Northern Nevada apples - nature happens

Like I said in the previous post apple season starts about now. Apples are delicious in many ways but I especially love them cooked...pies, tarts, and applesauce. Until last year I ate grocery store applesauce but then I discovered homemade applesauce. I naturally shared this food wonder with all my friends. To my surprise even their kids loved this slightly spicy applesauce.

Imagine my delight to learn that Al and Delane Pennington, of Agape Organics - The Apple Basket, grow organic apples in Washoe Valley. Nevada apples...cool! The orchard has been open to the public for about the last four years. Those lucky few who are in the know visit the orchard, pick their fill, pay by the pound, and go home with a treasure--truly fresh, pesticide free apples. Al and Delane grow Golden Delicious, Gala (introduced to the U.S. in the 1980s; good for cooking and exceptional applesauce), Braeburn (introduced in the 1950s; good for cooking and stores well) , and Cameo (introduced in 1987; good storage apple).

Imagine my disappointment to learn that Agape Organics apples will not be available this year because "nature happens". Two natural occurrences conspired to decimate the 2007 apple crop ...frost and fire. Early this year, just as the apple blossoms emerged it snowed, killing off the blossoms that become the fruit. Then we had fire, which drove bears out of the mountains to look for food. Some lucky bears found the orchard; the remaining apple crop was probably a savior for these bears but has resulted in fewer apples for us. If we're going to have homemade applesauce this year we'll have to go to plan B...Apple Hill.

Fire and its devastating effects on homes and businesses have been getting a lot of press lately, but the natural consequences to wildlife and those who live close to it is often less newsworthy. This season demonstrates the fine line our community growers tread; one day of abnormal weather and a harvest is lost. Community and governmental support and understanding is most critical at times like these.

Delane told me an interesting story that really brings home how closely we are connected to nature, even if we don't acknowledge it. Earlier in the season a man who is both fireman and beekeeper contacted the Penningtons about putting his bees to work in their orchard. Before they could make that happen fire struck and he was called to duty. While he fought fires his bees did what bees do...made honey. Lots of it. Bears fleeing the fire found his overflowing beehives and took them apart looking for food, while he fought the fires that displaced them.