I picked almost 50 lbs. of Granny Smith apples off one of our newer dwarf trees mid-September, and I thought I would share a little about choosing the right fruit tree for your backyard or orchard. The rootstock of a tree or a plant is the portion on the bottom that was grafted to the desired variety. The rootstock influences characteristics like tree size, disease resistance, cold hardiness, and desired traits for growth in a particular environment such as different soil types or climates; while the scion (the top of the plant or tree that the rootstock is grafted to) determines the fruit’s taste and appearance. We chose a vigorous dwarf rootstock for our Granny Smith trees there along the driveway that thrive in clay soils thus almost 50 lbs of apples on a tiny tree in the High Desert!!
At Moonstruck Farms we are continuing to harvest our pears, apples, figs and peaches with preserving operations happening every other minute that we are not harvesting! We are experiencing an abundant apple harvest, and you can find these at the Phelan Community Market on Mondays 2 pm to 6pm, and we sell to the Tri Community Coop in Wrightwood that operates every two weeks. For those of you who are new to the area we are an organic farm operating in the foothills of Phelan where cooler temperatures, and fog influence our growing conditions creating a beautiful microclimate. The first round of lilies have finished by the time this goes to print, but the second round are right behind them, and you can find these on Mondays at the Phelan Farmers Market, at the Tri Community Coop every two weeks, and at Mountain Hardware in Wrightwood when porch drops are announced on social media along with other beauties blooming like our zinnias, cosmos and sunflowers. The season is quickly coming to an end in the coming weeks, but our beautiful mums will finish the season out for us in the Fall. Stay tuned on Instagram or Facebook or sign up for our electronic newsletter on Facebook for updates sent directly to your inbox.
The local farmers markets are continuing to grow thanks to your tremendous support. Make sure to drop by each week to see what is fresh baked that week, what the artisans have been up to, and what new treats the food vendors have come up with!! The farm stands are full of almost everything right now since it is the end of summer, and the beginning of the soon to be Fall season. It is a great time of year at a farmers’ market to stock up and preserve your favorites!! The Phelan Certified Farmers Market operates on Mondays 2 pm to 6 pm at 4128 Warbler Road in Phelan inside and outside the Phelan Community Center. The Phelan CFM accepts EBT along with the Market Match grant gifting up to $15 each Monday in free farm fresh produce. Just step into the Phelan Community Center and see the manager at the first center table. The Wrightwood Certified Farmers Market operates on Fridays 4 pm to 7 pm in the Wrightwood Community Center parking lots and does accept EBT. Please see the manager in the manager’s tent to complete your EBT transaction.
