Une Belle Journée (A Beautiful Day)

Going somewhere???

To be brutally honest, it was anything but beautiful. It was another dark and dreary day in normally "sunny" California. Our beautiful weather was nowhere to be found. Even those who insist upon a changing climate in the Golden State may have been secretly longing for just a tiny bit of global warming to peak through those sullen, downcast clouds.

Alas, no bit of warmth or sunshine was to be found on this day. However, there was plenty of rain. There was also plenty of snow in the higher elevations of Northern, Central and Southern California. By the time that Mother Nature gets through with California the mountains will be packed with snow and my Northern California garage will be transformed into an indoor swimming pool.

The inclement weather, however, did not stop hundreds of fresh fruit connoiseurs from using our drenched weather conditions to "flood" into the annual California Rare Fruit Growers (CRFG) scion exchange. The event hosted by the CRFG's Sacramento Chapter drew a boatload of fans. Some of whom actually may have arrived via boat.

CRFG Scion Exchange

Heavy, non-stop, rain and brutally cold (for California standards) conditions will not stop those who love fresh fruit from accomplishing a singular quest: The creation of even more fresh fruit that fans can harvest from front, side and back yards. The scion exchange, and the practice of grafting, can transform one variety of peach on a single tree, to a single tree that produces five varieties of peaches that all ripen at different times of the summer.

Or, if peaches really aren't your "thing," you can do the same with apples, figs, nectarines, cherries, mulberries, pluots, plums and, and, and (you get the picture). Judging from the pictures that came out of yesterday's event at the La Sierra Community Center in Carmichel, it does indeed appear that apples were the "in-demand" variety in 2023.

This is a good thing. Because I must have personally unpacked at least 500 gallon-sized bags that held scions from trees with names ranging from Admiral to Zonga and all letters in-between. Who knew there were so many?

Fruit Trees!

California's fruit tree providers were in attendance. How could Dave Wilson Nursery pass on an event like this? This one event not only drew people looking to acquire cherry or pluot trees, but rare types of fruit that carry names like Dragon, Moringa and Inga Ice Cream.

Many of these are tropical fruit varieties that can be a bit hard to find at many nurseries. But, you will find them at Alora's Light Nursery. Plus, you will find the mind behind Alora's at the CRFG scion exchange.

As for me? I came for the grapes. No, not wine grapes. Call me a table grape guy. I gave up my collection of nine table grape vines during a divorce in 2016. I have missed them ever since. There's nothing quite like harvesting and munching on a never-ending table grape supply.

Alora's Light Nursery

Although I may never get the chance to grow nine different varieties again (which may be a bit much, but I will debate you on that point), I did pick up scions for the Himrod and Flame varieties. Although many believe that the Flame is a seedless offshoot of the old Flame Tokay grape, that isn't the case. I had been hoping to acquire scions from the Flame Tokay grape, a seeded variety that is still grown in some parts of San Joaquin County, especially around Lodi. Alas, none were available. Maybe next year.

The Himrod variety came out of New York in 1952, but may also have its roots in Turkey and elsewhere in Europe. Because it is considered to be a good producer in colder areas of the country, it ripens early in California's famously warm and temperate climate. That's my type of table grape! Plus, after this never-ending winter, I'll take some of that warmth!

The FRUIT You Can SALUTE!

I am a big fan of the CBS Network Radio show called Mystery Theater. The program, which ran from 1974-1982, was a throwback to the Golden Age of Radio. Tributes by hundreds of fans about this show can be found online today, and thousands of shows can be easily accessed on YouTube and elsewhere.

The introduction to each show ran like clockwork. It featured the long, drawn-out sound of a creaking door that opened slowly (which was actually the creaking sound made by the producer's well-worn office chair). Host E.G. Marshall would tell listeners to "come in," and prepare them for the "sound of suspense" and "the fear you can hear."

Producer Himan Brown had a rolodex of actors as long as my arm to call upon. If you listen to any of these shows, you're going to hear the voices that made Fred Flintstone or Herman Munster famous.

E.G. Marshall

I'm going to borrow this sinister format for a bit to inform you about an upcoming event that is far less sinister. However, it is a lot more fun and rewarding, especially if you love fresh fruit. It is the annual Scion Exchange hosted by the Sacramento Chapter of the California Rare Fruit Growers organization.

It is a collection of "fruit you can salute." How about the "treat you can eat?" It is a collection fruit that you can grow at home in your own front, side and back yards. A solitary apple, plum, cherry or peach tree can be transformed into a fruit producing monster through the process of grafting. Even a NON-produing fruit tree such as a Purple Ornamental Cherry Plum tree can be transformed into one or more fruit producers through the process of grafting.

The 2023 Scion Exchange event is coming up this Sunday, February 26th. It will be held at the La Sierra Community Center at 5325 Engle Road in the community of Carmichael (Sacramento County). The event begins at 11:00 AM SHARP! The $5 entrance fee at the door will give you access to hundreds of varieties of peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots, cherries, pears, figs, pomegranates and much, much more.

Hale Peach

If you are looking for an older, elusive variety of fruit that can no longer be found in most big box stores or commercial nurseries, chances are you will discover that hard-to-find variety at the upcoming scion exchange. If you are a fan of home-grown peaches for example, it won't be hard to find the somewhat elusive 49er or Hale peach varieties. You might even find a scion or two for the Sun Crest variety, a peach so famous that a California Sun Crest farmer wrote a book about it.

A lot of the scions that will show up at events like these hail from test or heritage orchards that are maintained throughout northern and southern California. This includes Luther Burbank's Gold Ridge Experiment Farm in Sebastopol. Other scions were procured from the Guadalupe River Parkway Conservancy fruit tree orchard in San Jose. It might even be possible to secure scions from fruit varieties that sprang from the orchards of gold rush era grower Felix Gillet. These are the earliest fruit tree varieties brought to California, most of which came from farms in France, Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

Bigarreau de Mai

The Cerisier Bigarreau de Mai may be hard for some of you to pronounce, unless you speak the French language. But I can tell you from experience that it is one fine cherry. Roughly translated, it means Sweet Cherry in May. It is a very old variety that was once widely grown in California. Are you going to find a tree like this in any nursery or big box gardening center today? Probably not. But you might find a branch (scion) or two at this Sunday's scion exchange.

The process of grafting is an art and science that does take time and practice to become proficient in. But, practice makes perfect. I discovered that plum and pluot trees were the easiest to graft. That is where I experienced most of my early success. It wasn't long before I gained the experience needed to conduct grafting experiments on cherry, peach and nectarine trees. Grafting tools can also help.

In other words: If I can do it, so can you! If you need help, you will find plenty of it, including demonstrations at the scion exchange. You will also find root stock trees that you can purchase and experiment with.

2018 Scion Exchange

There are some items that you should bring to this Sunday's event if you wish to attend. Organizers are *requesting* exact cash for the $5 entrance fee (avoid $20 bills if possible). You will also need masking or painter's tape that you can write on, plus a pen or pencil or both. Finally, it's also wise to bring a one-gallon plastic bag to hold all the scions that you plan to collect.

More details about the event can be found here. Best of luck. In the words of the late, great E.G. Marshall: "Come in. Welcome." Prepare yourself for the "treat you can eat" at the annual CRFG (Sacramento Chapter) scion exchange.

The Snail Mail Garden News Release!

Boss Radio-KYNO Number 1

My career in radio news started at a Fresno radio station called KYNO. It was a legendary radio station that sat at the frequency of 1300 on the AM dial and would take on numerous nicknames during a fabulous five decade run. These would include the BIG 13, BOSS Radio and KYNO Number One to name a few.

By the time I finally graduated from CSU Fresno in the late 1980's, the legend and magic of the BIG 13 had largely died out. The BOSS Radio format had run it's course. Most people, including yours truly, listened to music on FM stations, not AM.

However, that would not stop me from becoming the last News Director to serve at the birthplace of Boss Radio.* The ghosts of legendary news men and women who proceeded me permeated that isolated newsroom. So did the nicotine pigment that resulted from decades of smoking inside that tiny closet of a room. By the time I arrived, those acoustic sound panels that lined the ceiling and walls had faded from a bright, shiny white to a stain of yellowish-brown.

KYNO-AM Newsroom**

Most of the snail mail that arrived at the KYNO studios during this period fell into my lap. News releases written by local, state and national organizations arrived every day. But, they were delivered in a state of flux. The world of communication rapidly changed during this period. News releases that once arrived by snail-mail would soon arrive by fax machine. Much later, those very same news releases would start to arrive via a new form of communication called email.***

Today, most news arrives via social media. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages serve this purpose. What will the primary tool of news delivery be in another decade or two? Your guess is as good as mine.

This brief history lesson does not mean that snail-mail news releases died along with my youthful looks or hair color (which is LONG GONE). They still serve a useful purpose and still manage to find a way into my mailbox, even though my days as a radio newsman ended long ago. The snail-mail reminder that most recently arrived was generated by a well known California seed company.

Media Kit: Renee's Garden

That company is called Renee's Garden. This company bills itself as "Your Garden to Table Seed Company." The release sent to me is titled the "2023 Media Kit."

What exactly is a media kit? It is usually more than one sheet or two sheets of paper, which would be the form of a traditional media or news release. The media kits that I prepared during a 20-year career at the California State Capitol usually included a one-page release, fact sheets consisting of two-to-three pages and a graphic creation of photos, print or both.

In this case? Renee's Garden has sent a very nice four-page glossy graphic creation that consists of garden photos and gardens that include numerous vegetables. Those photos include a glossy portrait of Founder Renee Shepherd and Elayne Takemoto, the Product and Marketing Manager at Renee's Garden.

What makes a media release like this stand out above all others? It's a freebie. Back in the days of KYNO Radio, we had a term for this. It was called "scrip." Scrip was kept behind lock and key in a place called the Prize Closet. The only employee who could unlock the coveted Prize Closet was the Promotions Director.**** In this case, Renee's Garden is pushing a new product: Climbing Zucchini. It's called the "Incredible Escalator," and this media release contains a packet of seeds for someone like me to sample and try out.

Seed Packet-Renee's Garden

This packet of seeds, which carries a retail price of $4.39, is described as follows: "Our unique, space-saving, climbing zucchini offers high yields of tender, delicious fruits." Do you know what that means? It means that if I plant these seeds somewhere, which I plan to do, my neighbors are going to receive surprise deliveries of zucchini later this summer.

I can only eat so much zucchini.

I am still intrigued about the idea, however. Vegetable plants that can climb a trellis or a nearby fence saves lots of garden space. The spot that would have been set aside for a zucchini bush can instead be replaced with corn, watermelons, bush beans, or, or, or (you name it). Fences can serve a great and useful purpose in the garden. Last year I used mine to dry a fantastic crop of large, pungent onions. It worked out better than I expected.

Climbing Zuccihini

Photos provided by Renee's Garden website appear to show that this variety of zucchini does appear to grow tendrils similar to other climbing vegetable plants. Those tendrils, in turn, wrap around whatever they can find to give the zucchini plant more room to grow up rather than out.

This seems like a good idea to me. Some gardening efforts are experimental. I love trying new stuff in every summer vegetable garden. I'm looking forward to the results. This also includes the payoff of zucchini sliced lengthwise, covered with olive oil and salt, and grilled during a traditional summer barbecue.

*BOSS Radio was a unique format developed at KYNO-AM Radio. Local legend has it that the format was scratched out on the back of a cocktail napkin at the bar located inside the Cedar Lanes Bowling Alley, near the KYNO studios on Barton Avenue in Fresno. This was a modification of the Top 40 format that relied upon fewer records, shorter jingles, less talk from DJ's and a heavier rotation of the biggest hits. The format was a hit and spread to KFRC in San Francisco, KHJ in Los Angeles, KGB in San Diego, WRKO in Boston, CKLW in Windsor, Ontario and numerous other smaller market stations. The format would make several DJ's famous. The names include Dr. Don Rose, the Real Don Steele, Dave Diamond and Robert W. Morgan (to name a few).

**That is yours truly in the original newsroom of the legendary KYNO-AM. Pictured with me is my cousin: Karen Doran. This picture was taken in 1990 or 1991, after KYNO-FM had switched call signs to KJFX and adopted the Classic Rock format that airs on this station to this very day. Karen would meet the love of her life, Tim, some years later and take the name of Van Overen. She is the mother to three great kids, including my Godson, Jon Paul.

***The former KYNO Radio studios on Barton Ave. in Fresno is now home to Punjabi Radio USA. KYNO would later move to the 940 frequency on the AM Radio dial. Today, the station is owned by John and Katrina Ostlund. KYNO studios are currently located on Fulton Ave. in Fresno.

****I have fond memories of the KYNO Prize Closet, the valuable Scrip it held, and always made sure to treat the Promotions Director with great respect. This treatment resulted in hundreds of free pizza coupons from a variety of restaurants. It also meant free meals at select restaurants. To this day I cannot even touch food products like Pringles Potato Chips and Entenmann's Doughnuts because I subjected my stomach to the abuse of eating a never-ending supply of these products for a number of years. One restaurant that served excellent Mexican fare stands out in my mind, however. Paulita's Cocina (now closed) is where I would meet a young waitress, who was working her way through college. I later had the pleasure of working with this young lady after I moved to another radio station years later. Today this young lady works as a News Producer at a Sacramento TV station.

Valentine's Day!

Garden Fresh Chow Mein

The best Valentine's Day gift is not chocolate. This may be depressing news to a friend who confided in a whisper to me last weekend that it was her favorite gift. I didn't want to burst her bubble. My favorite Valentine's Day gift is pictured to the immediate right. Can you spot it?

If that looks like a dish of homemade chow mein, points to you. That's exactly what it is. But that particular dish isn't the favored gift. It's what's in that dish. Look closely. Can you spot it? That dish contains two-three elements from my spring and summer gardening exploits. It's the garden that keeps on giving. Even in the dead of winter as I plan out the next spring and summer garden efforts, the 2022 garden is still paying off.

Dixondale Farms Onions

That garden gift is one of three vegetable packs that I prepared at the close of last summer's gardening efforts. Those packs include two chopped onions, courtsey of Dixondale Farms, the largest grower of onion plants in the USA. The packs also include anywhere from two-to-four chopped bell peppers and one or two chopped jalapeño peppers (seeds included), to give the finished creation a little kick. The packs also include the leaves produced by a prolific summer basil plant.

The creation of these winter packs is a fairly simple operation, but it does require a bit of time in the kitchen. This is where the process starts. The largest onions, which were hung to dry on a fence after a July harvest, are selected. So are the largest peppers. By late August and September, these bell peppers have taken on a pleasing red, orange or yellow hue. The jalapeño peppers are a bright red at this point in the summer garden season and are as spicy (hot) as they are going to get.

Summer Garden Peppers

Jalapeños are not the hottest peppers you can grow in the garden. But they are the best tasting in my humble opinion. The hotter peppers, which all grow well in this California climate, tend to be a tad bitter. This is all personal opinion, of course. There are hot pepper afficiandos who love the taste and jolt that comes from biting into a freshly harvested Ghost, Scorpion or Habanero flamethrower. That's just never been my style. To each his own.

Jalapeño peppers also tend to be the most prolific and easy to grow, which means I can hand out scads of them to neighbors and friends who love the jolt of summer garden heat. There were a lot to give away this past summer, thanks to the garden patrol efforts of a legendary kitten known as "The Mango." I've come to discover that the kitten I adopted from the Bradshaw Animal Shelter in Sacramento County last May not only chased a voracious army of rats out of my garden this past summer, he apparently did a lot more. Neighbors have confided in me that "The Mango" took this hunt into other yards with vegetable gardens, fruit trees, or both.

The Chop!

I did not receive any complaints about these visits. The neighbors loved these well-timed events. The army of rats that once feasted on these summer gardens did not. The end result was a string of successful garden efforts in every yard "The Mango" patrolled.

A food processor aided with the end-of-season chopping effort. The end result went into one-quart bags that went straight into the freezer. I have used two of these bags so far. I will most likely use the third at some point later this month or in March. The bagged peppers, hot peppers, onions and basil are perfect for stir fry dishes, soups, chili or any other dish complimented by summer gardening efforts. The only drawback will come when I finish off the last bag and wish I'd created a fourth or fifth chopped summer garden effort.

Finished Freezer Pack

Three is never enough.

There is a down side to preparing fresh summer vegetables that are chopped and frozen for future use. You do lose that fabulous crunch. But that signature smell of a summer vegetable garden is never too far away. Which is a nice thing to have in the kitchen on a cold and wet winter day.