Orchard Buzzzzz...

UPDATE: 2008 HARVEST AND PRE-ORDER PEACH SHIPMENTS

2008-07-21T09:23:00.001-06:00

July 21, 2008

Welcome to “Orchard Buzzzzzz.” for an update of the 2008 Palisade peach harvest. The harvest is looking very nice and bountiful. The peaches are large and very juicy with high natural sugars. We had a cool spring to start things off for 2008 and the peach trees are currently about 10 to 12 days behind normal harvest time. We expect that we will begin picking and shipping our premium free-stone peaches around the first or second week in August. The daytime temperatures have been consistently in the 90 to 102 degrees and the evening temperatures range in the 60’s. These conditions are perfect for tree ripening our peaches to perfection. For all those who have pre-ordered fresh peaches on-line from our Shopping Cart, you will be notified via e-mail when your peaches are shipped. Please look for them in early August.

Thank you for your patience as our peaches continues to ripen on the trees!

Theresa High

Owner/Manager

High Country Orchards

Springtime at High Country Orchards

2008-03-19T10:20:00.001-06:00

Greetings from All of Us here at High Country Orchards!

We have not yet reached bud break in the orchards, but like the early pre-dawn hours before a long anticipated event, the interlude is restless and fitful. The early shoots of green grass poking their heads out from under the blanket of brown promise that a full awakening is coming soon. There is an unmistakable hint of spring in the air even though we are still having cold nights and snow occasionally blankets the ground.

All orchard fruit crops in Mesa, Delta, and Montrose Counties have completed rest and are now accumulating heat units to move them toward
bloom. Apricots in Mesa County reached 1st swell (Stage 1) March 12 and are the most cold tender of all the crops at all locations; 30 minutes exposure to 15 degrees Fahrenheit would kill approx. 10% of apricot buds at this time.

Due to the unseasonably cold and snowy winter that we had, the trees are slower to bud out this spring. It took us a little longer to get into the fields to prepare for our new plantings but finally we are able to ready the ground to receive several thousand new trees that will be arriving soon. The existing trees have been pruned and are fully ready to start another season of growing. It is an exciting season of promise and new growth.

On other fronts, we are developing our facilities to be the hosting facility for events and receptions. We are eagerly planning our first wedding this summer and anticipate the ceremony to be an unparalleled event set amongst the beauty of the orchards with the backdrop of the Mesas. There are few man-made creations that can rival the beauty of the Creators hand. Our first celebration will take place this June and we are already working to guarantee that it will be an unforgettable event.

As the promise of spring prepares the land for new beginnings we here at the orchard wish all of our friends the blessings of success in your lives and hope that we see you soon this upcoming season.

It's been a long cold winter in Palisade!

2008-02-26T13:38:00.006-07:00

Colorado State University Research Center has noted that the unusually cold winter has slowed the fruit tree rest across the western Colorado area. Our peach trees are running about 29 days behind normal bud break. Tree fruits are now accumulating growing degree days which is needed to push bud break. Temperatures between 32 and 45 degrees are needed for rest completion, and this can happen quickly once temperatures warm above freezing as is happening now. Projected dates for bud stages from now on may change quickly if the temperatures warm up.

Pruning of the mature peach and cherry trees is about complete at High Country Orchards. We will begin our frost control program soon to prevent split pit and soft suture incidence as well as spring freeze of our peach crop. Freeze damage is caused by severe spring frost followed by unusually warm late spring and early summer weather. At High Country Orchards we use large propelled wind machines to keep the air moving throughout the orchards and vineyards during late night and early morning hours when cold snaps are most likely to occur. The spring time brings with it many sleepless nights for the orchard crew.

During the month of March we will tend to the young trees by pruning and shaping them to maximize healthy growth, fruit quality and production. In early April we will plant over 6000 new baby peach trees that will include seven different varieties.

Our wine grape vineyards survived the winter fairly well with no significant damage so far.

Winter Quiet

2008-02-06T07:42:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 2008 and our first edition of the PEACH ALERT! Mother Nature provides a season of rest for all of her creations and here at the orchards and vineyards the trees and vines are deep into their slumber. This is the season when everything and everyone takes a rest and prepares for the busy growing season that we know will be here in a few short months. The mature trees are being pruned of their excess growth and the ground will soon be prepared to receive thousands of new baby trees. This is a great time to reflect on past harvests. We take note of what was done well and look for ways to add fresh new ideas to maintain the quality, taste and beauty of the fruit we produce at High Country Orchards.

The weather here in Palisade, Colorado has been unseasonably cold and snowy this winter but we consider ourselves blessed to live and be connected to the land in this beautiful and unique part of Colorado. Each season offer it’s own natural beauty and opportunities and each is a gift to be appreciated.

We are very excited about the success of our new product lines that we unveiled in 2007. High Country Orchards produces six varieties of fresh fruit preserves and three flavors of peach salsa. The wonderful feedback that we have received from our customers is most appreciated and with the innovative addition of our attractive gift boxes our on-line store offers lots of gift ideas for all occasions. As always, the ingredients we use are grown right here on our property. The care we take to ensure that we deliver only the freshest quality product has made us a leader in the industry.

Peach harvest will soon be upon us. We will begin shipping fresh peaches and gift box combinations directly from the orchards in July from our on-line store. You can visit the Country Store at High County Orchards for a selection of fresh fruits and products and take of tour of the orchards and facility while you’re here.

We look forward to keeping you updated on what is happening at the orchards, vineyards and gardens and sharing any new happenings and events with you. We love hearing from you so stay tuned to the PEACH ALERT for harvest updates.

Best Regards,
The staff at High Country Orchards