Expanding Our Options 

There are over 500 varieties of avocado in the world, and we have only grown a handful of them. Our goal is to sell avocados in the market year-round, so we have been experimenting with varieties that ripen in each season. Our process of choosing our avocados consists of planting one tree of a potential variety, waiting for its fruit, harvesting a few of its avocados, and deciding if it has the quality and flavor to become a long-term product at the market. At the moment, we are testing the Sir Prize avocado, which ripens in late fall, and the Pinkerton avocado, which ripens in early winter. 

A Tiny Plumber 

There was a flooded area around our barn, and we could not figure out how to drain it. One morning, we went to check on it and all the water was gone. After some head scratching, we realized a gopher had tunneled through the area and created a drainage hole for the water. It must have been a bad day for the gopher, but we were happy for the help!  

We have three varieties of avocado in the Spring: Bacon, Fuerte, and Zutano. They are green skinned (meaning they are green when ripe) and have very different flavors.

Bacon 

The Bacon avocado has a buttery texture and creamy flavor. This is a favorite at the market. (And no, it does not taste like bacon). 

Fuerte 

The Fuerte has a dense, rich flavor—someone described it to us as a “kick butt flavor.” Before the Hass was discovered, this was the most common California avocado. 

Zutano 

These are beautiful smooth-skinned avocados that have a smooth and mild flavor. We have them planted throughout our grove for pollinators. They have less oil that other avocados and are the perfect ingredient for a smoothie. 

Gather: 1 banana, 1/2 medium avocado (peel and pitted), 3 Medjool dates (pitted), 4-6 leaves of mint, 1 cup almond milk (plain and unsweetened)

Then: Blend until smooth and serve chilled.