I took a Plant Science class at Woodland Community College a few months ago. The class was pretty good, I learned a lot about plants and I went to some interesting places. All of the students talked a lot in the class, and pretty soon I started to learn what people were about. One guy worked at a winery, and most of his stories had to do with grapes, vineyards, etc. One guy drove a school bus, and all of his stories started out, "I was driving the bus yesterday..." Well, one of the girls in class talked about peaches all the time. Peach this...peach that. I would sit in my chair thinking, "What's up with this chick and peaches?" (Yes, I use the word 'chick' when I'm thinking to myself.) So I talked to her, and asked what was up with the peaches. She told me that she had worked at a peach orchard for the last 5 or 6 summers. Then she said something that was music to my ears. "Do you want to come out and take a tour?" Your browser can't play the music. You seriously need to upgrade. Hey! There's music* with this story. Use the control above to start/stop the music.

Tiffany eating a peach straight from the tree

Okay- cool. A tour. Mr. InsideWoodland is all about a tour. So I headed out to Manas Ranch on a Saturday morning. Those of you who know your geography realize that Manas Ranch is in Esparto. Yes, this site is called Inside Woodland. But what the heck- Esparto isn't too far. Plus, this is a tour. So I went. My tour guide is Tiffany. She's a great tour guide because not only does she know about peaches, but she's willing to answer all kinds of dumb questions.

InsideWoodland - Should we use your real name for this story? Or, can I call you 'Peaches'?
Tiffany - Peaches is a stripper's name. Just use my real name.

When I took the picture above showing Tiffany eating a peach straight from the tree, she said, "Oh, I only like peaches when they're cold."

InsideWoodland - Really? When they're cold?
Peaches Tiffany - Yep. I like them cold over cottage cheese, or with sour cream, on ice cream...on my cereal. Or peach cobbler.

InsideWoodland - What about pie, you didn't mention pie.
Bubbles Tiffany - Ugh, peach pie. That's such a mid-western thing. I like cobbler a whole lot more.

InsideWoodland- Have you ever worked in the orchard and picked peaches?
Mercedes Tiffany - Oh hell no, the workers we have are champs, it's hot, itchy, and sunny. I am a pansy.

InsideWoodland - do you go to the fair?
Diamond Tiffany - I try to avoid the fair, you might run into people you don't want to see. So I avoid it, except for maybe a quick stop at the beer garden

 

These are 'Cassie' peaches

Fred Manas - owner of Manas Ranch

I was out at Manas Ranch, so I figured I should talk to Mr. Manas. At first he didn't really want to talk. "Tiffany knows everything, she can tell you." I'm used to rejection, so I just ignored him and kept asking questions until he started answering. Once he got started he had a lot to tell me. (As far as I know, Fred does not have a stripper name either.)

InsideWoodland - How did you start in the peach business?
Fred Manas - I grew up on an orchard. My parents ran a 100 acre apricot orchard out in Winters.

InsideWoodland - Where do you sell your fruit, other than here?
Fred - I sell 98% of the fruit right here.

InsideWoodland - Do you sell to stores at all? To some of the fruit stands?
Fred - When I was a kid, I saw my parents get pushed down by the fruit brokers. They always wanted the price lower and lower. The brokers pushed as low as they can. So I only sell direct, so I control the price. I sell direct or let the fruit fall on the ground.

We also ship our peaches directly. We ship all over, even Hawaii. I also go to the Esparto Farmer's Market, because we're right here, and part of the community.

InsideWoodland - How do you describe your operation?
Fred - I'm a small farmer. I've got about 30 acres right now. Over twenty here and two other orchards close by. We've got peaches, cherries, apricots, fuji apples and pink lady apples. We also do beef. You should come by and see our beef ranch. (Future tour?)

InsideWoodland - What's your favorite way to eat peaches?
Fred - Sliced, then warmed up, on top of ice cream.

InsideWoodland - Do you add sugar?
Fred - You don't have to, they're sweet enough already.

Somehow I completely forgot this man's name. But Tiffany says he is 'a champ'.	Anyon's picture should be on a box of peaches.

Buster's just one of the guys.

Tiffany isn't actually doing any work here.

Tiffany may not be working, but everyone at the orchard told me that there is always something to do:

• Pruning
• Thinning
• Fertilizing
• Irrigation
• Tractor work
• Clearing brush
• Picking

Tiffany's brother, Johnny.

Tiffany- "Hey Johnny, that peach is bigger than your brain."

Here's Tiffany again.

I asked Tiffany if she still worked out at the orchard.

"Nope, I'm retired from the peach business.
Now I'm a cage fighter.
In Tortuga."

You go girl.

A week ago I bought some beautiful looking white peaches from the grocery story. The day after I bought them, I took one outside (I do all of my peach eating outside) and bit into it. Bleeech! It was gross. Mealy, dry and just disgusting. I had to spit it out. (Good thing I was outside) So I figured I would ask my local peach expert what happened:

InsideWoodland - What makes peaches mealy, and gross?
Dominique Tiffany - Usually that means they were picked a while ago. They dry out at your house. A mealy peach may have been picked over a week ago.

Okay, so I had some old-ass peaches at home. But out at Manas they don't have that problem. You can get a peach that was picked just an hour ago.

Here is the sorting and packing process. It's not fancy, and it's not high-tech.
But neither are peaches.

Boxes of peaches are lowered onto the conveyor belt.
These peaches were picked by hand less than an hour ago.

Then the peaches go onto this spin-sorter machine.
There is a gap that the peaches fit through, the gap gets bigger the further along the wheel,
So the little peaches come out of the sorter first and go down a chute.
Then the peaches get bigger and bigger and go down different chutes.

This is the packing machine. They've spared no expense to make it look like real people.

These guys are sorting the peaches. They put them into boxes while judging the quality.

Peach Qualities

• 1st quality no blemishes, solid
• 2nd quality, bruised or blemished
• Softs- ready to eat.

Surprisingly, the peaches that are ready to be eaten are the cheapest. Because if they don't sell them right away, then they'll go bad. So get off your butt, go out to Manas Ranch and say, "I want some soft peaches, and I want them now!"

I left Manas Ranch with a big bag of peaches they gave me. I got home and my wife and daughter were gone. I thought to myself, "I'm gonna have my way with this bag of peaches, and nobody can stop me." So I brought my bag of peaches out into the backyard and got to eatin'. The peaches were good- really good. I ate six big peaches in about 15 minutes.

Then I got a stomach ache.

No surprise really. Not as bad as the day I ate about 25 plums (oh yeah, that's where prunes come from...) but I would not recommend that you eat six big peaches at once even if they are really good.

But after I had my way with the bag of peaches there were still plenty to take pictures of. Below are some of the pictures, and a few big pictures you can use as a background on your computer.

Windows Users: To set the pictures below as your background, just click on the link for the background. When it opens up in a new window, right-click (no, RIGHT-click) the picture and choose 'Set as Background'.

Macintosh Users: I'm not sure, but from what I understand, all you need to do is think about it real hard, and it will happen automatically.

Peach Skin

• 1280 x 1024 Background
• 1024 x 768 Background

 

Peach Slices

1024 x 768 background

Peaches and Ice Cream

• Get a 1280 x 1024 background
• A lovely 1024 x 768 picture

My thanks to Tiffany and the people at Manas Ranch for the tour and the great peaches.

You can read and see more about Manas Ranch at http://www.manasranch.com

You can also sign up for their mailing list.
They'll send you a postcard to let you know when your favorite peaches are ripe each year.

*my apologies to the Presidents Of The United States Of America, but obviously it was the right song to use.

	From:  Sam - Date: 12-Aug-06
	Must...have...peaches...now. :)
	From:  a reader - Date: 12-Aug-06
	Beautiful pictures! The most beautiful peach pictures anywhere, ever.
	From:  tufluv - Date: 12-Aug-06
	As usual, another fascinating and informative piece Mr. Inside Woodland! Your photos are peachy. I mean it. Keep on keepin on! Tuffy
	From:  Cory - Date: 12-Aug-06
	Ya know what is so great about this website... I miss it when it's not there & it's the only email I open immediately everytime. Then I sit & smile thru a story about peaches, sign up for a newsletter & write a comment. Ahhhh, the power of good journalism & peach porn pictures!
	From:  Patricia - Date: 13-Aug-06
	Now, Sir, you are back to your wonderful stories about local, interesting Yolo County people that cause you and no one else any problems. Great writing and AWESOME photos. God I want a peach. Thank you so much.
	From:  Sandi - Date: 13-Aug-06
	At first I thought this story would be the "pits", but it left me feeling soft and fuzzy on the outside! Seriously, great story.
	From:  Katie - Date: 13-Aug-06
	Yummmmmmmmmmm...
	From:  peggy - Date: 13-Aug-06
	I'm having a piece of peach pie tonight, want some?
	From:  Tiffany (peaches) (diamond) (bambi) - Date: 14-Aug-06
	Hey the story turned out great! Glad that you had a good time out at the ranch~
	From:  Lynn Howard - Date: 14-Aug-06
	Great story! Great Photos! Have downloaded the background for work...and...good to see you again Tiffany! (Nice to see a 'Spartan' and you haven't changed a bit...good for you!)
	From:  Leslie - Date: 14-Aug-06
	Great to see another local getting some nice publicity
	From:  Seestah - Date: 14-Aug-06
	Dig the music. Dig the pictures. I want to adopt Tiffany and tell people she's my biological daughter and she got her looks from me. Mr. Woodland, you have caused me to eat... again. Keep up the talented fun! xoxox
	From:  Chris B - Date: 14-Aug-06
	You go girl, Tiff. As far as Fred............slow down.
	From:  Joseph - Date: 15-Aug-06
	Wonderful story, will look for these guys at the farmers market. Thank you, Mr InsideWoodland.
	From:  LG - Date: 15-Aug-06
	I agree with Seestah, Tiffany is hot!
	From:  Allie - Date: 16-Aug-06
	I got apricot pineapple jelly from Manas. It was super amazing!
	From:  Martin - Date: 18-Aug-06
	Great to see a story about a company I drive by everyday on my way to work. Now I might just stop by and check it out.
	From:  suzy - Date: 21-Aug-06
	Those peaches almost look as good as Tiffany and Johnny!
	From:  jazzi - Date: 23-Aug-06
	i like these picture. The peaches are good fruit and best for health.
	From:  Peaches for me! - Date: 31-Aug-06
	I like the peaches, and the song.
	From:  krla - Date: 29-Sep-06
	jhonny is hot
	From:  macie marie - Date: 06-Oct-06
	Dang Karl you sure get to eat alot and go to alot of cool places!
	From:  woodland person - Date: 19-Dec-06
	loved the story and photos. macs suck!
	From:  Peachy Keen - Date: 06-Jul-07
	I can't wait for peach season to come around again. I didn't know that peaches could be so pretty.
	From:  M O M - Date: 23-Sep-07
	When I was a kid we had a peach tree in the backyard and my mother canned sliced peaches in syrup. In the winter (Michigan) it was wonderful to eat these peaches for dessert. We have a peach tree in the yard and for about 4 years it produced softball sized prize peaches that were used alot for Cobbler. But, alas, the last few years hardly no peaches. Is there a peach doctor in the house?
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