This post is sponsored by Red Jacket Orchards.
Red Jacket Orchards, a family-owned fruit farm in New York’s Finger Lakes region, has been crafting juice for over five decades. The farm was originally planted in 1917, and Joe Nicholson Sr. and his wife Emily took over operations in 1958. Today the family farms over 600 acres and makes award-winning juices in a LEED-certified facility right on the orchard. Situated in the fertile hills of Seneca Lake, the farm enjoys rich soils and a microclimate favorable to delicate fruits like plums, prunes, apricots, and cherries.
“We wouldn’t be able to grow the select fruits we have if we were another 10 miles back from the lake,” said Joe Nicholson, Jr., who was recently dubbed “Mr. Plum” in Daniel Humm’s I Love NY cookbook. Starting in the ’80s, Joe Jr. began experimenting with unique summer fruit crops and is recognized as a pioneer in growing fruits in the north. “There is nothing like the taste of a truly tree-ripened piece of fruit. When the juice is dripping down your chin, we know we’ve done our job well.”
Red Jacket’s all-natural juice is cold-pressed fresh from whole fruit with no additives. The delicious fresh flavor is like nothing on the market — it’s as close to the raw fruit as you can get. Flash-pasteurized and bottled cold, each juice is a good source of fiber, Vitamin C, and antioxidants.
With over 200 acres of summer fruits, the orchard is one of the largest producers on the East Coast. The farm is equally known for the superior apples grown on over 350 acres and is a favorite among New York’s greenmarkets.
Today, Red Jacket produces over 300,000 bushels of apples and 1.4 million pounds of summer fruits annually. Employing a range of techniques including bio-dynamic, sustainable, and organic, the family is committed to the latest environmentally sensitive methods.
The Nicholson family has been selling fresh juice at farmers markets and gourmet retailers for over 20 years, and their juices will be available throughout the Twin Cities region beginning now with fresh juices available in the produce department at all Lunds & Byerly’s locations.
Says grower Brian Nicholson, “The Twin Cities are quite similar to our own area and we love the dynamic nature of the community. We are committed to bringing the best fresh product here to complement an already vibrant local growing region. Connecting to the community and partnering with organizations that promote healthy lifestyles and nutrition is just what we do. We do it at home and we do it with our partner communities.”
Taste for yourself this weekend on Saturday, February 15 from 11-4, and Sunday, February 16 from 10-1 at Lunds in Highland Park and Wayzata and Byerly’s in Ridgedale and Eagan.