my Dad (not colorblind) to point out peaches he thinks are ready. It is a slow process.
A Delp Christmas Tree Farm Peach - St. John, Kansas
Flats of picked peaches
Peaches from my brother's orchard taste better than any store bought peach you will ever eat. They are extremely sweet, and juicy. And there are SO many varieties: Red Haven, Challenger, China Pearl, Donut (Saturn), Tango, Paul Friday, Flaming Fury, Reliant, Crest Haven, Angeles, and on, and on.
Alas, the last of the peaches sold last weekend. Now apples. There are plenty, so if you find yourself in central Kansas, drop me a note and I'll hook you up.
Cheers! 🍎🍏
If you appreciated this post, you might enjoy tis the season