Tehachapi Apples

I was searching for a column subject in my mother, Marion Deaver's stuff and I was thinking that I might be running out of ideas when lo and behold – I found an article written by her in November of 1966 about Tehachapi apples. Talk about perfect timing.

I learned from the article that in 1966 the apple crop was "one of the earliest in 40 years and brought the apple crop to a close by Thanksgiving." This year the apple crop might end even earlier, due to the strange weather this valley has experienced n the last year.

Apples are getting ripe and are going on sale now, according to ads in The Loop newspaper, and it is only September. I have a Bartlett pear tree in my backyard and my grandchildren were picking ripe pears in early August.

The article explained that "because of the early season brought on by an unusually warm spring and hot summer (sound familiar?) the season ended one month earlier, and most of the special Christmas orders are being cancelled."

Then owners of the Hi-Valley Brand, Marty and Grant Sullivan, said they started picking at the end of August with the Beacon variety, and other varieties at the end of September. They added that a late frost April 20 did some damage to blossoms, so their production was also down that year.

The Sullivans noted that they thought it was a bad year in their opinion for apple coloring, which requires cold nights and warm days, but they had warm days and warm nights.

Another grower Fred Patterson, owner of Summit Farms, said he also had to cancel a number of Christmas orders. The majority of his apples (70 percent) were sold at a roadside stand at his packing shed.

The remaining 30 percent were sold in Los Angeles markets, and he was proud to say that the Tehachapi apples sold for the same price as Washington apples.

Tehachapi growers have always concentrated on selling "Tehachapi apples," not just California apples. A great deal of Tehachapi apples in 1966 were sold at roadside stands and at the packing houses. Local growers wanted the "apple-loving public" to recognize Tehachapi as being synonymous with top quality.

Soil testing was done then and identified Tehachapi soil as lacking in copper and zinc where fruit was grown. Specialists who tested the soil would reveal plans to help growers at a later date, the article said.

The Depression of the early 1930s hurt many orchards in Kern County and caused orchards to be sold to potato industry buyers and orchards dropped in numbers, but an upswing of orchards began in 1953-54.

Brad Krauter, Kern County Department of Agriculture representative in Tehachapi at the time, said that he thought the trend in agriculture in the Tehachapi area in 1966 would bring an upswing of apples and pears.

At that time about 400 acres were planted in pears, but Krauter said he believed that apples and pears would equalize in acreage.

Fred Patterson noted that he believed "the future of Tehachapi would be in fruit." He started a land management program in 1964, and under the program picking, packaging, and marketing of the fruit was also accomplished for other growers.

I was with my mother when she took pictures at the packing sheds, now I eat at them.

There is a photo with the article that shows 14-month-old Kristi Lyn Hamilton surrounded by apples munching on one, and "showing her delighted approval of Tehachapi's flavorful apples."

I used to babysit for her and her siblings in Mojave, she is now 49 and has children of her own!

I recently had the pleasure of seeing her parents again after over 40 years when they were visiting in Tehachapi, and they caught me up on all their children and their children.

Do I feel old? Like Methuselah!