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Kiwifruit
is grown in the U.S. because of a freak August rainstorm
and
a little girl’s
missed birthday party. |
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There
are many different varieties
of Gooseberries still grown in China today.
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California
Kiwifruit was first grown in Gridley. |
KIWIFRUIT (Monday, Feb. 2): Today
is Groundhog Day. All eyes
are on Punxsutawney, PA. Will Punxsutawney
Phil see
his shadow today or not? It supposedly determines the next 6
weeks of winter weather. So let’s talk about this cute, cuddly,
brown, furry little thing. No, not the groundhog. Kiwifruit. It
all started with a freak August rainstorm in Northern California
and a missed little girl’s birthday party. Today, Kiwifruit
celebrates 40 years in the United States. The first commercial
planting of kiwifruit in California came because of a ruined birthday
party. It was in the mid-1960s when George Tanimoto of Gridley
was getting ready to celebrate his daughter’s birthday. A
freak August rainstorm blew through California. George was so busy
trying to harvest as much of his Cling Peach crop, that he missed
his little girl’s party. It was at that moment he decided
to grow something that wouldn’t be ruined by rain. He planted
the first acre of commercial Kiwifruit in California. His first
crop of 1,200 pounds was sold to Frieda
Caplan. Today, California
grows about 63 million pounds a year. To the great Khans of China,
this fruit was known as Yang Tao or “Monkey Peach,” then
as Chinese Gooseberry. When it was first imported from New
Zealand to the U.S. by Frieda Caplan, in the 1950s, the Cold War prevented
marketers from selling anything with the word “Chinese” in
it. So it was renamed Kiwifruit, not after the Kiwi bird, but after
the egg of the Kiwi bird. There are still over 60 varieties of
Chinese Gooseberries in China today. According to research from
Rutgers University, Kiwifruit is the most “nutrient
dense” of
all the major fruits. Many people already know that kiwifruit is
packed with more vitamin C than an orange. But here are a few other
healthy nutrients you’ll get when you enjoy fresh California
kiwi:
Lutein . . .
This phytochemical is receiving a great deal of attention for reducing
the risk of cancer, heart disease, and may even help prevent cataracts
and macular degeneration - a leading cause of blindness. This carotenoid
functions as an antioxidant, and next to yellow corn, a single
serving of kiwifruit (2 medium kiwifruit) is the richest source
of lutein in the vegetable world
Fiber . . .
Soluble fiber protects against heart disease and diabetes, while
insoluble fiber reduces the risk of some cancers, constipation,
and diverticulitis. A single serving of kiwi contains both types
of fiber!
Copper for Kids . . .
California Kiwifruit is high in Copper, vital for growth, bone
strength, brain development, and building immunity. Copper is a
mineral involved in making red blood cells and developing a strong
immune system.
More Potassium than Bananas . . .
Potassium helps the heart work more efficiently, and is significant
in controlling blood pressure, the "silent killer".
Potassium controls heart activity and maintains fluid balance,
which also
helps minimize muscle cramps from active kids. A single serving
of kiwifruit outranks bananas as the top low-sodium, high-potassium
fruit.
And There’s More . . .
Folate, Magnesium, and Vitamin E are all well represented in kiwifruit,
offering health benefits that range from bone formation to reduced
risks of heart disease. Plus kiwifruit contains no saturated fat
or cholesterol.
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Navel Oranges
are at their peak of sweetness.
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Smudge pots
like these help Navel Orange growers protect their crops
from freezing temperatures
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NAVEL ORANGES (Tuesday, Feb. 3):
Vlade
Divac turns 38 today, the forever young center with the NBA’s Sacramento
Kings. Divac
is a native of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Divac led the
Yugoslav team to silver medals at the 1998 Seoul and 1996 Atlanta
Olympic games. He has been with the Kings since 1998. Divac is
the founder of the Divac Fund, which helps to raise money for children
affected by the war in Yugoslavia through the St. John Foundation.
I spoke with reporters who have covered the war in Yugoslavia and
they all report back to me that Oranges are the most expensive
fruit to buy. The Navel
Orange, the premier eating orange in the
world, continues to be the most black-marketed fruit during times
of war. But, for right now, Navel Oranges in the U.S. are in peak
supplies and at their very best sugar and flavor. Here’s
why. Cold night temperatures trigger increased sugar production
in the fruit. You see, sugar in fruit acts just like anti-freeze
in your radiator. So, when temperatures start dipping down toward
freezing levels, the tree will produce more food for the fruit,
which is converted into sugar to help protect the fruit from the
colder temperatures. You may also notice that the Navel Oranges
have a thicker peel. That’s because when you go out in the
cold, you may add another layer of warmth, like a coat or a sweater.
Navel Oranges do the same thing. The thicker peel is like another
coat or sweater for the Orange. Again, it’s the trees way
of protecting the fruit from colder temperatures. A few years ago
in the San Joaquin Valley in California, a Christmas freeze, with
temperatures dipping down to around 24 degrees for several hours,
destroyed about 85% of the Navel Orange crop. This season, growers
dodged some cold night temperatures by using several intervention
methods including spraying water on the orchard, using windmills
and helicopters to keep air flowing in the orchards, and of course,
smudge pots. Smudge Pots made heavy black smoke that lay like a
blanket over the orange trees. During freezing weather the orange
growers protected their fruit from freezing by keeping these pots
lit. Not the best for the environment, but it saved many a crop
of Oranges from freezing temperatures. The Navel Orange is a bud-sport
of the sweet orange. The mutation happened in a garden at a monastery
in Bahia, Brazil around 1820. This particular mutation caused a
doubling of the berry. Navel orange flowers produce little viable
pollen; they do not need pollination to set the hesperidia. Seeds
never develop and the ovary becomes a second rudimentary berry
found within the orange at the apical end where the blossom was
attached--the "navel" in the orange.
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Because
of the overhead trellising of grapevines in Chile, the
clusters just dangle, making it easier for harvest.
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RED AND GREEN GRAPES (Wednesday, Feb. 4): From now through
about  the middle of March, it is peak of the season for table
grapes
from the Southern Hemisphere. Chile supplies most of our winter
supply of table grapes, with South Africa also supplying some,
mainly to the East Coast. Just south of Santiago, Chile, vineyards
are in full production as harvesters glean the vines of the sweet,
juicy grapes. Vineyards in Chile are actually trellased high,
about 6 – 7 feet high. This allows the pickers to simply
walk under the canopy of trellased grapes and clip off the dangling
bunches of grapes. This means far less banging around of the
grapes, and of course that means less handling damage. Many California
growers are now adopting this over the head trellasing of the
vineyards. The old style vines were very cumbersom for pickers.
They had to bend over a lot more, slowing the picking process.
They had to hunt through the vines to find the clusters. As they
moved vines out of the way, this caused some bruising to some
clusters of grapes. The Chilean trellased method does away with
those problems. It is certainly more costly per acre to trellase
the grape vines this way, but in the long run, it is far better.
Right now, several boats a week are landing on the East Coast
and the West Coast. About 60% of the cargo space of these vessels,
are loaded with grapes. When the Chilean fruit export really
began about 30 years ago, it took about 21 days from harvest
to the port of import here in the United States. Today, with
the speed of these vessels, they can make the ocean trip from
the port of export in Chile, Valparaiso, to the United States
from between 7 – 10 days. That means fresher grapes. Peak
of the season is now, with the best quality and the best pricing.
  Also today, my friend Ed Shipman will be appearing on the “Dr.
Phil” show. Ed and his wife began a home in central Texas
for kids who have lost all hope. It’s called the “Happy
Hill Farm Academy,” a place that gives hope to kids. The
children come from all over Texas. Many know the pain of family
violence. Most are from broken or breaking homes. Parents are incarcerated
or struggling with drug and alcohol addictions. And then, there
are single moms - trying to make ends meet, worn down by the daily
drudgery, and trying to cope with teenage children who are angry
because of a father who walked out on his family. A few come from
caring homes with parents who have tried to do the right things,
but somehow their child has fallen victim to negative peer pressure.
Most are from impoverished backgrounds. . .not enough to eat. .
.not enough to wear. . .children without dreams or hope. They are
failing in school. Some are in trouble with
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Check
out today’s show about Happy Hill Farm, on “Dr.
Phil.”
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Ed Shipman
has been giving kids hope for 30 years.
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juvenile authorities.
They all have one thing in common: they have found a place to start
over- a place of new beginnings. It's called Happy Hill Farm Academy/Home. "What
we do here at Happy Hill Farm is life-changing," says founder
Ed Shipman. "I'm often asked by students, 'Why do you do this
year after year? You could be running a large company, making a
lot of money, and not working nearly so hard as you do.' My response
is simple. I do it because the children are worth it. They're the
future. The leader of a residential school in Israel put it this
way: 'Someday I'll need a doctor, an electrician, or a lawyer.
I want to help you become that person.' In short, the Farm's goal
is to produce happy, successful young adults." Happy Hill
Farm has been giving at-risk children a second chance in life since
1975. Physical, emotional, and spiritual needs are met. The Farm
feeds, clothes, medically treats, educates, and trains each student.
A fundamental belief - that each human being is created in the
image of God - provides the strong spiritual underpinning for the
mission of Happy Hill Farm Academy/Home to serve children in crisis
and to strengthen families. Socially and academically disadvantaged
boys and girls - regardless of their religion, race, national origin,
or gender - are given the opportunity to live, work, and study
in a year-round, residential school/farm setting. A balance is
taught between the spiritual, academic, and practical in order
for the students to prepare themselves effectively to assume their
role in society as productive citizens while engaged in their chosen
professions. You can donate to Happy Hill Farm by e-mailing them
here at donations@happyhillfarm.org.
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Here’s your chance to win the
latest edition of the “Dallas Cowboy’s
Wive’s Family Cookbook and Photo Album – 2004.” A
drawing will be held, with the lucky winner getting
a cookbook. Just send in your request to win to:
Cowboys Cookbook; c/o Your Produce Man; 2867 Heinz
St.; Sacramento, CA 95826. You can order a book for $20 as well. Just send
your check payable to: Your Produce Man; 2867 Heinz
St.; Sacramento, CA 95826. All proceeds will go
to supporting Happy Hill Farm Academy. |
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Virtually
every strawberry you
enjoy today was developed by
this man:
Dr. Victor Voth
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Some of
the newest and coolest research being done with Strawberries
is in Israel, where they are growing the berries in overhead
troughs. No more bending over to harvest. It doubles
the speed of harvesting. |
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These
early California
Strawberries are among
the sweetest of the entire season.
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Research
on California Strawberries is done here,
at the South Coast
Research Station
in Irvine.
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STRAWBERRIES (Thursday, Feb.
5): You can thank Dr. Victor Voth for our new crop of California
strawberries.
Dr. Voth is known
as "Mr. Strawberry" around the world. In his breeding
programs, Dr. Voth spent over 40 years tinkering around with
the chromosomes of Strawberries, making them bigger, better,
redder, sweeter, and earlier. Most of his work was done at the
South
Coast Research Station in Irvine, California, just south
of Los Angeles. Dr. Voth retired in the mid-90s, but before he
did, he released his final Strawberry variety to the industry.
It was the 1996 "Camarosa" variety, which has become
the preeminent Strawberry grown in Southern California. In the
1970s, Dr. Voth had released the Douglas variety, which was another
early producing Strawberry. It took Dr. Voth another 20 years,
looking at well over one million seedlings, to find the next
Strawberry variety to produce early. Strawberry plants need "chilling
hours," just like fruit and nut trees, grapevines and asparagus.
These chilling hours help the plant store up energy for spring
growth. By developing a Strawberry variety that needs fewer chilling
hours, you can plant earlier, and harvest earlier. Growers take
plant seedlings to Redding, in Northern California. The elevation
is higher, which helps trick the plants into chilling. Most plants
are then taken from the Redding plant beds from early November
to early December. These plants are then able to start production
by February and March. But the Camarosa variety can be dug from
the Redding plant beds by early October. These plants are then
transplanted in Southern California fields. Growers will put
black plastic on the ground, which helps warm the soil and the
root system. By warming the root system, the plant will have
more vigorous growth, and helps early production. The Camarosa
variety can begin new crop production, usually by Christmas each
year, depending on weather conditions. The fruit is some of the
finest of the year, although prices would be high. Driscoll's
Berries also has its own breeding program. For over 50 years,
Driscoll's Berries has been breeding their own plant varieties.
At the foot of Mt. Shasta, in Northern California, much of their
work is done. They have developed plant varieties that can be
planted in June, for harvest in October through December in the
Oxnard area. Driscoll's Berries grows and develops new berry
varieties around the world. There was a time, just a few years
ago, when California growers were out of production for several
months. Now growers count the time out of production in weeks
and even days. California is closing in on being in Strawberry
production year-round. And believe me, some of these early season
California Strawberries are some of the very sweetest of the
entire season. Right now, Florida is supplying about 80% of the
nation’s supply of Strawberries, mostly from Plant City,
Florida.
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You’re
finding much higher prices on
Zucchini Squash.
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BELL PEPPERS AND SQUASH (Friday, Feb. 6): Prices have
really skyrocketed because of poor supplies due to bad weather,
both in Florida and
Mexico. Rains and cold temperatures are the main culprits. It is
unusual that the two main growing regions for these products would
be hit at the same time, but this year it did. In times past, if
Mexico got hit with bad weather, Florida could pick up the pace
and fill the supply gap. And visa-versa. Not this time. Production
is off by about 30% in both locations. The cold and the rain not
only affect supplies right now because of poor quality and lack
of picking time, but it also affects supplies about 30 days from
now. You see, the bad weather will cause a “blossom drop” from
the plants. Every blossom is a piece of Squash or Bell Pepper.
If the blossom is knocked off, that means not product in 30 days.
Usually, when prices are much higher than normal, expect to see
lower than normal quality. That’s because there is just less
high quality product to pack. This will have an affect on shelf
life, so buy conservatively and use it quickly.
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