Memories Grown Ripe Here at 7th Annual Jubilee

FRESNO, Calif. - May 17, 2014 - PRLog -- The heady scent of a tree ripe peach, sun warmed and delicate to the touch is unforgettable. Yet, most city dwellers never experience this sweet memory. Grocery stores carry shelf-stable fruit that isn’t easily bruised. No identity disclosed beyond “white” or “yellow”, taste is undeveloped and you certainly don’t shake hands with a grower. How might you capture that summer joy, fresh-plucked, or in delicious artisan stone fruit drinks, pizza’s, tamales, sandwiches and pies?

A dozen local farmers bring this dream to life June 21^st for the Organic Stone Fruit Jubilee’s seventh year. Summer’s organic fruit, “real” fruit, is a labor of love. The journey begins after fall’s first frost. Trimming trees, physically and symbolically, sculpts productive branches to make room for new life. Shears are guided by watchful farmer’s eyes and an experienced pruning crew’s deft hands. Before spring’s sun warmed branches into wakefulness, the ground was nourished with water to deepen roots. As the leaves unfurled and flowers blossomed, with nervous anticipation, the farmer watched forecasts to ensure late frost wouldn’t destroy new life. Bee’s buzzed happily from blossom to blossom, pollinating and spreading tree-love without fear of pesticides. Our Jubilee’s plum, pluot, apricot, aprium, peach and nectarine varieties might number over fifty. Some are heirlooms that perish easily but melt on your tongue. These rarely find their way into a supermarket. Most of these farmers’ harvest is shipped thousands of miles away and some are found in T&D Willey’s and Abundant Harvest’s local CSA subscription boxes.

Orchardists’ frustration with growing fruit for distant markets while their own community lacks access to its deliciousness prompts this 7^th-year labor of love we call the “Organic Stone Fruit Jubilee”. We invite you to dine at our tables in a beautiful orchard. Farmers offer free fruit samples and look forward to meeting urban neighbors, adults and children alike. Feast on a multitude of varieties, then buy and fill a bag with your favorite stone fruit from any farmer.

We invite you to share a day in our dream. The festival takes place on Saturday, June 21^st, 2014 from 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm. at MOA Oasis Gardens, a 10-acre farm at 5790 Indianola Ave. Clovis, CA. Tickets are $5 and kids under 12 are free. Tickets are sold at the gate. The jubilee has developed a strong following over the last six years and is not to be missed by foodies, locals and rural tourists. This fun filled evening includes fruit tasting , live entertainment, Farm Tours, Kids Craft corner, Jam Making demonstration by Joyce Kierejczyk, Japanese Tea Ceremony, Flower arranging and keynote speaker, Bay Area restaurateur, chef and author Jesse Ziff Cool.