We all got up at 4am this morning on the farm because we were anticipating sunshine. We met early for a farm meeting and then began preparing to apply our first spray on the orchard. We live in the heart of our farm so we try to be very mindful and careful about what we will allow sprayed on our farm. My parents are 72 years old and have been spearheading the spraying for over 43 years on our small family farm. They are in great health and I am so grateful to farm besides them. The above picture is from last year and we are not quite in full blossoms stage yet. Spring is such a hopeful season for me as a farmer. The blossoms usually start to pop at the end of April and we will soon be welcoming back our favorite working lady bees.
Last evening, I met up with one of my favorite brewers to plot and prepare for the many kegs of hard cider we will be needing for our many weddings, farm to table dinners fundraisers and at our farm stand. Our cider is tasting amazing this time of year and I am happy to announce we are going to be bottling my Golden Row Cider this year at Mt. View Orchards. So stay tuned for it to be in your local markets or swing by the farm stand this Summer/Fall to snag a bottle of our finest cider from our orchard to your glass.
The All Fruit CSA sign ups are picking up speed after a slow start. A thousand thank yous to all who have befriended my farm this year and want to eat well with Mt. View Orchards this year. We are the only farm in our valley to offer an All Fruit CSA and so many people are joining because our CSA is a great value and generous amount of local tree-ripened fruit. The amount of fruit you receive is a great value and you will have plenty to freeze and enjoy year round, guys I received a letter from a family who has been apart of our CSA for the past 2 years with these kind words. "We love being apart of your All Fruit CSA because we should all be connected to the farmers who grow our food. We love following the seasons of your farm with your grateful farmer blog and love the friendship we will with Trina and love the generosity and hospitality we feel when we come for a farm visit. We adore the sweet fruit that my kids plow through each week on our drop days. We're thrilled to be apart of the harvest season and we love partnering with Mt. View Orchards."
We are giving tours most weekends for our 2017 and 2018 wedding seasons and I am always so encouraged by meeting the lovely couples who visit our farm. Stay tuned because we are hosting an OPEN HOUSE on 5/21/17 this year from 2-5pm were we are featuring local gorge vendors and inviting prospective couples to come be our guests and enjoy delicious small plates by Celilo Catering and drink our refreshing Golden Row Cider. Come and learn more about why getting married at Mt. View Orchards is a really special experience. Last year we hosted a handful of events and we received this review from one of our lovely brides, "We got married on 8/6/16 and it was perfection. The venue, the staff, the facilities, and a magical view. Couldn't ask for more. Thank you Mt. View!!!"
I am still volunteering at our local food bank and continue to make ending food insecurity one of the core values of my farming journey. So many friends and neighbors run out of food near the end of the month and making the commitment to have people over for dinner and to donate generously to my local food bank is something that I plan on doing forever as a farmer. I care deeply about growing food for my local community and it is my highest honor to farm for you all. Thank you for following along friends and for backing me up. Your Grateful Farmer, Trina xox
Learn more about joining our All Fruit CSA, friends. I personally invite you to enjoy a generous and delicious harvest season with our fruit farm this year! xo Trina