27 September 2013

Of Kiwi Vineyards

The other day I was thinking about kiwi--
specifically our kiwi--
and wondering if they were ripe enough to harvest yet.
 
And then a combined business/pleasure trip took us into the so called "Wine Country" region.
And on one of the many roads we found ourselves on,
I saw a sign,
and knew we would have to make a detour.
So after time on a ranch near Trask Mountain,
time on part of the Nestucca River Back Country Byway
(both definitely God's country),
a visit to a wonderful bakery
(yum!),
and time elsewhere in this pretty area,
we found ourselves at the awesome kiwi farm we first found about 4 years ago...
 
 
The weather was not as a sunny as when I took these photos in 2011,
but the baby kiwi looked just as yummy!
 
 

 
And, this time I didn't stroll through the kiwi vineyard--
but my friend did and picked me some baby kiwi
BIG time yummy in a little, completely edible package).
 
 
The owner, as always, was informative and gave me the information I needed about harvest time--
yippee I can wait awhile longer!
 
 
He asked me, did I prune my kiwi vines this year?
No--but I promised to do so this winter:)
 
 
 I asked him about his magnificent and most delectable kiwi honey--
Yep, this coming week! 
 
 
And, then, we drove out --
making our way through wine grape vineyards and forests...
but we knew we'd be back soon to get more baby kiwi and kiwi honey.
 
 
Mmm, kiwi--it's one of the best things about autumn!
 
Blessings,
Aimee
 
Note:
A BIG thanks for HB + K Farms for their continued hospitality
and for allowing me to post the photos taken on their farm in 2009 and 2012.
They are open daily, 9 AM-5PM through the harvest season
(which is now through sometime in November if it's like last year).
Their address is 10794 Worden Hill Rd, Dundee, OR
 
Coming at some point (LOL):
Scandinavian rosemaling
Mt. Angel and other misc. late summer trips--a few pictures
(saving this for those REALLY rainy days I know that will keep me home)
Autumn Colors in the SUN
(I should save this for those rainy days too--to lift my spirits)
First Autumn Journey of 2013
(part sun, part storm--always filled with blessings)
 
Have a great weekend!
If you're in the western PNW stay warm and dry the next few days:)
 

18 comments:

Teresa Kasner said...

Thanks for showing me how the kiwi grow. I need to buy some and try them.. I have only eaten them just a few times. I wanted to go to the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival tomorrow.. but they are predicting stormy weather. I feel bad for the people that have their booths outside. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

Linda W. said...

I love kiwis! One of my coworkers had a kiwi tree and used to bring them in for everyone. Sounds like we need to batten down the hatches this weekend. Sigh....no hiking for me. :( Stay safe and dry!

aimee said...

@Teresa~
You are most welcome! You should definitely try some of the baby kiwi. I like them even more than the fuzzy kiwi we grow:)You can buy them, I've noticed, even in supermarkets now.
Yes, bad time to have a storm with the Fiber Festival going on in the valley and I guess there's a festival celebrating hops in Hood River too. Glad you fell that tree when you did! Keep safe, warm and dry.
Blessings,
Aimee

@Linda~
Yippee! Another kiwi lover! They are actually pretty easy to grow, prolific once established and the kiwi fruit are great keepers! We had plenty to give away last year:)
Yep--I wanted to go back to the same area I was in the day that we visited the kiwi farm (near Trask Mtn.) and do some hiking or horseback riding too. I hope our more normal early autumn weather returns soon!
Stay safe, warm and dry too!
Blessings,
Aimee

Betsy said...

Very interesting post today. I've often wondered about kiwis and how they grew. Sch a nasty day here in Portland for Pipers birthday party. Enjoy the rain!
Blessings,
Betsy

Grandmabeckyl.blogspot said...

kiwi honey sounds delicious. Maybe I'll go there sometime. It's not that far from me! Right now I'm staying inside, doing laundry and getting my cold symptoms into the manageable zone. And gonna make some bar cookies as well! Stay dry!

aimee said...

@Betsy~
Thank you! I enjoy learning about different kinds of farms too.
It is very stormy outside. We just got back from a drive on some narrow winding mountain roads and it was just a bit scary with the wind, rain, etc. So glad to be back home again!
Happy Birthday to Miss Piper! May God always bless and keep her.
Blessings,
Aimee

aimee said...

Sorry you have a cold Becky. Hope you are feeling well soon!
You should visit there someday and check out their honey and fruit. Herbal tea with lemon and kiwi honey sounds SO good right now with all this stormy weather. And bar cookies--YUM!
Be safe, be warm.
Blessings,
Aimee

Gracie Saylor said...

Thanks for teaching me more about kiwis, Aimee! I have not tried the little ones, or kiwi honey, but they sound yummy :)
We are down in a little valley and have not gotten much wind with this storm yet, but plenty of rain!!! I am glad to be cozy inside.
Hope you and yours are feeling blessed,
Gracie xx

aimee said...

@Gracie~
You are most welcome! You can sometimes find baby kiwis at supermarkets and such; not sure about the kiwi honey though.
Glad you were somewhat protected in your little corner of the earth!
Blessings,
Aimee

Helen said...

I did not know how a kiwi tree looked like until now. Kiwi is one of my favorites.

Lorrie said...

I'm not a fan of eating kiwi, but I do love the way they grow and how lush the vines are.
More rain is coming, but today has been so lovely and sunny. I'm storing it up.

aimee said...

@Helen~
They really do look like little trees don't they? I have learned though that they are actually vines---kind of like grapes. We grow them in our own yard -- but only the fuzzy ones. I learned today that they grow kiwi in Russia--I wonder if you could grow some in Norway.
Blessings,
Aimee

@Lorrie~
They are quite pretty aren't they? I like their blooms too. We had some sunshine today too and it was such a blessing!
Blessings,
Aimee

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

This is definitely on my list for next season here in Oregon Aimee. I love kiwis and had no idea they grew here. Great post about a very interesting spot. Thanks for sharing.

aimee said...

@Sallie--I think you would enjoy it. We grow kiwi in our backyard on an arbor , but it fascinates me how commercial farmers do it :)
Blessings,
Aimee

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

How cool- I love kiwis!

aimee said...

@Terri~
Glad you enjoyed my kiwi farm post:)
I love them too, especially the baby ones.
Blessings,
Aimee

Willow said...

Wow ~ I love Kiwi too and actually never knew how the grew ! I love that you shared this.
PS Beautiful photo header, Aimee !

aimee said...

@Willow~
I didn't know how kiwi grew either till we looked into planting some. Ours are quite a few years old now and we usually have pretty good crops now. It is quite a different thing though to go to a REAL kiwi farm-fun too!
Thanks! My header photo is a photo of Foster Lake in Linn County, one of my favorite places:)
Blessings,
Aimee

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