Devoto Gardens & Orchards

05/05/2026

Baby apples on the farm! This is our most labor-intensive time of year, when the unripe, little apples need to be thinned by hand. This ensures proper sizing and flavor development as the apples ripen up over the course of many months.

If you’re an organic fresh market farmer, you’re more often than not thinning by hand, which takes tens of thousands of hours over the span of a few months, whereas conventional apple growers can complete this process with one spray in a day. Call us crazy, but we think the flavor is worth the wait.

Overall the crop is looking really good, and we’re looking at an early August start of harvest date.

03/26/2026

Keep eating, buying, talking about, working with Gravenstein apples! It will help keep this Slow Food International arc of taste crop alive for generations to come. We're happy to continue cultivating them for our 50th apple harvest this year!

THEY WERE TO WESTERN SONOMA COUNTY what Kona is to macadamia nuts, or sockeye salmon to Bristol Bay: a food emblematic of the region, a comestible that

03/24/2026

Spring is here, and baby fruits and flowers are forming!

03/15/2026

It’s been a busy winter: composting, pruning, mulching, cleaning up, grafting, planting, etc….Say hello to some of the 900 new apple trees going into the ground this year. It’s a labor of love that we wouldn’t change for the world, because what else are you going to do when the world’s ecological systems are collapsing, in addition to so much more!? In 5 years or so, we’ll hopefully harvest the fruit from these trees. Until then, stay strong and resilient, just like organic dry-farmed apples. 🍎

09/28/2025

Check out the Mutsu vs. Wickson size difference. They’re two of the best mid season apples and oh-so crunchy!

Mutsu is a blend between a Japanese ‘Indo’ and a good ‘ol fashioned ‘Golden Delicious’. It’s excellent for all applications.

Wickson is a California original developed by Albert Etter in Humboldt County, and tastes almost sweet & acidic. It might make you dance!

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08/25/2025

"Today I visited my dad, who keeps bees, and he proudly showed me a bucket full of golden honey. As I leaned closer, I noticed three little bees stuck on the surface, completely covered in honey and barely moving. I asked if we could help, though in my heart I doubted they would survive. Gently, my dad scooped them out and placed them in a small container outside.

At first, they seemed hopeless, weak, and still. But soon, other bees came over and began working carefully, cleaning their sisters bit by bit. It was like watching an act of love in the smallest form. Slowly, the sticky honey was removed, and to my surprise, each bee regained strength. One by one, they stretched their wings and finally took off into the air.

It was such a powerful reminder of how extraordinary bees are, always united, always caring for each other, and never giving up on their own. Their little act of teamwork left me amazed, and I couldn’t help but feel we humans could learn so much from them."

08/14/2025

There’s magic to these peaceful evenings on the farm when long days are done. It’s a time to reflect, relax, and recharge for what’s ahead. We’re grateful for your support as our apples and flowers debut at the following farmer’s markets this season:

- (Saturdays & Tuesdays)
- SF Ferry Building (Saturdays)
- (Thursday & Sunday)
- (Sunday)
- (Sunday)
- .helenafarmersmarket (Friday)

08/13/2025

At The FruitGuys, sustainability isn’t just in what we deliver—but how we connect. That’s why we’re sharing fresh insights through our series—celebrating seasonality, snack pairings, and the ecosystems behind our food.

🍌 Learn how we work: https://bit.ly/3U0bNzV

Fun fact: Just like humans have pores, fruit uses lenticels to exchange gases with the air.
So if you see speckles, don’t stress! They’re totally natural and a sign your fruit is alive and well!

10/19/2024

09/03/2024

An apple for every occasion ❤️🍎

Apple season has started at , with early varieties like Gravensteins and Pink Pearls starting to pop up! 🍎 Based in Sebastopol, Stan Devoto and his family have been growing heirloom apples and field-grown flowers since the 1970s, and now grow more than 100 varieties of certified organic apples, cut flowers, and wine grapes. Keep an eye out for these rare heirloom apples, many of which have a short season, and try them while you can. And be sure to say hi to Stan!