Tehachapi News

Apple Season

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Autumn is only a few days and a couple of cold nights away, and it is time for Tehachapi’s anticipated yearly apple harvest to begin.

The first apple trees were planted here in the 1860s but it wasn’t until after 1910 that orchards in the Tehachapi area began to produce considerable fruit on sizeable acreage.

From the earliest harvests, pioneers realized that Tehachapi’s mountain elevation produced better tasting fruit and that if the blossoms could survive late spring frosts, the resulting autumn crop would be well worth the wait.

Fruit ripens more slowly at our elevation with our cooler nights, and the apples, pears, peaches and other crops simply taste better.

Contributing to the high quality of locally-produced fruit is that fact that it hasn’t travelled far or for very long — fruit you buy at Tehachapi orchards has typically been picked within hours or a few days and has been carried no farther than from the tree to the shed to your car.

Buying apples and other fruit locally saves the expense and wasted fuel caused by trucking in apples from hundreds of miles away when we have great produce here.

Supporting local growers also helps to insure that agriculture remains a viable business in Tehachapi, and provides incentive to keep farmland rural and not paved over or developed.

Most Tehachapi area orchards opened this weekend or soon will. Among the early varieties available now are Galas, Jonathons, Johna Gold and Golden Delicious. Coming soon are Fujis, Red Delicious, Romes, Winesaps and others.

While spring frosts did limit the size this year’s crop, most growers report ample fruit.

“We might be a little low on juice apples this year, but it’s still too early in the season to tell,” said Richard Tieskotter of R B Family Orchard. “We’ve got a good crop this year.”

Among the local outlets for Tehachapi produce are Pulford’s Appletree Orchard, Tangleweed Farm, Knaus Ranch, RB Family Orchard, Kolesar’s, Foothill Farms, Elm Tree Ranch, Ruhman Orchards, Seven C’s Family Orchard, Mourning Cloak Ranch, Dries Farms, Frietag Orchard, Ha Family Orchard and others. Call ahead to individual growers to check for business hours and availability. Tehachapi’s Own Phone Book contains a page listing phone numbers for local growers on page 25.

Make plans now to visit several different growers — you don’t have to drive far, it’s a fun activity for families and those with out-of-town visitors and you’ll be demonstrating genuine, tangible support for Tehachapi agriculture and open space.

Have a good week.