On Sunday, my sister’s family and I went to Leona Valley (neighboring mountain town) to pick cherries. It’s a yearly tradition and has been since we were young. Ahh, memories. I love going fruit picking. So much fun is had by all. It makes me so happy to pass this tradition onto my son’s.

This year we’d gone to our usual cherry orchards and both were closed. On the way in we saw a sign for organic cherries so we backtracked a little and headed to Leona Valley Organics cherry orchard. It was our destiny!

The cherries were so juicy and sweet we couldn’t stop popping them into our mouth as we picked. They were Burlap and Rainier variety. The best part was the organic factor. No need to worry about nasty chemicals entering our system. I remember just last summer in Chico watching the crop dusters hover over the fields. I was in complete shock at how low they were and how white everything was. It was scary white. Nothing was going to survive that dusting. We were driving along the road as the airplane went back and forth across the field. For miles all you could see was white. YUCK.

This is not the case at all (crop dusting), when you’re considering an organic farmer. I had the opportunity to speak with the owners and they were very excited to talk to us about what it takes to be an organic orchard. It is their first season open and we we’re all very impressed. I’m definitely planning on returning with my husband and the kiddo’s. I was thrilled to take home a brown bag full of organic cherries and some buckwheat honey. What impressed us most about the owner was his dedication to organic farming while stressing the importance it was for his children. He recognized that being able to freely pick off a fruit tree without the worry of chemicals was key to producing a delicious yield and keeping your kids safe from toxic substances.

I’m planning to go back and interview the family for a local post in the paper! Green local businesses ROCK! We don’t have many so I get gitty when sustainable practices are being well, practiced!!!

Picking fruits or veggies is a rite of passage during the summer, no? Go outside and be with nature and your loved ones. We were filled with cherry glee!