Growing almonds at Briden Wilson Farm is a family adventure for Rebecca and I and our children. The children love helping with irrigation chores, and help with the raking during harvest, although they don’t love that quite so much. The kids seem more excited to find an egg in the chicken coup or watch the playful jumping of a goat kid.

Each year’s harvest sells fast at HomeGrownAlmonds.com. If you’ve never had almonds freshly harvested straight from the orchards, you’re in for a treat.

The orchard keeps us busy all year long, whether pruning and poling in the foggy winter months, managing bees and blossoms during the critical pollination stage, managing weeds and other pests as spring progresses into summer, irrigating and feeding the trees during the hot growing season, or shaking, raking, sweeping, and picking up the nuts during the intensely busy harvest season. There is a satisfaction that is difficult to put into words every season as the fruit of our labor is rewarded.