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Little Journey Farm

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For the Love of Apricots

Valley of Heart’s Delight

“The Valley of Heart’s Delight”

W hen I was growing up, Santa Clara County was still the foremost fruit-producing county in California with the romantic and well-deserved title, the “Valley of Heart’s Delight”.  As children, we took for granted being able to wander among the great orchards in the spring, with their wealth of white and pink blossoms, and in the summer, when tree branches bent beneath the weight of purple prunes and golden apricots. The landscape was alive with color, sweet fruit, and fragrant smells.

With a  large remnant French Prune orchard, our  Saratoga property also contained an arboretum of individual fruit trees: Apricot, Peach, Persimmon, Almond, Fig, Apple, Meyer lemon, Kumquat, and Loquat. Each one produced a tremendous amount of fruit, providing more than our family needed, which gave us kids a lazy summer pastime selling baskets of fruit along the road. Our Spanish style ranch house, built in the 1940s, was embraced by its orchard, fruit trees and gardens. I learned much later that our property was part of the original Glen Una Ranch , which was once the world’s largest French prune orchard.

Many of my childhood friends earned money picking apricots and prunes in nearby orchards during the summer. They had to climb up into the trees to fill 5-gallon buckets, brushing aside bugs and bees. More of them got jobs cutting the “cots”, then setting them on wood trays that covered acres and acres of land to dry in the summer sun. They were paid by the tray and it was hot, messy work.

In that era, with just one or two apricot or prune trees in their own yard, it was common for families to improvise their own drying methods, even using their screen doors to dry the fruit to preserve and enjoy throughout the year. Orchardists sold very little fresh fruit and nearly the entire crop was dried or canned. Our world was circumscribed by fruit trees and orchards and we didn’t give much thought as to how it came to be that way.

Santa Clara Valley’s agricultural origins formed long before it gained its charming name, the “Valley of Heart’s Delight”, with the establishment of the Missions at Santa Clara and San Jose in the late 1700s.  Eugene Sawyer describes this in his book about the History of Santa Clara County :

“ The fathers who planted the Missions, planted orchards at the same time and found a full return for their labor. The fertility of the soil was supplemented by a peculiarity of climate that enabled trees to grow many more weeks in the year than in other countries, while during the season of rest there was no freezing weather to chill their sap or delay their progress in the spring “.

In the 1790s, explorer George Vancouver wrote of the Mission orchards, “ Here were planted peaches, apricots, apples, pears, figs and vines, all of which excepting the latter promised to succeed very well. ” As growth progressed in the early 1800s, it was incredibly important that they had access to the best ranch equipment on the market, as they played a big part in helping the Mission orchards to supply the early cattle ranches with fruit when the primary commerce was in horses, cattle, hides, tallow, and wheat.

The Gold Rush in 1849 brought the era of the American settlement to California, and for those who sought land rather than gold, the Mission orchards provided the first grafts for early orchards. H.S. Foote wrote:

“ The scarcity of fruit and consequent high prices gave a great stimulus to horticulture. Apples, imported into San Francisco, sold at retail for a dollar apiece, and other fruit in proportion. People thought that at half these prices there would be more money in a bearing orchard than in the richest gold mine yet discovered. “

The early orchards were primarily planted with pears and apples. One large step toward Santa Clara County becoming a worldwide producer of fruit was made by the Frenchman, Louis Pellier , who introduced “la Petite Prune d’Agen”, the French prune, in 1854. When grafted onto the local wild plum rootstock, he produced the famous Santa Clara Valley prune that became the predominant fruit in the county within a few decades. Louis and his brother Pierre also founded the Mirassou Winery. Because of the Pellier brothers, California produces 99% of the nation’s prunes and 70% of the world’s prunes.

In 1868, the completion of the transcontinental railroad opened up markets for fruit transport to the East and stimulated the development of fruit processing and shipping in the valley. Janet Humphrey’s pamphlet about fruit preservation in Santa Clara County,  From Blossoms to the World , notes that within a few years, Dr. James M. Dawson created the first commercial cannery, the San Jose Fruit Packing Company and soon after, canneries spread all over the valley. The more modest but still important invention of the Mason canning jar, in 1875, created greater convenience for home canning of fruit, preserves, and vegetables. As a result of these innovations, Eugene Sawyer noted:

“ The fruit industry grew by leaps and bounds, vineyards, pastures and grain lands were converted into fruit orchards until the county became one vast orchard — the largest in the world. “

By the turn of the century, the orchards spread for miles up and down the County, as recounted by E. Alexander Powell , a world traveler, who wrote:

“ If you go to the Santa Clara Valley when I did, which was in March, you will find that the people of the valley are celebrating the Feast of the Blossoms. It is a very beautiful festival, in which every man, woman and child in this fifty-mile-long garden of fruit and flowers takes part, but you cannot appreciate its true significance until you have climbed to a point on the slopes of the mountains which form the garden wall, where the whole enchanting panorama lies before you. Did you ever see one hundred and twenty-five square miles of vineyard and trees in snow-white blossom at one time? “

The City of Saratoga initiated the Blossom Festival tradition in March, 1900, “to express thankfulness for the harvest to come, when the fruit trees of the valley were in bloom.” The first year, Saratoga families drove their horse buggies to the Los Gatos railroad depot to meet local visitors who arrived on the narrow gauge train, and took them on a ride through the Glen Una Ranch to view the blossom panorama; then on to the Village for games, prizes, and a picnic meal. Hundreds of people enjoyed the experience, far exceeding their expectations! The next year, over 2,000 visitors attended the Blossom Festival, traveling from across the Valley and as far away as San Francisco.

The strain of providing transport for the instantly popular event was solved in 1904 when the San Jose & Los Gatos Interurban Railway began service connecting San Jose, Campbell, Los Gatos, Saratoga and Mayfield (south Palo Alto), bringing Festival guests directly to the Village of Saratoga. The Festival quickly grew to have an international reputation and enjoyed crowds of up to 20,000 at its peak. With the growth of automobiles, transportation to the Blossom Festival became more individualized and people could tour on their own along a recommended route during the season. The Blossom Festival continued for 42 years, until WWII, when it was interrupted by the war. It was only recently revived in 2012.

In 1914, just before the 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition brought even greater attention to San Francisco and the Bay Area, Santa Clara County and its member cities’ Chambers of Commerce published a booklet extolling the virtues of this agricultural paradise.

“ This is the valley whose reputation is not Californian, not confined to the United States, but like its fruit and the scent of its blossoms has spread to far-away lands. World visitors come to glimpse its beauty, sip its nectar and breathe its perfume. “

Somewhere near the peak of its existence, in 1919, the Valley of Heart’s Delight comprised close to 100,000 acres planted in fruit trees and 3,000 acres in vines, nearly 25% of the total valley. Farmland cultivated with vegetables and berries covered another 86,000 acres.  More prunes were grown in the Santa Clara Valley than were produced in the entire United States. In 1919, there were 7,652,000 prune trees. Apricots came next with 665,000 trees, peaches third with 482,000 trees, and cherries fourth with 380,000 trees. At that time, Santa Clara County’s production represented 75 percent of the prune and apricot acreage of the State.

By 1939, San Jose had a population of 57,651 and was the largest canning and dried-fruit packing center in the world, with 18 canneries, 13 dried-fruit packing houses, and 12 fresh-fruit and vegetable shipping firms. As Yvonne Jacobsen wrote in her expansive work about family farms in the Santa Clara Valley, Passing Farms: Enduring Values ,

“ The war changed everything. It brought thousands of military personnel to the West Coast on the way to the Pacific and helped speed the country’s westward movement of population. After the war, Santa Clara County led the state with an increase in population at a rate double the growth of California itself.”

As is well documented in histories of the Valley, the end of WWII brought an era of rapid growth and investment in the region. The City of San Jose as well as small towns like Sunnyvale, Cupertino, and Campbell expanded over the flat, fertile land to accommodate new suburban housing and commercial development, displacing farms at a steadily increasing pace.

By the early 1960s, when my family arrived in the Santa Clara Valley, orchards began to disappear rapidly, replaced by neighborhoods and shopping centers that often bore their names. Our first home in San Jose’s Willow Glen neighborhood was in a new subdivision carved out of a walnut orchard, with great walnut trees remaining in our front and back yards. The pattern continues to this day; it has just moved further south.

In 1984, author Wallace Stegner lamented the passing of the agricultural era, writing:

“ Silicon Valley is probably good. The Valley of Heart’s Delight was a glory. We should have found ways of keeping one from destroying the other. “

Fortunately, we still have the Apricot Orchard Families  remaining today, striving to maintain the Valley of Heart’s Delight traditions of producing world-class fruit! I had the pleasure of participating in the Farm Tour and Tasting event at Andy’s Orchard on July 2. Hundreds of people arrived from all over the Bay Area to sample dozens of apricot varieties that Andy cultivates, along with a wide range of other stone fruits. In addition to the Royal Blenheim apricot, we especially enjoyed tasting the Bonny Royal, Candy Cot, Alameda-Hemskirke and Afghanistan varieties, while sharing tastes of the delicious Apricot Bar recipe that Andy gave me and information about the forthcoming For the Love of Apricots  cookbook.

While apricots are still available this summer, I hope you will enjoy this simple, colorful and delicious tart as much as I do.

[recipe print=”true”]

Apricot-Strawberry Tart

This simple, elegant tart is adapted from “The American Baker” by Jim Dodge, a Bay Area pastry chef of renown. I had the pleasure of discovering Jim Dodge while he was pastry chef at the Stanford Court Hotel in San Francisco and am proud to have a signed first edition copy of his outstanding cookbook.

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22 comments on “ Valley of Heart’s Delight ”:

• Pingback: California Homestead: California Apricot Harvest + Sorbet Recipe – Engaged Abroad

i grew up in Saratoga, CA. I remember all the orchards. so beautiful. I call the valley The Land of Mordor,now. does your book speak of migrant farm workers of the valley? thank you for preserving this formerly beautiful valley’s history.

I’ve lived in Campbell my entire life, and wrote a song about what it was like growing up here… “Cuttin’ Cots and Pickin’ Prunes” My parents settled here in 1949. My apricot jam won blue in the county fair, because our Blenheim apricots were so amazing. (A Minor) Daddy, born on the frozen prairie, Landed north west down by the sea. Wanderlust just captured his soul, Life of adventure became his goal.

Arizona called his name And things were never the same. A Kingman girl, oh so fine, A hidden gem down at the mine.

Just seventeen, he captured her heart Swept her away, a brand new start. California, paved with gold Packin’ their bags, they were sold. (BRIDGE to A Maj) To the Valley of Heart’s Delight, Their new home, oh so right. Life was simple then, all things right. Oh, so right, Heart’s Delight.

Chorus: Growin’ up in a carefree world, A fifties child in a family, Workin’ hard, summer afternoons Cuttin’ cots and pickin’ prunes, Cuttin’ cots and pickin’ prunes.

Before they knew it, children three, Brother, sisters, family. Growing, Scouting, twirling, whee, Kids on bikes, we were so free.

Cuttin’ cots, a quarter a tray, Back then, it went a long way. Bubble in time, perfect day But that was then, not today.

Back to A minor Seasons passed, the children grew, Subdivisions made orchards few. Shopping malls, not county fairs. The simple life, no longer theirs, Cuttin’ cots and pickin’ prunes, Cuttin’ cots and pickin’ prunes.

©Rhonda Janes Bump, 2014

Is Heart’s Delight Apricot nectar still available? I loved it as a child.

Enjoyed reading your blog. My family settled in the Santa Clara valley in the early 1900s. Lots of memories surfaced while reading. Thank you for all the effort you put into this.

I grew up on the east side of this beautiful valley in the foothills of Mount Hamilton. Our view stretched from Evergreen to Moffett Field, and the valley I recollect from childhood was a patchwork of orchards with very few lights after dark. Today it looks like Los Angeles at night (aka Silicon Valley), with thousands of twinkling lights. I remember playing in the tall green grass and mustard flowers every spring after the rains. But most of all I remember summer, when we ran wild in the hills and ate our fill of apricots and plums. At one point every summer my Sicilian godmother would turn up our steep driveway to deliver a groaning load of apricots. Then I knew I’d have to stay indoors helping my mom make jam for a day or two. The reward was always fresh apricot cobbler, my favorite dessert to this very day. Thank you Lisa, for making these memories come alive again! I love the way we share memories of the same valley from east to west.

My grandparents, coming from Sicily and trying to save up money working in SF, bought land here after the 1906 earthquake destroyed their home. We had one hundred ten acres of apricots off Quimby and Aborn in Evergreen. It was wonderful to look down on the valley that seemed to be painted white in the spring. That was sold and became part of suburbia. We moved to Morgan Hill and grew prunes. Those were the days when agriculture ruled everyone’s schedules, provided a living, and fostered a sense of community. I miss the abundance of birds and insects, I miss the beautiful uninterrupted pastoral scenes, and I feel sorry for the workers stuck in cubicles and for kids who can’t walk home from school through mounds of blossoms and pretend they are kicking snow.

The world is very small and while I sit in this beautiful area of paradise, I know little of the history of my chosen part of Paradise. I grew up in Savannah Ga, moved to the North east as a bride and found CALIFORNIA in the early 70s. I thoroughly enjoyed this beautifully written information and the photos. And I received it this morning in my email from a friend who lives in Pakistan who became our close friend when he spent two years living in the Bay Area. Thus the “small world” comment. I do visit the Apricot orchard(located on Fruit dale Ave in SARATOGA) at least twice a year and the drying season is a wonderful experience with hundreds of cut apricots drying on racks,as seen in your photo, producing a beautiful sea of orange colored fruit. These drying fruits are then sold by the orchard in many forms, the best being the “turtles” which are apricots , covered in caramel and dipped in chocolate . Pure decadence. Thank for educating me with this historical article !!

Both of my parent’s families were prune and apricot growers in San Jose, Los Gatos, Campbell, and Evergreen. We continued the tradition of growing fruit until the late 1980’s. I always loved walking through the orchards and being involved when the crops came in. We take great pride in Our Valley and how it has evolved. Your Pictures and commentaries were “spot on”. I really enjoyed reading them and remembering that time in the Valley. Yes, I cut cots, picked cots, picked prunes, and canned fruit. Life was good!

Thank you Lisa for the memories. Mary Ann Sorci Crannell

Wow – I am the program chairman of a Womens Club in Cupertino and am planning our programs for our upcoming year. Our founding members were orchardists in Cupertino – and our Ladies would LOVE it if you could do a presentation for us. Can you please let me know if you could do this for us? Please respond to my email… Thank you

Wonderful post, Lisa! I messaged you on facebook about two more Saratoga families you might like to talk to.

Continued wonderful information. I am though saddened that the farmer is underestimated in this modern world. Real food, for a real life. Good blog. Thank you Lisa.

My Grandparents place was on Crossman Avenue in Sunnyvale, they had a pear orchard and one of great Aunts and Uncles had a prune orchard in the Morgan Hill area. My wife’s family had apples in the Watsonville.

Great blog and rich in history. My family is rooted in this valley; apricots and cherries. Our family has watched the demise of the orchards as they make way for high density housing and mass transit. We still grow our own and enjoy the fruits of our labor.

I grew up above Foothill College in Los Altos Hills. In 1967 I picked apricots as my 1st job. We got .25 cents per giant milk bucket. The orchard was next to St. Nichols school on El Monte. The boys picked and girls sliced them for trays drying. Hours were 7am-noon for 2 weeks. Sam Rado was our foreman and he constantly said; “Pick fruit!” And, “No bottom-picking!”

Growing up during the ’40s and ’50s in Saratoga was wonderful. I started picking prunes at the age of 6 in our family orchards at Fruitvale and Saratoga-Los Gatos Rd. Life was good.

Thank you so much for the history of the valley. My family has been in Santa Clara County since 1904, my boys are 4th generation born in the county. My mom often tells stories growing up and cutting cots during the summers. My grandmother worked the canneries in the summertime. So much history that a lot don’t know now that it’s Silicon Valley. Beautiful work and pictures!

You have exquisitely chronicled my family’s history. My great-grandfather purchased our small “Valley of Heart’s Delight” ranch in 1901. We had a walnut-and-pear orchard, plus apricot and peach trees for the family, and the neighbor across the road had a prune ranch (we traded fruit). My great-grandfather and great uncle crafted and sold wooden orchard ladders. Indeed, my summers were spent “cutting cots,” canning fruit and picking walnuts before school began (always started school with walnut-stained hands). In spring we took Sunday drives to view the blossoms.

Thank you so much for this beautiful piece and for the memories it evokes. Wallace Stegner nailed it.

As a child in the 50s and 60s, I thought Cupertino was heaven. I assumed I would live there forever (heck, my Dad was born there in 1922!), but by 1985, my family and I were gone. Up into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada…and we all do everything we can to avoid returning, even for a quick visit.

GREAT WORK! I really love all the classic photos and art you included in this blog, and especially how it concludes with the apricot-strawberry tart recipe. ? ? ? !!! 🙂

Love the pictures. I remember this valley looking like that! Having ancestors who came to the Santa Clara Valley long ago, we lived this life! My great-grandfather settled in Morgan Hill in the early 1900’s, coming from North Dakota to ‘walk’ the amount of property he wanted. He had prunes and apricots near what is now the corner of Wright and Hale in Morgan Hill. For years his drying yard had nothing on it, but now it’s covered with homes.

An uncle settled in Paradise Valley near Morgan Hill and I can still remember him telling me of the 1906 earthquake and how he was out in his orchard that morning and when the earthquake hit, he fell ‘over one of the ripples in the ground’ and watched his trees almost leap out of the ground.

Growing up the Morgan Hill in the 1960’s, we still had orchards and I remember cutting cots and picking prunes every summer. Even the school district went by the farmers schedules, and didn’t begin in the fall until the walnuts had been picked. Children were expected to help their parents get the harvest in.

An idyllic childhood, in the Valley of Hearts Delight.

Goodness, what a beautiful description of the valley and its evolution. Can’t wait to try the recipe!

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San Jose Inside

San Jose Inside (https://www.sanjoseinside.com)

J&P Cosentino Family Farm Remains One of Santa Clara County’s Last Links to Agricultural Heritage

By steve palopoli / november 11, 2021 3.

Phil Cosentino (right), who revitalized the orchard in the 1970s, with his grandson Jason Cosentino, a former chef who now creates specialty products like syrups and jams from the farm’s produce. Photo by Greg Ramar

If you’ve never considered how essential J&P Cosentino Family Farm is to the very identity of the South Bay, you’re not alone. In fact, the history of the farm—now just a tiny two acres surrounded on all sides by the sprawling metropolis that is Silicon Valley—is one of being under-appreciated, unloved and counted out.

And yet, this oasis of some of the world’s most exquisite fruit, this orchard that provides one of the last remaining links to Santa Clara County’s history as the agricultural mecca dubbed the “Valley of the Heart’s Delight” by John Muir, continues to survive and thrive after three-quarters of a century.

It has outlasted the development-driven government officials who plowed Highway 85 through the plot in 1994, cutting it down to less than a quarter of its size. The farm has weathered decades of tech development that brought shiny high-rises to San Jose and ag-land-swallowing, condominium-building fever to the suburbs. And generation by generation, it’s won over each member of the Cosentino family that owns and stewards it—despite the fact that they all started out resenting and even flat-out rejecting the farm at the heart of their family’s legacy.

That includes 90-year-old Phil Cosentino, the man who would come to make the farm his life’s work. He was a teenager when his father first purchased the land in 1945—and back then, he wanted nothing to do with it.

“I hated, hated this place,” says Phil, sitting on a bench on the edge of the orchard, where the branches of the trees that produce local favorites like Babcock peaches and Santa Rosa plums are now bare, but others are bursting with pomegranates, persimmons and other post-summer fruits. “My father bought 10 acres, but he actually wanted to buy more. He wanted to buy 100 acres. And he had looked at other properties, but decided that wasn't going to happen, because the four of us—me and my three brothers—we hated working here. We were arguing with him all the time. 'We don't want to work here, we don't want to work here.' So my mother told my father, ‘You know, you better find something for these kids to do, because they're going to leave.’”

90-year-old Phil Cosentino was a teenager when his father first purchased the land in 1945—and back then, he wanted nothing to do with it. Photo by Greg Ramar

In other words, it’s no coincidence that the family opened the first Cosentino’s Market in 1948. Phil and his brothers did run the markets—which unsurprisingly specialized in top-of-the-line produce, and expanded into three stores around the South Bay—for 63 years; the last Cosentino’s, on South Bascom Avenue, closed in 2011.

But for Phil, something fundamental changed during that time. In the early ’70s, he and his wife Jean (the “J&P” in the farm’s name) built a home on the family’s 10 acres. Almost all of the fruit trees there had already been razed, and the land was slated for development. But Phil—who had always liked to grow things, but found himself too busy at the market—was beginning to have a change of heart. It came to a head after he read a story in the newspaper about a man who wanted to start a little farm, but was caught up in bureaucratic red tape.

“It was a real tearjerker of a story,” he says. “I told my wife, ‘You know, we have what this guy would die for, and we're letting it go. I really like this place the way it is.’”

By that time, Phil and his brothers had split ownership of the land four ways, and when he told them he wanted to buy them out, they thought he was crazy. But buy them out he did, and that same year he began transforming the Cosentino land into a farm again.

“The first year I probably planted maybe 70 or 80 trees, and then every winter I'd plant more,” he says.

Today, there are 552 trees in all, and the urban farm that Phil made his passion project half a century ago is now changing hands again, as his daughters Kari Cosentino, Janine Cosentino and Mary Forman take over ownership of the J&P Cosentino Family Farm.

Among the many things the farm has survived are decades of general consumer indifference to where their fruit is grown and how it tastes, and to the fact that they are living on top of some of the most incredible fruit-producing soil in the world. Now that is shifting, as a new generation of foodies and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) fanatics spread word of Cosentino’s unique (and Instagram-ready) plums, pluots, apricots, apples and other fruits across social media and by word of mouth.

Though the farm is busiest in the summer, it produces fruit year-round. Current offerings include pomegranates, apples, figs and more. Photo by Greg Ramar

Kari says that although she and her sisters now have their own lives and careers, they have all come back to manage and work at the farm because the alternative would be to sell it—probably to developers—and “we could never let that happen.” She’s watched the last remaining orchards in other parts of the South Bay be sold off, one by one, and it disturbs her.

“What will we have left?” she asks. “Where's this area’s charm and heart, without some connection to the past? I think that is where San Jose has lost so much of its identity.”

Stand in the Place Where You Live

With the stores long gone, locals now discover J&P Cosentino Family Farm through its fruit stand on Carter Avenue, at the edge of the orchard now squished between residential homes in the Cambrian neighborhood and Highway 85 near the Camden Avenue exit. It’s been there for decades, and Phil explains that it's been added to and upgraded four times over the years.

“It started real little, and then got bigger and bigger—bigger this way, bigger that way,” he says. “I built this for Mary and Kari when they were in grammar school. It wasn't for me, I was working full time. I grew the fruit, and we sold a lot of it at the store, but it gave them something to do. And this is what they did all through grammar school, high school.”

An aerial view of the J&P Cosentino Family Farm, which was scaled back significantly in the early ’90s to make room for Highway 85. Photo by Greg Ramar

Like their father, Mary and Kari weren’t exactly thrilled by farm work when they were kids.

“I don't remember a time when we weren't working in the orchard,” says Mary. “Kari and I joke we were like complete slave child labor out there. I remember being out there in the summer, and as kids, we thought everything was the worst ever. You know, 150 degrees, out there for 18 hours—it wasn't, and we weren’t, but that's how it felt as a kid.”

“Summer was working at the fruit stand,” says Kari of growing up in the early ’80s. “My sister and I would sit on the lawn, play Monopoly and run out when there was a customer. And my parents let us buy all the ice cream we wanted from the ice cream man. Every day, we'd buy a ton of ice cream and gum—that was our payment for working. And that was every summer, besides doing tasks we didn't like to do like cutting apricots and packing peaches. You know, very sticky and dirty, dirty work. Back then we had metal irrigation pipes that we would move through the orchard when we needed to irrigate. And so my sister and I—I mean, I remember being, like, eight and helping to move irrigation pipes. And we didn't have any mulch down, so it was just dirt and mud up to your knees. Well, as a kid, it's like mud up to your thighs. We would lose shoes and our parents would be like, ‘Where are your shoes?’ ‘Well, they’re somewhere in the orchard in the mud. They came off a long time ago.’”

But also like their father, their attitude about life on the farm has shifted dramatically over the years.

“I mean, we bitched about it all the time, but looking back on it, that was amazing stuff,” says Mary. “Kids didn't get to do that. There was the work part, but it was also, like, our playground.”

For Janine, it’s different. She was the child of Phil’s previous marriage, and her parents divorced when she was three. By the time Phil replanted the orchard, Janine was a teenager, living with her mom in Los Gatos. She did work in the markets, and visited the orchard, but after high school, she got married and moved away, and didn’t return to the area until the 2000s. So her devotion to the farm now is not so much about the time she had there as the time she didn’t have.

“I love spending time with my dad that I didn't get to spend with him growing up,” she says. “I could sit out there with him for hours. Like today, I will sit out probably on this bench in the garage or whatever, and chat for a good hour, because now I cherish that time. I just realized that, you know, I missed so much.”

All of these factors have fostered a fiercely protective attitude among the sisters. The passage of Proposition 19 last year made it clear to everyone involved that the land would have to be put in their names immediately—if they hadn’t gotten the transfer done, they would have had to sell the land when their parents passed, Kari says, because they could never have afforded the taxes. They were ready.

“I look at the orchard like a family member. It would be inconceivable to not keep it going, because we have this treasure that's been given to us,” says Mary. “And my dad has cared for it and loved it, and put in more hours than we could possibly ever imagine. And if we can find the right path to keep it going, that’s an honor to do so.”

“The thought of that not being here, I wouldn't be able to live with myself,” says Kari. “I think I’d have to move out of the country.”

“At first I said, ‘You girls are crazy!’” says Janine with a laugh. “Because I’m 15 years older, you know?” But she came around after remarrying and retiring. “That became the avenue for me to work more with my dad. Whatever makes him happy and makes life easier for him, I’m all for. I kid with the girls that I’m much older, and I will be retiring from all this hard work much earlier. But I want to see it go on.”

“You look around, and this doesn't exist anywhere,” says Mary. “So it’s not just for our family, but for others to come and experience it. It never ceases to amaze me. Whenever I'm working [at the stand], there's always at least one person who stops by and has never been there before, and it blows their mind. ‘I had no idea that this even existed.’ I tell them, ‘You're welcome to walk through at your own risk,’ and they’re just like, ‘This is the most amazing thing, and you need to keep this going.’”

The Chemistry of the Heart’s Delight

Certainly the J&P Cosentino farm is unique in the sheer number and diversity of the varieties of produce they grow in the South Bay—many are heritage fruits for this area, and quite a few are not available commercially. (The most recent of these to find a following locally is the Warren pear, which Phil started growing on a whim and now sells out as quickly as the family can pick them, just like the Baby Crawford peaches, the Santa Rosa plums and several other varieties).

But why is fruit from the Valley of the Heart’s Delight, even today, so delicious?

“The fruit from this region, you can't beat the taste,” says Phil. “People ask, 'How come your fruit tastes so good compared to the stores?' And I tell them 'It's where they grow.' It's not that we have any magic wand, it's the soil. I remember when I was a kid, my father would say, 'This is the best dirt in the world.' I'd say, 'Yeah, right, pop, best dirt in the world.' But he was right. He didn't know why it was the best. But he was right."

The farm stand where J&P Cosentino Family Farm sells its produce has drawn a whole new legion of followers in the Instagram age. Photo by Greg Ramar

These days, we do know why. The soil here is not only nutrient-rich, it also retains water to a remarkable degree, which allows South Bay farmers to use a method known as “dry farming”—very little irrigation required. Much of the fruit you’ll find in supermarkets, Phil explains, comes from the Central Valley, which is basically a converted desert that requires a lot more irrigation. The fruit absorbs that extra water, diluting the taste.

“The very first oranges that were planted in the West, they were planted in the city of Campbell. Because when the settlers came here, they recognized what it was here, the soil. This is what we call loamy clay,” says Phil. “Loamy clay has water-holding capacity. Now, all the farms over in the Central Valley, it’s all sand. Water just goes right through, so that's why they have to water so often. A farmer years ago that was visiting over here [from the Central Valley] asked me how often I watered. I said, ‘Well, about every 30 days.’ ‘Oh,’ he says, ‘our place over there, we have to water every seven days.’ Because that soil doesn’t hold the water. We’ve found over the years that the more water you give fruit, the less flavor you have.”

The Next, Next Generation

Megan Alpert, an agricultural communications expert who wrote her SJSU thesis on the shift in how farming in Santa Clara County has been portrayed in the media over the last century—and who also grew up on a local farm family—says there’s a reason that small farms like J&P Cosentino are growing in popularity in urban areas like San Jose.

“I think that there's something about purchasing food locally that really appeals to people. There’s also an element of storytelling, and getting to know the stories of the people that are involved in producing our foods,” she says. “Storytelling is so ingrained in us as humans, and we connect that way.”

Phil, obviously, has all the stories, and he’s still very active at both the stand and the orchard—just ask the sisters, who are regularly trying to keep him off ladders and tractors. But as he steps aside, they will be called on more and more to share their own stories, and to find new ways to connect with local customers.

One thing they’ve done already is bring in yet another generation of the family, Janine’s son Jason Cosentino, a former chef who has been creating products like jams, syrups, granola and more using the farm’s fruit.

Like the generations before him, Jason had to come around to understanding the farm’s importance.

“I started at a young age working at the farm,” he says. “I was probably around 11, 12, when my grandfather gave me a pitchfork and I was shoveling manure. So probably at the time I didn't appreciate it like I do now, as I’m older and looking back. But now I get to learn from my grandfather, who has tons of knowledge in growing produce, selling produce, and then also the culinary side as well.”

“Welcome to the last orchard in San Jose,” reads a sign posted above the farm stand. Photo by Greg Ramar

Jason says he’s found fans of the fruit stand have plenty of ideas about what they want.

“Customers say ‘Oh, are you going to make a strawberry jam? Are you going to make olallieberry?’ They’ll give us feedback on what they’re looking for,” he says. “I want to give them something that is really down-to-earth good that they know. But I also want to be innovative and different. Like candy kumquats, that was one of our first items. That’s not something new, but I infuse it with bourbon. So, you know, kind of putting some tweaks in different flavor profiles, and being mindful of not overpowering the pure ingredient.”

Because that fruit at the heart of each of his creations, says Jason, is the show.

“The produce we grow is just so phenomenal. I want to transform it so if it’s pickled or it’s jammed or canned, they can have it throughout any season, and still enjoy the same experience as if it was summer. Our fruit makes my job a lot easier, because when I’m making these products, jams or whatnot, I don't need to sweeten them up with other ingredients. There’s already tons of flavor. So it’s very minimal ingredients—my jam has less than five ingredients.”

Janine is proud to have him involved. “He’s got the creativity that probably I wouldn't have,” she says. “And so do Kari and Mary—I kind of say they're the creativity of the orchard, and I'm the workhorse. You know, just tell me what you want me to do.”

Kari says what Jason is bringing to the business is one example of how it can expand in the future.

“I’d like to see us build out, and have people be able to appreciate having an urban farm in their neighborhood—being able to experience it more than just buying our fruit. I want them to learn how to prune. I want them to learn how to plant a tree. I want them to learn how to cook with persimmons from Jason. I want them to come here for an apple-tasting event. It’s one thing to have something like this, and you drive past and you might stop and buy something. It’s another thing to say, ‘I had an experience there,’” she says. “And I think that's what we haven’t done.”

As he looks out over the orchard he has nurtured for 50 years, Phil seems confident that these two acres will never suffer the fate that befell the tens of thousands of acreage that once made Santa Clara County the largest producer of fruit in the state. After years of being under-appreciated, his land has new generations of family members to care for it—and new generations of customers to discover the importance of the best dirt in the world.

J&P Cosentino Family Farm is open year-round at 4977 Carter Avenue in San Jose. They update what varieties are for sale at their stand regularly at facebook.com/CosentinoFamilyFarm .

They have yard sale -like signs out on Camden Ave directing you to the farm stand. Look for them, you can’t miss ’em.

This is a great story, well documenting the last family orchard. Over in Evergreen, there used to be the Cortese’s cherry orchard, but those are now cookie cutter single family homes right across the creek from Evergreen Valley College. When I was younger, back when the vineyard was still there, I knew some of the Mirassou kids. But I think they also grew mushrooms, too. Hmmm…

Nearly 50 years ago I came to the valley looking for work, I got a job as an electrician at Stokley Van Camps frozen food plant on Newhall Street. We worked that plant 24-7 during the processing seasons mostly vegetables grown in and around the valley, hard hot a sweaty work. I bought my first house over on the east side, I was amazed at how well the fruit trees grew here orange, lemon, apples, cherries, olive, avocados, peach, tomatoes and many other things grew in the very heavy clay like soil. It’s a shame we have covered all that wonderful dirt and warm climate that turned the Valley of Harts Delight into the Silicon Valley of no Hart at all!

Sooo sad that this land that could be so productive was lost.

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            Historic Preservation Society of Santa Clara —                         Harris - Lass House Museum

Visiting the Museum

Newsletter ‘The Meteor’

For Our Neighbors

Annual Flea Market

Speaker on the Lawn

School Tours

School Books

Story from Book One

Architecture

A Harris Family History

Henry Harris

Henry Harris (Will)

Albert Harris

Albert Harris (continued)2)

Albert Harris (Obituaries)3)

Miriam E. Harris

Miriam A. Blanchard BlanchardBlanchard

Capt. Christian Lass

Capt. Lass (continued)

Julia A. Lass

Frederick Lass

Julia W. Lass

Adolph Knauth

Bertha Knauth

Johanna Lass Haynes (1)

Johanna Haynes (Obit)

Teddy Roosevelt’s Visit

Photographs : Family

Photographs : Grounds

Photographs:  Grounds

Days Out On The Farm

25 Awesome Family Days out in the Bay Area this SUMMER

Awesome Family Days out in the Bay Area.  There are so many wonderful farms in the Bay Area to visit, almost all year round with so much fun for you and the kids.

You can pick strawberries, cherries, lavender, blueberries, asparagus, and sunflowers in the early part of the year.  Later on there are raspberries, blackberries, pears, apples and pumpkins ripening in the fields.

We have a great list of where to pick everything as well as a list of some of the best farms in the Bay Area .

R & R Fresh Farms

2310 pescadero creek rd, pescadero, ca 94060.

At R & R Fresh Farms , “join us daily for u-pick harvesting of CCOF certified organic raspberries, blackberries, and olallieberries. We provide baskets to harvest in to and plastic bags to bring your berries home in.

Visit us inside the farm-stand before heading out in to the fields to pick up a basket and get details on the best areas for picking each day. We welcome large groups and encourage you to get the whole family involved, kids love getting their little hands dirty and it’s a great way to educate them on where their food comes from.

Support your local farms and join us this summer in the fields!”

They also have strawberries and pumpkins when in season.

Chan’s Strawberry Farm

7990 balfour rd, brentwood, ca 94513.

Chan’s Strawberry Farm in Brentwood – “My name is Chan K. Tern, and this is my farm. I’ve been a farmer for over 25 years! I enjoy seeing all the happy smiles on our customers! Hope everyone gets a chance to experience strawberry and blackberry picking! Have a great day!”

Boring Farm

4200 canfield rd, sebastopol, ca 95472.

Boring Farm – “We are a small certified organic farm located south of Sebastopol, CA. We offer our raspberries through U-pick when they are in season and we sell chicken eggs year round. There’s never a dull moment here at the Boring Farm!

Open every Saturday (June-September).”

Berry Island Farms

10385 watsonville rd, gilroy, ca 95020.

Berry Island Farms – “Our U-pick farm is well known all over the San Francisco Bay Area! We grow the sweetest, best tasting berries. Our picking season starts in April and lasts all the way through November.

We are open for U-pick every Saturday from 9am to 1pm. We do not take reservations; first come first serve. Cash only. Closed toe shoes required. No pets allowed!

We grow a variety of different organic berries: strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, boysenberries, and olallieberries. Our heirloom strawberries are the sweetest, best tasting you will find! Nothing tastes better than straight from the vine.”

Cherry Time

1875 walnut blvd, brentwood, ca 94513.

Enjoy a fun filled day of cherry picking at Cherry Time . “Our cherry season is open from the beginning of May till Mother Nature tells us we are sold out (usually the 2nd weekend of June). We offer U-Pick and Pre-Picked Cherries. Cherry Time is owned and operated by the Bloomfield family.”

Cherry Time also offer local honey made on the farm.

Mike’s U-pick Cherries

  611 payne ave, brentwood, ca 94513.

Mike’s U-Pick Cherries – “We’ve been farming in Brentwood for over 30 years. We enjoy the U-Pick season and getting to meet so many diverse people every year. Please be sure to say hello to your local farmer; we’re growing delicious fruit for YOU!

We have been selling our delicious stone fruit at our orchards for over 30 years. The phrase ‘stone fruit’ is fruit with one big pit in the middle (unlike an apple or orange for example).

At our Payne Avenue orchard, we sell cherries only. The varieties are Coral Champagnes (Corals), White Rainiers, and Lapins, as they become available.”

Blue House Farm

950 la honda rd, san gregorio, ca 94074.

At Blue House Farm , they “grow an incredible diversity of certified organic vegetables, fruits and cut flowers year-round, on over 70 acres in Pescadero and San Gregorio, California. Now in our sixteenth year, we proudly supply our farmers’ markets, Farmstand,  U-pick, and wholesale accounts with some of the highest-quality produce available.”

There is a pumpkin patch in the fall.

Three Nunns Farm

550 walnut blvd, brentwood, ca 94513.

At Three Nunns Farm – “Once you arrive at our farm, please first check-in at our stand to receive all the information for your visit. We also have a variety of fresh produce, both u-pick and pre-picked, available for purchase. Depending on the time year, you’ll find strawberries. cherries, blueberries, pomegranates, cucumbers, watermelons, bell peppers, cantaloupes, peppers, garlic, pumpkins, as well as decorative corn stalks and olive branches.

Our farm has over 40 acres for exploring. We encourage children (and parents) to get as dirty as possible! We recommend wearing closed-toe shoes for your visit – and keeping a close eye on little ones.

Three Nunns Farm accepts cash or card and we have plenty of wagons and free parking!

Our 5-acre corn maze typically takes about 15-30 minutes to navigate! “You are here” Maps are posted in the maze for reference as you find your way. We also have our “Corn Trail” which takes about 5 minutes to navigate and is ideal for those looking for a more relaxed maze experience!”

Bacchini’s Fruit Tree

2010 walnut blvd, brentwood, ca 94513.

Bacchini’s Fruit Tree is a “family operated Picked and U-Pick fruit stand. We are located in beautiful Brentwood, California. Just 60 miles east of San Francisco. Growing premium quality fruits since 1945. Each year we are open during May & June to offer our fresh fruit, grown in our orchard!”

They have u-pick White Peaches, Kiowa Blackberries, Sweet Cherries, White Rainier cherries, Olallieberries, Pluots, Santa Rosa Plum, White Nectarines, Apricots, Loquats, Raw Honey and Walnuts.

Swanton Berry Farm

25 swanton rd, davenport, ca 95017.

Swanton Berry Farm was founded in 1983 by Jim Cochran. “At that time, no one had grown strawberries organically on a commercially successful basis. The general consensus in the industry said it couldn’t be done. Five years later, Swanton Berry Farm would become the first certified organic strawberry farm in California (CCOF).

Just as the process of organic certification formalizes Swanton Berry Farm’s commitment to a set of ethics in our farming practices, a Union contract similarly formalizes our commitment to the human side of the farming equation. The fundamental question that drives this duality is why treat your food with a set of standards but not those who plant and harvest that same food?

In 1998, Swanton Berry Farm became the first organic farm in America to sign a contract with the United Farm Workers, AFL-CIO.

The combination of organic farming practices with union labor is why Swanton Berry Farm is known for producing fruits, jams, and baked goods that are beyond compare. We are dedicated to doing things honorably, whether it’s how we grow our crops, or how we treat our workers. It’s a difference you can taste, come see for yourself.”

Gilroy U-Pick

10541 korn ln, gilroy, ca 95020.

Gilroy U-Pick is a “small family operated u-pick only farm located in beautiful Gilroy, California. We sell both u-pick and freshly picked fruits and vegetables. We are really proud of the fact that we do not use any spray of any kind organic or inorganic to grow our crops. Every year we kick off the Santa Clara county cherry season with our early ripening varieties around May 7 that is around 25 days ahead of bing cherries. We are open on mother’s day. Treat your mother or other loved one on mother’s day with nature’s gift of cherries.”

Here you can pick:

• Strawberries
• Blackberries
• Plums/Pluots
• Watermelons
• Cantaloupes
• String beans

Gizdich Ranch

723 lakeview rd, watsonville, ca 95076.

Gizdich Ranch offer various u-pick fruits.  “Pik-Yor-Self –  Strawberries, Olallie berries, Boysenberries, and Apples are available in our Pik-Yor-Self program. Experience the most fun part of growing fruits, here at the Ranch! Combined with fresh air, sunshine and a little sweat, it’s a whole lot of fun for the kids and the entire family. Don’t forget your camera.

Call for our opening dates and prepare for a fun day of picking delicious fruit. Bring your own containers or let us provide boxes for a small fee.

When everyone’s ready for lunch, picnic behind our sales barn and let the kids play. Plan to see us soon!”

Victoria Island Farm

16021 ca-4, holt, ca 95234.

At Victoria Island Farm “Our Southern and Northern Highbush blueberries thrive in the island’s mineral-rich, peaty soil, just as their wild cousins, the blackberries, have for centuries. Victoria Island Farms blueberries are notable for their plumpness, taste, and freshness. Our blueberries go from field to package in record time. Within an hour of leaving the bush, our blueberries are cooled and packaged, and cooled again. They leave the farm in pre-cooled trucks.

Blueberries begin to ripen in May and are harvested until early July. Each field is harvested 3-5 times depending on ripening characteristics of the variety. Most varieties require a certain range of chilling hours (temperatures below 40 degrees) for optimal production.

During the summer harvest season, Victoria Island Farms opens up a portion of our blueberry fields to the public for U-Pick at the farm visits and purchase of pre-packed fresh blueberries. The 2021 u-pick season will run on weekends only from Saturday, May 15 to Sunday, June 20 with pre-packed fresh blueberries for sale at least through the end of June. Check our homepage to view up to date information on hours, availability and seasonal products offered at the Victoria Island Farm Stand.”

Duckworth Family Farm – Organic U-Pick Blueberries

2950 canfield rd, sebastopol, ca 95472.

Duckworth Family Farm are a small, certified organic, family farm “here to give you a one of a kind experience.  Come and U-pick as many blueberries as you like! You are also welcome to enjoy a picnic, sit by the pond, or simply enjoy our homemade blueberry ice cream.  You can always expect blueberries (of course) and blueberry ice cream on your visit!”

Mike’s UPick Peaches

3230 concord ave, brentwood, ca 94513.

Mike’s U-Pick Peaches – “We’ve been farming in Brentwood for over 30 years. We enjoy the U-Pick season and getting to meet so many diverse people every year. Please be sure to say hello to your local farmer; we’re growing delicious fruit for YOU!

At our Payne Avenue orchard, we sell cherries only. The varieties are Coral Champagnes (Corals), White Rainiers, and Lapins, as they become available.

Concord Avenue – White Peaches and White Nectarines start around the end of May.”

AIRAYA U-Pick Farm

25221 marsh creek rd, brentwood, ca 94513.

Airaya U-Pick Farm have “new varieties of white peaches, yellow peaches, white and yellow nectarines, asian pears and cherry trees as well as more Apricot trees. We hope you will stop by to try some of our new varieties and look forward to seeing you.”

McKinney Farms

McKinney Farms is a small, family-owned farm, located in Brentwood, California. “The McKinney family has been farming in California for four generations. If you are interested in picking delicious peaches, nectarines, and apricots, then come to “A Peachy Place,” farm #28 on the Harvest Time map. Our season typically runs from late May through early August.”

Pomeroy Farm Brentwood

1600 eureka ave, brentwood, ca 94513.

POMEROY FARM “HAS BEEN A PART OF BRENTWOOD’S U-PICK FARMS SINCE 1927!

For Cherries, Apricots, Nectarines and Peaches, we have three locations:

22501 Marsh Creek Road, Brentwood, CA 94513

Cherries:  Bing Cherries, Brooks Cherries and Rainier White Cherries

1755 Payne Avenue, Brentwood, CA 94513

Cherries:  Bing Cherries and Rainier White Cherries

1600 Eureka Avenue, Brentwood, CA 94513

Cherries:  Bing Cherries, Rainier Cherries, Skeena “Dark Red” Cherries, Sweetheart “Red” Cherries

Apricots:  Patterson and Westley

Nectarines:  Diamond Ray, Sparkling May, Sparkling June

Peaches:  Babcock Blush “White”, Flavorcrest, Galaxy UFO “White”, Red Top Earirich, Sierra Gem, Springcrest, Summer Flame

And from the walnut orchard, we have shelled Chandler walnuts available.”

Pease Ranch

25081 marsh creek rd, brentwood, ca 94513.

At Pease Ranch , “We have been family owned and operated since 1983. Come and pick from our large selection of cherries and blackberries.

We open in May when we will have our Tioga Cherries and Freedom Blackberries available for you to pick.”  Their Facebook page also shows pictures of peaches.

Swank Farms, The Experience

4751 pacheco pass hwy, hollister, ca 95023.

Swank Farms say they are “The Best Pumpkin Patch & SUNFLOWER FIELDS in CENTRAL  California.

Look no further for new favorite Fall tradition! Swank Farms is proud to provide the best pumpkin patch & sunflower fields to Hollister, Monterey, Salinas, and San Jose. We welcome you this season to spend some time on the farm and enjoy the many attractions we have for all ages! Whether you’re looking for a picture perfect spot or hours of fun for the kids, you’ll find it here at Swank Farms!

Swank Farms annual Fall Season has tons of fun planned for the entire family! From our GIANT Corn Path, You-Pick Pumpkins to our many photo ops & wide-open space, we’ve got it all to assure you make unforgettable Fall memories. Don’t forget your camera!”

Andreotti Family Farms Pumpkin Patch

Next door to the business farmer john’s, 800 cabrillo hwy n, half moon bay, ca 94019.

Welcome to Andreotti Family Farm .  “ We are a family operation and have worked our land for three generations. In 1926 our grandparents started the farm and produced primarily artichokes. Now our farm is over 90 years old, we produce just about every winter vegetable you can imagine, and we offer a You Pick Sunflower Field and Pumpkin Patch in the Fall. We are passionate about our pumpkins, sunflowers, and produce, and we look forward to putting our bounty on your table.”

Their page on Facebook also mentions a Haunted Corn Maze!

Cloverfield Organic Farm

501 la paloma rd, el sobrante, ca 94803.

Cloverfield Organic Farm “are the first certified organic farm in El Sobrante. We grow a wide variety of small amounts of fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, and potted plants. We host weekly u-picks on Fri., Sat. and Sun. We offer different sizes to meet everyone’s needs. No need to call ahead, if the open sign is out, please drive on down and we will give you a tour and tell you what is ready for ‘the pickin’. Alternate u-picking times and farm visits can be arranged by calling ahead to Farmer Michael.

In May and June – Elderflowers, green wild plums, a few strawberries, mints (chocolate, apple, and strawberry-flavored), horseradish roots and leaves, Greek oregano, lemon balm, German thyme, Greek mountain tea flower stems, nopales pads, young grape leaves, rau ram, garlics, potatoes, green onions, chives, lettuce, beets, kale, marshmallow leaves, calendula flowers and seed heads, arugula, komatsuna, rosemary, sweetheart pink roses, catnip, epazote, lavender flowers, asparagus, chamomile, wormwood, purslane, bay leaves, borage leaves and flowers, dandelion greens, and rhubarb

Things that we expect to have available for u-picking in September include the following – Autumn berries, apples, Chilean guavas, Emeryville pink grapes, tomatoes, beets, sweet peppers, mild hot peppers, fiery hot red manzano peppers, rhubarb, squashes, a few figs, cucumbers, horseradish, lemon verbena, mints, and oregano. “

Swanton Pacific Ranch

480 swanton road, davenport, ca.

Swanton Pacific Ranch “CCOF Certified Organic U-Pick Apple Orchard opens at the end of September.

We are excited to open our orchard gates once again. There have been many changes in the valley but we are glad to be serving the community again!

Friendly reminders: (1) payments must be cash or check; (2) no pets are allowed in the orchard; (3) park inside the orchard gates.

Enjoy the harvest!”

Chileno Valley Ranch

5105 chileno valley rd, petaluma, ca 94952.

Chileno Valley Ranch is located in the rolling hills of Coastal Marin.

Tucked in a spectacular valley outside Petaluma, Ranchers Mike and Sally Gale raise grass-fed beef, offer u-pick apple picking in the fall, and host a small number of farm weddings and corporate events each year.

Enjoy a day of family apple picking in our orchard with organically grown varieties such as Orin, Pinova, Candy Crisp, and Jonagold. We are open for u-pick on Sundays only, during August, September and sometimes October.”

EARTHseed Farm

Established in March, 2021, EARTHseed Farm is a “14-acre solar-powered organic farm and orchard located on the ancestral lands of the Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo Peoples in Sonoma County, California.

This list includes what is generally available according to the season.

​July: Plums, Pluots, Blackberries

August: Pluots, Gravenstein Apples, McIntosh Apples, Blackberries, Raspberries

September: Gilbert Golden Delicious Apples, Gala Apples, Braeburn Apples, Raspberries 

October:  Fuji Apples, Rome Apples 

November: Fuji Apples, Persimmons,  Pineapple Guava

August-November:  We also grow a variety of Asian Pears, including Hosui, Shinseiki, 20th Century, Chojuro, Niitaka, Shinko, Ya Li. Pears are available mid August through mid November, at the farm store.”

List of Farms in the Bay Area

Strawberry Picking in the Bay Area

Cherry Picking in the Bay Area

Apple Picking in the Bay Area

Lavender Picking in the Bay Area

Pumpkin Picking in the Bay Area

Raspberry Picking in the Bay Area

Blueberry Picking in the Bay Area

Peach Picking in the Bay Area

Blackberry Picking in the Bay Area

As well as:

Corn Mazes in the Bay Area

Haunted Hayrides in the Bay Area

Haunted Houses in the Bay Area

Alpaca Farms in the Bay Area

Flower Farms in the Bay Area

Christmas Tree Farms the Bay Area

Sunflower Fields in the Bay Area

Easter Egg Hunts in the Bay Area

Turkey Farms in the Bay Area

Petting Zoo in the Bay Area

Local Honey in the Bay Area

Also check out our post on more fruit picking farms near me.

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Inspiring Memoirs Tell Journey From Child Farm Worker to Academic

As a child migrant worker in the 1940s and 50s, Francisco Jiménez would spend 12 hours a day, seven days a week in the California fields, missing the first two months of school every year to help his parents during the harvest season. Decades later, this renowned scholar and professor would be chronicling his inspiring journey, highlighting that despite difficulties, education is a path forward.

Jiménez has shared his family’s life and struggles in four award-winning memoirs aimed at young readers. In the last of the books, “Taking Hold: From Migrant Childhood to Columbia University,” published this year, Jiménez describes life as a graduate student at the Ivy League school and how he initially felt out of place as his classmates discussed their “academic achievements and interests, foreign travels and alma maters: Harvard, Yale, Princeton.”

Despite feeling like he didn't belong, Jiménez stresses in his books and to his students that academics changed his life. “Education helps to level the playing field. In other words, education prepares us for a more fruitful and fulfilling life and a more active and productive involvement in our increasingly diverse society."

From late summer through September, a young Jiménez and his family worked in the strawberry fields in Santa Maria, Calif. They’d then travel 250 miles to San Joaquin Valley to pick grapes through the end of October. A month later, they’d be at a migrant camp in Corcoran picking cotton by hand until late December while living in temporary housing like tents. Jiménez and his family crossed the border into the United States from Tlaquepaque, Mexico when he was four in 1947, an experience he chronicles in his widely read book "The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child." He came with his parents and older brother Roberto.

“We crossed without documentation … we came here for the same reason that many immigrant families come to the U.S.: looking for a better life for their children and their children’s children,” said Jiménez, 72, who now serves as director of the Ethnic Studies Program at Santa Clara University and teaches in the university’s Department of Modern Languages and Literatures.

In an interview with NBC Latino, Jimenez said that when he was in sixth grade, he met a Portugese-American teacher, Mr. Lema, who helped him learn English during his lunch hour. Though Jiménez would not stay in the school long, he said the kind teacher "planted the seed" for him to want to become a teacher.

Jiménez became a U.S. citizen when he was in his 20s. But his life took many turns before that. When he was young he and his family were caught by "La Migra" and deported, which he writes about in his award-winning sequel to "The Circuit" called "Breaking Through." The family endured many hardships and much struggle but were able to re-enter legally thanks to a sharecropper who became their sponsor.

In his third book "Reaching Out," Jiménez writes about his hard decision to leave the family to attend Santa Clara University. While he was there, his father abandoned the family and returned to Mexico. Despite the poverty and the difficulty of these family experiences , Jiménez did not abandon his schooling.

In his latest book, Jiménez says that praying and staying in touch with his family and future wife, Laura, helped him cope with his graduate studies at Columbia.

Jiménez was motivated to write memoirs because he wanted to “document the experience of many, many immigrants who come to this country and have contributed tremendously to the cultural diversity and economic vitality of the United States.”

Today, an estimated 11.7 million Mexicans live in the U.S. , down from 12.8 million in 2007, according to a Pew Research Center report. Hispanics made up a significant portion of the workforce in 2014, federal statistics show. They accounted for 48.3 percent of the 25.7 million foreign-born people in the U.S. labor force last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The agency includes undocumented immigrants in their foreign born reporting.

Across the nation, Hispanics are making progress when it comes to educational attainment. The number of Latinos enrolled in two and four-year colleges more than tripled between 1993 and 2012. But Hispanics still lag in obtaining a bachelor’s degree compared with other groups. Jiménez has used his personal and academic experiences to urge young Latinos to transform their lives through education, the way he was able to do.

He emphasizes to his students at Santa Clara University - including those who are undocumented - that they will contribute even more to society by getting a good education. In 2002,Jiménez was named U.S. Professor of the Year by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Two of Jiménez’s three sons have followed in his footsteps and are college professors. The youngest, Tomás, 39, teaches sociology at Stanford . His writing and research focuses on assimilation, immigration, social mobility, and ethnic and racial identity. His award-winning book, “Replenished Ethnicity: Mexican Americans, Immigration, and Identity,” is focused on how contemporary Mexican immigrants impact established Mexican Americans. “Academics always study immigrants looking at how they change to adapt to a place. I wanted to take that idea and instead look at how an established population adapts to those changes,” Tomás Jiménez said.

Growing up, education “was always heavily emphasized in our family, both implicitly and explicitly. … It was about the process, about doing your absolute best, not just about the grades you’d earn,” Tomás Jiménez said. There were lessons that he and his brothers learned beyond what was taught in their classrooms. One summer, the elder Jimenez took two of his sons to Sequoia National Park. On their way home, they stopped at a vineyard outside Fresno and took a look at the workers drying grapes.

“My dad said, ‘this is where you come from.’ He emphasized that you treat everyone with respect, including people without high status jobs,” Tomás Jiménez added. “We grew up with a justice consciousness. …We were taught to recognize the common threads of Italian and Mexican experiences,” said Tomás, adding that his mother is of Italian descent. “These experiences were woven together in the conversations we had in our house about immigration, about being poor, about speaking another language.”

Francisco Jiménez has had quite a journey from picking vegetables and fruits in California fields to the hallowed halls of academia. But through his memoirs he exhorts young Latinos to aim high and use education as a way to transform one's life.

Follow NBC News Latino on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .

Carmen Cusido is a freelance writer based in Union City, New Jersey, and a graduate of Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.  Cusido is a part-time lecturer at the School of Communication and Information at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ.  She's also a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists' New York City Board.

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Apricot Lane Farms

Tour The Farm

On-Farm Weekend Farmstand

Apricot Lane Farms is a farm integrated within a reawakened ecosystem. Our focus is seeing and utilizing the interconnectedness of nature to build soil health, maximize biodiversity, and regeneratively grow the most flavorful, nutrient-dense food possible.

THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM

Apricot Lane Farms is also the home of the award-winning, critically acclaimed feature documentary The Biggest Little Farm . Directed by filmmaker and farmer John Chester, the film is a testament to the complexity of nature, following John, his wife Molly and their dog Todd on an epic odyssey to attempt to farm within a reawakening ecosystem. The film was released theatrically in North America by NEON in 2019, and has since screened in over 275 theaters across the US, and has been released in more than 20 countries worldwide …and counting.

It’s currently available via streaming on HBO Max, Youtube TV, Prime Video, and Apple TV, as well as to purchase on DVD & Blu-Ray. The Biggest Little Farm is also available for educational and other special screening licenses.

“This movie is like 91 minutes of the best kind of church. It’s food for the soul.” – THE BOSTON GLOBE

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Learn With Us

Certified Organic, Extra Virgin Oils

Interactive Map

Apricot Lane Farms was founded in 2011 by John and Molly Chester, and today spans 234 acres of countryside in Moorpark, California, just 40 miles north of Los Angeles. We regeneratively grow more than 200 varieties of fruits and vegetables and raise cows, sheep, pigs, chickens and ducks with reverence on pastures and within orchards, while working in harmony (or a comfortable level of disharmony) within the dynamic ecosystem our farm is integrated with. The farm is certified organic and biodynamic.

Farmers Markets

WE’VE EXPANDED! Our On-Farm Farmstand is now open both Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM! Guests are welcome to take a self-guided tour of the regenerative market garden, enjoy the children’s playground, and have a picnic on the beautiful garden lawn while visiting.

Find us at the Farmstand plus two local farmers markets every week (Santa Monica Farmers Market on Wednesdays and Thousand Oaks on Thursdays), where we offer a robust selection of certified Organic & Biodynamic produce from our gardens and orchards; pasture-raised beef, pork, chicken, and lamb; and of course, pastured eggs! Some of our produce & Honey Lemonades can also be found at select local grocers throughout the LA and Ventura County areas.

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• Birthday Party
• School Tours
• Non Profit Tours
• Pumpkin Deliveries
• Parent Groups
• Pumpkin Coupons
• Photo Gallery
• Employment Applications
• Christmas Tree Locations
• Tree Deliveries
• Tree & Interesting Facts
• Real vs Fake Trees

El Camino Real – Santa Clara

3712 el camino real, santa clara.

NEW LOCATION FOR 2024. Come visit our NEW location in Santa Clara with TRIPLE the inflatables and even more fun! This pumpkin patch offers tons of inflatable fun for children ages 2-12 and is the perfect fit for preschool tours and kindergarten tours. The large tent provides that extra needed shade which is great for birthday parties and group gatherings. Besides the giant inflatable fun, there are many different varieties of pumpkins to choose from, pumpkin accessories and a wonderfully decorated “memory zone” to take pictures of your little ones.

• Monday through Thursday from 2 pm to 9 pm
• Friday from 2 pm to 10 pm
• Saturday from 10 am to 10 pm
• Sunday from 10 am to 9 pm

PRICES BELOW ARE CASH DISCOUNT PRICES (Credit Cards transactions will be charged a 3.99% fee).

Ages 2-12 Inflatable Admission Price (other activities are priced separately)

• $15 for 30 minutes per child
• $20 for 60 minutes per child
• $30 for all day pass (Sold on a limited basis. Not available the last two weekends in October)

Under 2 Years Old MINI Toddler Inflatable Wristband (this is for Toddler bounce only – not for large inflatables)

• $5 for 30 minutes per child
• $8 for 60 minutes per child

Paint Ball Range : $5 per 7 oz cup, $10 per 16 oz cup and $20 for 40 oz bucket

Directions : Located on the corner of Lawrence Expressway and El Camino Real. Turn on Halford Avenue and entrance is after car wash on left.

Things You Need to Know to Make Your Visit More Fun

We are located 3712 El Camino Real, Santa Clara .

Free Parking & Admission

Admission to the Pumpkin Patch is free as is parking. Looking at displays, taking photos and purchasing a pumpkin are all free activities. Our Pumpkin Patch inflatable games are available for children for use by ages 2-12. Tickets to ride the inflatable games at the Pumpkin Patch are unlimited so all inflatable rides can be used on a purchased time basis. Guardians will purchase a wristband for their child that allows the child to play for a limited amount of time. Pricing for children to ride inflatable games are priced at 3712 El Camino Real, Santa Clara at this Pumpkin Patch location. Additional games available at this Pumpkin Patch location include Inflatable Admission and Paint Ball Range . and are based on a per ticket purchased system. Wristbands are for rides ONLY they do not include Games. At Pick of the Patch Pumpkin Patches we offer several different ticket packages. These packages change daily and will be posted at the Pumpkin Patch ticket kiosk. There are also online specials available which you can obtain through this website or by signing up to obtain specials through our customer email program.

 We Recommend

• Wearing closed toed shoes to the pumpkin patch and socks are required on the inflatable rides.
• Wearing weather appropriate clothing including hats and sun block.
• Being kind to the employees. They are just doing their job and trying to keep you safe.
• Checking our Website for Hours and Specials.
• Tag us on Instagram and Facebook with your Pictures from the Pumpkin Patch you may get a PRIZE!

 Food & Drinks

Prepackaged beverages and snack foods are available at our Pumpkin Patch ticket kiosk. Outside food, snacks and beverages are NOT allowed at The Pumpkin Patch unless it is prearranged for parties or groups. All belongings are subject to inspection before entering The Pumpkin Patch.

The Pumpkin Patch is a non-smoking, non-vape event.

Dogs are NOT allowed at Pick of the Patch Pumpkins, Service Animals must be kept on a leash at all times. Ponies and animals in the Petting Zoo may jump or bite. Enter at your own risk Remember they are animals and please be respectful.

 Unaccompanied Minors

Visitors 17 and younger need to be accompanied by an adult to Pick of the Patch Pumpkins.

What We Offer At The Pumpkin Patch?

Prepackaged snacks and beverages, One of the largest pumpkin selections in the Bay Area, Photo opportunity areas, School Field Trips, Group Play groups, Parties, Inflatable Rides & Slides, Games, Rides, Petting Zoos and Pony Rides (at specific locations), Fun, Fun, Fun, And MORE!

Lost & Found

Any items found on the Pumpkin Patch will be taken to ticket kiosk. To inquire about lost items please e-mail [email protected] with a detailed description and we will do our best to locate them.

Located at the Ticket Kiosk near the Entrance.

Lost Children

Please report missing children to Pumpkin Patch employees at the Ticket Kiosk by the main entrance. We request that any found children be escorted to the Main Entrance Manager at the ticket kiosk.

Prohibited Items

Pick of the Patch Pumpkins is a FAMILY EVENT with many CHILDREN attending. Please keep your behavior at the Pumpkin Patch exemplary of what you would want your children to see.

The following items are not permitted on site.

• Guns, knives, stun-guns, tasers, mace, pepper spray, tear gas or any other firearms or weapons, regardless of whether the guest holds a concealed weapons permit.
• Narcotics or other illegal substances
• Cans or glass bottles
• Clothing or exposed tattoos that are indecent
• Outside alcohol
• Photography Tripods
• Drones or remote controlled surveillance devices

ANY DANGEROUS, UNLAWFUL OR PROHIBITED ITEMS THAT ARE SURRENDERED AT THE GATE WILL NOT BE RETURNED. PLEASE LEAVE THESE ITEMS AT HOME.

These events are being filmed and photographed. Your entry beyond this point constitutes your consent to be filmed and/or photographed and your likeness to be reproduced in productions relating to Pick of the Patch Pumpkins and ABC Tree Farms Christmas Tree Farm & Pumpkin Patch in perpetuity.

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ABC Tree Farms and Pick of the Patch Pumpkins is a third generation family owned and operated business and farm that started over seventy years ago. Today, we have over eighteen seasonal Pumpkin Patches and Christmas Tree retail sites throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California.

CONTACT DETAILS

25 Northwest 23rd Place #6 PMB 367, Portland, OR, United States 1.408.393.6303 [email protected]

25 Northwest 23rd Place #6 PMB 367, Portland, OR, United States

1.408.393.6303

[email protected]

Quick Links

• Pumpkin Patch Locations
• Summer Fun Zone

Agrihood Affordable Low Income Senior Housing Apartments in Santa Clara

Location, community, quality living. it starts here.

Comfort and building meaningful connections with community are the essence of Agrihood. Discover where a sustainable lifestyle thrives, with outdoor farm space, a fitness center, package lockers, a library, and year-round social events. This community is within walking distance from Walgreens, CVS, Westfield, Santana Row, banks, and public transportation. Come explore Agrihood, a vibrant and unique community near Santana Row, where nature and modern conveniences join to create the ultimate lifestyle in Silicon Valley!

About Agrihood Senior Community's Affordable Housing in Santa Clara County

Agrihood Senior Community is located at 76 North Winchester Boulevard in Santa Clara, across from the Valley Fair Shopping Center, and will provide 163 affordable units for seniors, who are 55 or older. Fifty-four of these units will be filled through County referral. The remaining 109 units will be filled through a waitlist in accordance with the  resident selection criteria .

The Agrihood community features a productive acre-and-a-half of farmland and open space, which will connect Santa Clara’s contemporary urban living with its agricultural past by providing healthy sustenance and new outdoor recreational resources to residents and neighbors alike. Other amenities at Agrihood include bicycle storage, garden plots, a fitness room, a library with computer access, and laundry facilities. The site offers easy access to multiple VTA locations and walking paths. It also is central to community services and amenities, including Central Park, Westfield Valley Fair mall, the Santa Clara Senior Center, Santa Clara Veterans Services Offices, and the International Swim Center.

Senior apartments and housing Location

Click on the map below for directions to Agrihood’s Santa Clara County low income housing. 

Urban Farm and Open Space

Outdoor Recreation

Bicycle Storage

Garden Plots

Fitness Room

Library with Computer Access

Laundry Facilities

Easy Access to VTA

Santa Clara Housing Application

The John Stewart Company is managing the housing application process and the subsequent waitlist. Complete an online application to apply for affordable senior housing in San Jose.

eligibility FOR SENIOR APARTMENTS

Eligibility is income-restricted, as are rents, in accordance with the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program as well as other funding program requirements. To qualify, applicants cannot exceed the annual gross income listed below based on their household size.  For example, maximum income restrictions for 50% AMI units range from $47,200 for a one-person household to $72,800 for a five-person household and 60% AMI units range from $70,800 for a one-person household to $109,680 for a five-person household.

The following housing preferences will be provided (and verified) in the order shown below for Agrihood Senior Community when selecting applicants, but all who are eligible are encouraged to apply:

• Veterans living and/or working within the City of Santa Clara
• Households living and working within the City of Santa Clara
• Households living within the City of Santa Clara
• Households working within the City of Santa Clara
• Households without vehicles

Proof of Veteran Status:

Veterans will need to provide one of the following types of documentation to receive veterans’ preference:

• DD 214 or NGB Form 22
• Military ID
• Veteran’s Disability Letter
• VIA Issued ID for medical care
• Veterans ID card
• Veterans’ designation on driver’s license

Proof of City Live Status:

Applicants will need to provide one of the following to verify that at least one household member currently lives within the city limits of the City of Santa Clara for at least the past six months:

• Lease agreement
• Utility bill

Proof of City Work Status:

Applicants will need to provide one of the following to verify that at least one household member currently operates a business or is currently employed by a business or public or quasi-public agency in the City of Santa Clara for at least the past six months:

• Payroll records
• Employment verification showing location of employment

Preference of households who do not own a vehicle:

All adult household members will be required to certify that the entire household does not currently own a vehicle or have a vehicle registered within the name of any of the household members. Household will not be entitled to any on-property parking.

Please click below for more details on Rental Selection Criteria and Grounds for Denial.

Low Income Housing Unit Mix and Area Median Income

Maximum income per household size, senior housing rents by unit type and ami, floor plans for santa clara affordable housing.

Agrihood Senior Community is proud to offer 163 affordable studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments. One hundred and nine of those units will be filled through a waitlist. Studio apartments are (approx.) 420 SF, one‐bedroom apartments are (approx.) 526 SF, and two-bedroom apartments are (approx.) 720 SF.

Frequently Asked Questions FOR OUR LOW INCOME SENIOR HOUSING

Initial occupancy is anticipated for early May of 2023.

There will be 99 parking spaces available for the senior community. Of those, 91 will be dedicated assigned spaces and eight will be shared first come, first serve spaces.

Forty-nine of the units will be set aside to serve veterans’ households.

No, residents are encouraged to bring their own furniture.

Amenities include an acre-and-a-half of farmland and open space, garden plots, bicycle storage, a fitness room, a library with computer access, and laundry facilities. The site offers easy access to multiple VTA Stations and walking paths and also is central to a variety of vibrant locations, including Downtown San Jose, the International Swim Center, and Central Park.

The John Stewart Company will be the property management company.  You can learn more about them here .

For assistance regarding our affordable housing in Santa Clara County, please email us at [email protected]  or call (408) 462-9122. We look forward to connecting with you.

Established in 1989, The Core Companies have developed a strong track record for identifying well-located sites, securing difficult entitlements, and building great residential communities. Since its inception, Core has developed more than 400 homes, townhomes, and condominiums, as well as 2,300 apartment units.

The John Stewart Company has specialized in the day-to-day operations of affordable housing communities since 1978.  Our goal is to provide secure, service-oriented, and well-maintained communities that serve the interests of residents and property owners alike.  We apply our core values of compassion, integrity, service, and professionalism to everything we do.  We are proud to manage the high-quality affordable housing that thousands of Californians call home!

Agrihood Senior Community – 76 North Winchester Boulevard, Santa Clara, CA 95050 Privacy Policy

DRE #00638808 · Officer License #00654505 – Mari Tustin, Corporate Broker