Good Fruit Grower

July 1

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www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER JULY 2014 23 Get the results you want with KDL ® 0-0-24, AGRO-K's foliar nutrient fruit sizing and color program BIG cherries with great color and high sugar offer growers the best returns. Large bloom and heavy sets increase the risk of small fruit and uneven maturity. Maximize your returns by maximizing your fruit size and uniform maturity at harvest with KDL ® , Agro-K's foliar cherry size and color promoter. Peak demand timing for potassium in cherries begins at color break and should be supported by foliar potassium, in the right form, to maximize cherry size, color and sugar and to encourage uniform fruit maturity at harvest. KDL's unique sugar-based potassium formulation is designed for fast and complete uptake and when applied beginning at color break, can dramatically improve cherry size, color and sugar, while encouraging uniform fruit maturity. KDL links potassium to a sugar complex that quickly penetrates fruit and leaf tissue – encouraging the sugar development process within the leaf and aiding in transport into the fruit – leading to increased sugar levels and improved color. KDL also maximizes cell bulking leading to larger, firmer cherries that ship better and store longer. Bulking, sugar content and color are all indicators of ripening fruit. By influencing these quality factors, KDL also promotes greater uniform maturity at harvest for less small green fruit. KDL is compatible with most pesticides used for powdery mildew and fruit fly. For more information on how KDL ® can influence your cherry crop, contact Agro-K today. AGRO-K CORPORATION .BJO4USFFU/&t.JOOFBQPMJT./ tXXXBHSPLDPN When BIG isn't big enough! Science-Driven Nutrition SM They also have a short-term rental that provides housing for a two-week maximum stay for large families or groups. Farm stays are common in Europe, says Nori, but are still novel in the United States. In Britain, there are around 7,200 farm stays, compared to about 900 listed on the website www.farmstayus.com, a searchable website sponsored by U.S. Farm Stay Association. The nonprofit trade group, of which the Naylors are members, was established in 2010 to connect guests with farm and ranch stays across America. About half of the Naylors' guests are from out of state. Most stay one night, Nori said, and the most fre- quently heard comment is "it's so peaceful and quiet." Those who visit from mid-May to mid- August can pick tree-ripened organic fruit and watch fruit being harvested. U-Pick Naylor's farm stay home is sur- rounded by about two acres of more than 30 varieties of U-pick fruit— peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, pluots, and blackberries. The trees include a mix of unique, unreleased crosses that were bred by Walter Krause, plant breeder and consultant. Mike planted selections of Krause's that are distinct in flavor and sugar (around 20° to 21° Brix), though most have flaws that make them unsuit- able for commercial production. "They're very sweet, but have flaws like small size, unattractiveness, or they don't set—so they were never made public," Mike said. He prunes the U-pick trees to keep the height at around six feet so ladders aren't needed for picking. Customers pick into buckets that hold about five pounds and pay $1.50 per pound for their bounty. Blackberries fetch $6.50 per pound. "We teach the U-pick customers what to look for and how to pick stone fruit before turning them loose," said Nori. This is their third year running the U-pick operation. It's a growing business because there are few U-pick farms for stone fruit in the area. Rural experience "Our goal for our visitors is to have them unwind and get away from the noise of the city," Mike said. They offer every guest a farm tour. Mike has a knack for storytelling and with his graying beard, even looks the part. He enjoys sharing the area's history with guests during farm tours and in the evenings. "Most people don't even know what kind of agricultural questions to ask," he said, "But they all want to walk in the orchard." One guest walked through their front doors, dropped her luggage, and continued walking right through the house to the orchard—even before check- ing into her room. Nori remembers host- ing their first guests, a family from South Korea that was living in Texas while the father attended Texas A&M. The family came to California for a vacation. "Before long, the kids were calling Mike 'Grandpa,' and the children and mother lost their fear of dogs," she said. "To see that transformation and hear them say that the best part of their trip—even better than their Disneyland visit—was their farm stay, that was success in our eyes. "We want our guests to feel like family," she said. "When they come out in the morning still in their pajamas, that's when we know they are comfortable." It was Mike's idea to open the farm up to visitors. His parents had died, leaving behind the original farm homestead. Operating a farm stay was a way to help pay for remodeling construction costs, but he admits that they'll probably never see the rooms pay for the amount they put into the remodel. "But we're fine with that," Nori said. • T o learn more about the Naylor Organic Farm Stay, visit www. naylorsorganicfarmstay.com. "It's all about education and building relationships." —Mike Naylor Guest rooms at Naylor's Organic Family Farm Stay have views of peach, plum, and nectarine U-pick trees. PHOTOS BY MELISSA HANSEN

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