Peaches & Irv: Pick-Your-Own Season to Start Early at Silverman's

Mother's Day is usually greeted by apple blossoms at Irv Silverman's farm. But thanks to the unusually mild winter and warm spring, the blossoms are already waning on many apple tree varieties in his Easton orchard two full weeks ahead of schedule.

Even more surprising is to see tiny, fuzzy peaches already popping along the stems of Silverman's "doughut" peach trees. They're the size of blueberries now, but Silverman says the especially sweet variety, named for their round, flat shape and indented tops, will be ripe for picking by June 20. Typically, pick-your-own-peaches season at Silverman's Farm doesn't start until the Fourth of July.  

With 15,000 apple and peach trees in his orchard, and dozens of varieties ripening at staggered times, Silverman is able to spread the picking season out over the summer. Each of his dozen or so varieties of peaches has about a two-week season. With his earliest varieties ready to pick in June, peach season will last thru early September. Silverman's apple season will also start and end two weeks earlier than usual, he says.

Thre's one more surprise coming from Silverman's Farm this year: a new home-grown fruit. After cultivating vines for two years, Silverman is looking forward to his first grape harvest. Because grapes need to be harvested carefully with clippers, the vineyard won't be open to pick-your-own customers, but bunches of table grapes will be available for purchase in the Silverman Market. He'll also sell wine grapes to area vintners.

Stay tuned for another new fruit from the farm in the next year or two. Silverman recently cleared his last patch of farmable land for blueberry patches. And yes, those fields will be open to pick-your-own fans.