Joe's chihuahua companion JD wearing his cerebral citrus cap.Tiny plain transparent version of HAFM logo, with two hands reaching around an apple.Avitua/Walker Farm's
 

Cerebral Citrus . . .







   Yeoman/worker Joe Avitua as much as inherited the wellknown Walker Farm of Exeter some years ago after the untimely demise of Jim Walker, and has faithfully nurtured the mani-varied orchards. In late Fall thru Winter into Spring, CITRUS comes to the fore, and shoppers at his Friday marketstall in HAFM's Long Beach Downtown Farmers Market are always amazed and delighted by his zestful harvests.

   Among his many CITRUS varieties currently available are the following:

ETROG (Citrus medica var. Etrog) is an elongated bumpy citron indispensible to the proper celebration of Sukkot in the Jewish religious calendar, held variously in September or October. There is much ado about etrog just before this major holiday every year. Other uses include jam and candied peel. Its very acidic nature lends itself well to certain dressings and sauces.

THAI (or Kaffir) LIME (Citrus hystrix) is eloquently aromatic and its knobby rind AND its leaves are used a lot in Thai and other Asian cuisines, as well as in medicinal preparations.

LIMEQUAT is a cross between a Mexican lime and a kumquat and its uses are the many typically associated with lemons.

BUDDHA'S HAND (Citrus medica var. Sarcodactylis) citron is a wondrous freak of nature certain to draw attention to wherever it may be decoratively placed. No two are alike. Its ornamental uses are obvious and mind-bending, but that's certainly not all: the devout make offerings of this fruit on the Buddha's birthday. It's widely associated with prosperity. The skin is used as zest and also favored as candy, often as treatment for sore throat or indigestion. The fruit is somewhat unique in another way: it has practically no flesh or juice.
Here are some Buddha's Hand photos from the Avitua/Walker Farm:

Buddha's Hand has the growth aspect of a shrub.Many odd-shaped fruits on a bush, the final shape is often seen immediately after the flower develops.

A festive look.

Another late Fall/Winter feature is the sumptuous SATSUMA mandarin orange:
pics of Avitua's 60-tree SATSUMA orchard (Owari variety) - Dec. '05!
(Please allow a few moments for the images to load in the popup window.)

   Next-to-last word: by now everyone is quite familiar with the formidable POMELO, and this Chinese grapefruit is abundant at the Avitua/Walker marketstall from mid-November well into the New Year (no matter when you celebrate this).

Joe and his buddy JD say: "C'mon downtown for the...uh...peel!"

MORE farm photos HERE! Don't miss them!

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