1951
Walt and June's peach trees
Walt Abernathy came home from the Navy, bought forty acres of sagebrush on Paloma Mesa, and planted 300 peach trees with June and a borrowed tractor. The stand started as a card table at the end of the driveway.
Our farm
Same mesa, fourth generation.
Forty acres of cherries, peaches, apples, and pears, farmed by the Abernathy family since 1951.
Today
Sam, Rachel, and the kids
Sam and Rachel Abernathy took over in 2012. They've replanted half the orchard with varieties that handle late frosts, added the cider press, and put the kids in charge of the honor box.
How we grow
Careful with the soil, careful with the sprays
Cover crops
Clover and grasses between the rows hold water and feed the soil.
Fewer sprays
We scout for pests weekly and spray only when there's a real problem.
Drip irrigation
Ditch water from the canal, delivered tree by tree.